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DI 30 Under 30 2021: Justin Swanstrom

Justin “Lil’ Country” Swanstrom set some major goals when he set out on his first full season in Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings competition with his new ProCharger-boosted Lexus known as “Prenup.” He wanted to win a race, run the full season, and finish in the top 3 in points. Despite challenges like a minor crash and parts breakage, the Florida native accomplished all three goals, winning the third and 13th races on the 15-race tour to finish third in points behind two-time champion Ryan Martin and Kye Kelley.

“We got to meet new fans, meet new supporters and everything, that was cool, but all in all, we had a good season and I’m happy with it,” Swanstrom says. “To be able to bring the car home, not have any catastrophic failures, and finish third in points, and take home some wins throughout the season, I think we did some successful stuff.”

[Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in DI #172, the 30 Under 30 Issue, in November of 2021.]

Swanstrom also established himself as one of the true stars of the series, both on the Discovery show and online. Almost 60,000 subscribers tune in for his weekly vlogs on YouTube, while a combined 120,000 followers keep up with his antics on Facebook and Instagram. The 25-year-old has emphasized personally interacting with his fans both online and at the races.

“The fans have been awesome,” Swanstrom says. “I try to do as much as I can, giving back parts, merch, and paid trips [to races]. A lot of them come out, sign the car, do all that. I just try to be different than the other 46 drivers so I can try to stick out a little bit more, and I think we have accomplished that this year.”

Swanstrom and his father, Corey, quickly got up to speed with the ProCharger combination after years of running nitrous engines in grudge racing and Radial vs. the World. The Swanstroms will stick with the combination for Justin’s new ride, a ’69 Camaro, which is in the works at Cameron Johnson Race Cars. Other than the body, it will be like a clone of Prenup, also built by CJRC. The Camaro will be Swanstrom’s No Prep Kings ride, while the Lexus will move to the streets.

“I was able to earn some winnings this year and accumulate a little bit of money to be able to afford to build a new car, and I do have a bunch of sponsors coming on board with this deal,” says Swanstrom, who plugs supporters like TMS Titanium, Frankenstein Engine Dynamics, Proline Racing, ProCharger, Quick Drive Racing, the Bribec Group, and NPB Racing. “I think us running up front and being in the top 3 this season put us on people’s radar. There’s a lot of people that’s looking at me now that weren’t looking at me before. Hopefully, we can have an even better season next year and then maybe win a championship. That’s the ultimate goal.”

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