Chaos, Carbon, and Nitrous: Murder Nova's Wild Push Toward Outlaw 32

Hey guys, if there's one thing we know for sure in the world of no prep racing, it's that chaos isn’t just expected—it’s guaranteed. And when it comes to last-minute thrashes, unexpected carnage, and straight-up hustle, few teams do it quite like Shawn Ellington and the Murder Nova crew.

Their latest testing session ahead of the 2025 Speed Promotions Outlaw 32 turned from a simple shakedown into an all-out war against time, carbon fiber destruction, and mechanical mayhem. What started as a straightforward engine swap quickly became a real-world reminder that in no prep, nothing ever goes exactly as planned.

Photo by Murder Nova

The Plan: Swapping in a Proven Powerhouse

The mission was clear: take the championship-winning Proline Hemi from the OG Murder Nova and drop it into the white Nova—formerly the MPK car. This isn’t just any engine either. It’s a piece of proven hardware that’s already secured a No Prep Kings title and gone 3.70s on a 275 radial. It's a beast.

But as Shawn put it himself, “This motor’s won a championship, did a big wheelie, and it’s going even faster in the OG. But honestly, it probably needs to be freshened up.” With 23-24 gold rounds under its belt, the team wisely opted to swap rods and get some test hits in before diving into one of the toughest small tire races out there—where Ryan Martin and Kye Kelley have been laying it down lately.

Disaster Strikes in Steel, Alabama

Testing took place at Steel, Alabama, and both the OG and the white Nova hit the track. That’s when the chaos really kicked in.

Photo by Murder Nova

Let’s start with the white Nova. Fresh off a visit to Wrap Works where it returned to its signature white livery (after a brief blacked-out stint), the car looked clean and mean. But the Procharger setup had other plans. During one of the pulls, the carbon fiber door got completely shredded—not just damaged, but ripped apart from air pressure alone.

It was so bad that the inner structure was barely hanging on. With no time to waste, the crew got creative—really creative. Thanks to Kidwell Racing, they patched it up using cooking sheets (yes, cooking sheets, not “cookie” sheets, as Shawn made sure to clarify with a laugh).

Even with the busted door, the white Nova still threw down a personal best of 188 MPH on a 28-inch slick. That says a lot—not just about the motor, but the team’s tenacity. It also showed just how close to the edge they’re pushing this lightweight build.

OG Murder Nova’s Front End Failure

Not to be outdone by the door debacle, the OG Nova decided to get in on the drama too.

After clocking a killer 0.920 60-foot, the front end of the car collapsed under aero stress. The hood and supports just couldn’t hold up to the forces at play. They had to zip-tie the whole thing to the cage just to keep testing safely.

Turns out, the team didn’t fully account for rollout differences with the new tires in the rush to prep for Outlaw 32. It’s one of those little oversights that becomes a big deal when you’re running on the edge.

Photo by Murder Nova

Throwing Nitrous into the Mix

With Outlaw 32 allowing unlimited power adders, the team decided to take a big swing—adding nitrous to the Procharger setup. That’s not something you see every day in no prep. Nitrous Express came through with a dry nitrous system to help cool the air charge and pump up the power.

Shawn and the crew joked about it feeling like a scene straight out of Fast & Furious, with everything going blurry when the button gets hit. But there’s real strategy behind it. As Shawn explained, “Every street car we’ve got with a Procharger has nitrous. The only downfall to boost is heat—and nitrous takes care of that.”

Early test results were promising, but limited by the busted parts and tricky track conditions. The full potential of this new combo is still untapped.

Carbon Fiber: Light but Fragile

The biggest takeaway from this test session? Lightweight carbon fiber isn't always your friend. Yes, it shaves weight and makes for fast cars, but this test session proved that when you're pushing serious power, it can become a weak link.

The team’s already got Blake Housley at Mayberry Motorsports lined up to reinforce the carbon panels, striking that delicate balance between strength and weight. That alone could make or break their Outlaw 32 effort.

All Eyes on Outlaw 32

The next test session is going to be absolutely critical. The team has to validate all the repairs, fine-tune the nitrous setup, and make sure both cars can hold up to the violent forces they’re unleashing.

Meanwhile, the rest of the field isn’t slowing down. Ryan Martin’s Fireball Camaro and Kye Kelley’s Shockwave are also evolving, experimenting with their own wild combos. With no rules on power adders, fans are about to see everything from twin-turbo Hemis to nitro-fed monsters.

Can the Procharger Combo Still Compete?

That’s the real question here. In an era dominated by turbos and screw blowers, can Shawn’s Procharger-nitrous combo still hang? The team thinks so—and they’re going all in to prove it.

If they can sort out the durability issues and squeeze everything they can out of this setup, they’ve got a real shot. But if things keep breaking down, this might go from innovation to cautionary tale.

Final Thoughts: War Is Coming

The countdown to Outlaw 32 is on, and it’s shaping up to be one of the wildest events in no prep history. The Murder Nova team has never backed down from a challenge, and they’re not about to start now.

Whether they come out on top or take a few more hard hits along the way, one thing is certain: they’ll go down swinging. And that’s what makes them one of the most exciting teams to watch in this game.

Stay locked to Street Outlaws Talks for all the latest on Murder Nova’s push toward Outlaw 32, behind-the-scenes breakdowns, and the kind of racing drama you won’t find anywhere else.