Big Chief has been a prominent fixture on Street Outlaws since the show first began airing in 2013. Born Justin Sheaver, Big Chief was an integral part of the reality program and the OKC street racing scene both as a racer himself with his team 405 and as a race organizer. Big Chief didn’t take long to gain a large following thanks to his engaging personality and talent as a racer as the show and its spinoffs No Prep Kings and America’s List continued.
Fans noticed Big Chief was no longer appearing in the show’s final seasons, even though team 405 continued participating. New seasons of No Prep Kings and America’s List came and went with no sign of Big Chief; it quickly became apparent that he had left the show for good, but why? Here’s all we know about Big Chief’s disappearance from Street Outlaws and its spinoffs.
Why did Big Chief leave Street Outlaws?
Big Chief first surprised fans by not participating in the last two seasons of Street Outlaws, and neither the racer nor the show’s team put out a statement about his sudden absence. Fans chalked up his lack of screen time to personal reasons, but many expected him to appear in the fourth season of No Prep Kings when it returned in the fall of 2021. Big Chief shared posts on his Instagram of him preparing his car for the show, but he was missing from the show’s final footage, prompting fans to wonder if he had been removed.
In March 2022, Big Chief shared a video on his YouTube channel talking about his reasons for leaving the show. He addressed the rumors circulating but said he ultimately decided to leave Street Outlaws because he disagreed with production. In his video, Big Chief shared he preferred the show to stay as “street as possible” while focusing on racing, and he didn’t feel comfortable as a racemaster if he had to uphold rules he didn’t think were best for the community. The former reality star also implied he felt uncomfortable with production dramatizing arguments between him and other cast members.
“The direction that things are going in, the changes that are being made, and the way things are being done don’t even resemble something that I helped build… I have to make the decision that I can’t stand up there and defend rules and decisions that I didn’t make and don’t agree with.”
Street Outlaws‘ cast member James Goad (also known as “Reaper,” after his racing car) uploaded a video in response to Big Chief’s clarification where he questioned Big Chief’s claims as well as the racemaster’s character. In the 40-minute video, Goad accuses Big Chief of being manipulative and making the show uncomfortable for him and the other racers.
We can’t confirm why Big Chief left the show but you can keep up with him on his Instagram and his YouTube channel, where he uploads regularly.