Texas Outlaw—Mike Murillo Has Been Thrilling Fans Ford Decades
Written by Steve Turner
Photography by Evan J. Smith and the author
When someone asks me how long I have been doing this whole writing about cars thing, I always hesitate to answer because it makes me seem older than I feel. Yet there is no doubt that I’ve been at it a long time. Long enough to say that I am, like Jimi Hendrix, experienced.
Along the way, I have met some pretty big personalities. Some were already well known and others became more ‘car famous’ along the way. Sometimes the latter situation changes people, but many are the same as the day I met them. One such high-performance celebrity is modern-day Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings star, Mike Murillo.
As you likely know, Mike was involved in a scary incident during an event in Norwalk, Ohio. His engine let go and caught fire. To make things worse, he forgot the remove the pin for the fire-suppression system and it jammed at the moment he needed it most. In his haste to pull the pin, he made the mistake of removing his glove, which led to some minor burns on his hands. As the flames grew, he started to lose consciousness and only the heroics of the safety crew averted disaster. They pulled Mike from the car, which suffered major fire damage across the front end, but the rest of the car was salvageable.
Knowing how close we came to losing Mike, I was excited to hear he might be stopping by the 24th Annual Whipple Superchargers NMRA All-Ford World Finals presented by Competition Clutch & Holley Intergalactic Ford Festival. Despite having RV mechanical troubles he made it to the track Sunday afternoon. He held court in the UPR Products display and took photos with fans. When I dropped by, he took a break.
After recounting his brush with danger, Mike and I reminisced about the old days. I had followed Mike’s exploits with his original Fox Mustang hatchback before it became The Star Car, adorned with the Texas flag. I grew to love Mustang racing reading the 5.0 Shootout in Super Ford magazine, and one day I joined that magazine's staff. Early on I was charged with putting together the very shootout that I adored reading about.
It was a special time, and Mike was one of the first racers I invited. When I met him for the first time, his personality was infectious, just as it is today. That’s what makes him so watchable on television, but more because it is authentic. That first time at the track he was wearing a shirt that said “In Texas, Farting Is A Competitive Sport.” Mike in that shirt cracked me up from the jump, and his magnetic effervescence never wavered in the ensuing years. I was there when he had a magical run in the Street Outlaw class and even got him into some trouble at home with a magazine cover photo.
Those are the kinds of moments I always cherish about being in the game for so long. Seeing incredible cars and meeting amazing people is something that I won’t take for granted. Also, as we get older, we lose more people along the way as well. You never know when it’s your time or when it might be someone else’s time, so hold those moments close.
After Mike told me how he was saved from the fire, I hugged him and told him I was glad he made it. Then he shared with me that he loves being on the show, but it can make it challenging to just sit in the stands and watch a race. An understandable challenge of car fame, but one that comes with the territory for sure.
We said our goodbyes and I wished him well. It was time to get back to work shooting some eliminations at the World Finals. Imagine, however, the smile on my face when I looked over between runs to see Mike sitting in the stands enjoying the race like any other spectator. We locked eyes and his beaming smile brought me back to that first time we met. I was glad to see him doing something he missed, and I can’t wait to see what his comeback looks like with a fresh ride. Go get ’em, Mike, and stay safe.
Written by Steve Turner
Photography by Evan J. Smith and the author
When someone asks me how long I have been doing this whole writing about cars thing, I always hesitate to answer because it makes me seem older than I feel. Yet there is no doubt that I’ve been at it a long time. Long enough to say that I am, like Jimi Hendrix, experienced.
Along the way, I have met some pretty big personalities. Some were already well known and others became more ‘car famous’ along the way. Sometimes the latter situation changes people, but many are the same as the day I met them. One such high-performance celebrity is modern-day Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings star, Mike Murillo.
As you likely know, Mike was involved in a scary incident during an event in Norwalk, Ohio. His engine let go and caught fire. To make things worse, he forgot the remove the pin for the fire-suppression system and it jammed at the moment he needed it most. In his haste to pull the pin, he made the mistake of removing his glove, which led to some minor burns on his hands. As the flames grew, he started to lose consciousness and only the heroics of the safety crew averted disaster. They pulled Mike from the car, which suffered major fire damage across the front end, but the rest of the car was salvageable.
Knowing how close we came to losing Mike, I was excited to hear he might be stopping by the 24th Annual Whipple Superchargers NMRA All-Ford World Finals presented by Competition Clutch & Holley Intergalactic Ford Festival. Despite having RV mechanical troubles he made it to the track Sunday afternoon. He held court in the UPR Products display and took photos with fans. When I dropped by, he took a break.
After recounting his brush with danger, Mike and I reminisced about the old days. I had followed Mike’s exploits with his original Fox Mustang hatchback before it became The Star Car, adorned with the Texas flag. I grew to love Mustang racing reading the 5.0 Shootout in Super Ford magazine, and one day I joined that magazine's staff. Early on I was charged with putting together the very shootout that I adored reading about.
It was a special time, and Mike was one of the first racers I invited. When I met him for the first time, his personality was infectious, just as it is today. That’s what makes him so watchable on television, but more because it is authentic. That first time at the track he was wearing a shirt that said “In Texas, Farting Is A Competitive Sport.” Mike in that shirt cracked me up from the jump, and his magnetic effervescence never wavered in the ensuing years. I was there when he had a magical run in the Street Outlaw class and even got him into some trouble at home with a magazine cover photo.
Those are the kinds of moments I always cherish about being in the game for so long. Seeing incredible cars and meeting amazing people is something that I won’t take for granted. Also, as we get older, we lose more people along the way as well. You never know when it’s your time or when it might be someone else’s time, so hold those moments close.
After Mike told me how he was saved from the fire, I hugged him and told him I was glad he made it. Then he shared with me that he loves being on the show, but it can make it challenging to just sit in the stands and watch a race. An understandable challenge of car fame, but one that comes with the territory for sure.
We said our goodbyes and I wished him well. It was time to get back to work shooting some eliminations at the World Finals. Imagine, however, the smile on my face when I looked over between runs to see Mike sitting in the stands enjoying the race like any other spectator. We locked eyes and his beaming smile brought me back to that first time we met. I was glad to see him doing something he missed, and I can’t wait to see what his comeback looks like with a fresh ride. Go get ’em, Mike, and stay safe.
