American Racing News Vol 1, Issue 2 Issue 7 | Page 15

equivalent of Top Alcohol Funny
Car engines in their cars while he’s
making do with a factory-based
cast-iron 455 with cast cylinder
heads and an Edelbrock Performer
manifold and cylinder heads.
“You could fit two of my engines
inside one of theirs,” he joked. “I
look pretty goofy with this little
bitty motor, but I have to abide by
the same rules as them because it’s
not their fault I have a crappy motor. I had a lot of Super Stock guys
come over and tell me that my engine is more stock than theirs. It’s
worked really well for me before,
but coming into this arena, I’m realizing that I’m behind the eight
ball as far as horsepower goes."
Asked about how he manages his
“outlaw” persona with his entrée
into professional drag racing,

Shearer explained, “I still wear the
clothes, I still wear the goofy
socks, I still carry a bandana in my
pocket, I still have tattoos. I can’t
flip the image switch, but I can be
respectful. I understand when

things mean something, and I understand passion, and I’m very respectful of people who have
passion, and I’m respectful for the
people here who have the passion."
Shearer has aspirations of going
full-time Pro Mod racing and is
looking for partners that will enable him to run a full season in
2017.
“I’ve had a lot of offers to drive
really nice cars, and I’ve had a lot of
really good offers to get really nice
engines, but I’m being very careful
because I need to choose a like
minded person,” he said. “I’m being very careful because I want this
to go the right way.
“But I’m at the U.S. Nationals with
my motor, my car, my truck, my
trailer; I tune it, I build it, I drive it.
That is so cool. Everyone has a story of their first U.S. Nationals, and
now 20, 30, or 40 years later if I’m
still here, I’ll have mine.”