Coyote Stock attracted a lot of attention as one of NMRA’s most gripping classes. The competitors were dedicated, and their cars were dynamic with their hard launches, high wheelies, and energetic engines, so when the series ceased operations at the end of 2024, racers searched for a new place to call home. That is when Sick the Magazine stepped in and welcomed Coyote Stock, along with other categories from the defunct NMRA and NMCA series. The debut race was Sick at the Rock presented by Motion Raceworks and held from April 10-12, 20,25 at Rockingham Dragway in Rockingham, North Carolina.

So that left us with the all-Team Dirty Bird final, which we had always dreamed of… — Chad Stephens, Team Dirty Bird

Among the Coyote Stock racers revving and rocking over the weekend were Aaron Worstell and Chad Stephens. Worstell, fresh off a Coyote Stock win at the Inaugural Spring Break Ford Nationals presented by Vengeance Clutch at South Georgia Motorsports Park in March, was behind the wheel of his Mustang, propelled by a Gen 3 Coyote engine, G-Force G101A four-speed manual transmission, and Team Z Motorsports suspension components. He qualified in the fourth spot with a 9.65 out of 12 cars.

Aaron Worstell was fresh off a win in Coyote Stock at the Inaugural Spring Break Ford Nationals presented by Vengeance Clutch at South Georgia Motorsports Park when he arrived at the Sick at the Rock presented by Motion Raceworks at Rockingham Dragway. (Photo credit: Anastasia Elvira)

“As always, the Coyote Stock class was super-close in qualifying,” said Worstell, who went on to defeat Becky Moldenhauer with a 9.63 and Joe Conway with a 9.59 in the first and second rounds of eliminations, and faced Charlie Booze Jr. in the semifinal round of eliminations.

“Charlie Booze Jr. is well-known in the racing world and a multi-time champion across several classes, and I knew I needed everything to be absolutely perfect,” Worstell confessed. “Grant Scott from GS Performance set my car up and told me to try to tree him. We rolled the cars into the lights, the two-steps came on, and the Gen 3 Coyotes started to sing. I dropped the clutch, and the wheels were in the air. When the wheels came down, I was able to tell I was ahead of the legend himself. I knew at that point I cut a better light, and the race was on. I was able to hold him off with another 9.59 to his 9.60.”

Friends In The Final

That semifinal round of eliminations paved the way to a final round of eliminations race against his friend and Team Dirty Bird teammate, Chad Stephens.

“We had been trying to make that happen for a long time, as Team Dirty Bird is a big family,” Worstell said.

Due to an oil down on the track before them and dropping temperatures, Worstell and Stephens decided to forego the final round of eliminations and walk away as co-winners.

Chad Stephens is as committed as they come, driving from Canada to the United States to race along with his fellow racer and brother, Damien Stephens. (Photo credit: Anastasia Elvira)

“We had the cars set on kill, and our surface had just become a question mark, especially with the cold temperatures. That can be a disaster in a 10-inch tire stick-shift car. We both knew it was not worth the risk. The team had already won, and the cars and drivers needed to return home in one piece,” Worstell said. “Splitting the money was the best thing for the team, and I could tell Chad felt the same way. Chad is like a brother to me, and for us both to win feels better than one of us having a bad pass. There are many more chances for us to settle that final round. I need to thank my family, my future wife, Kayla, and my daughter Penelope, for allowing me to do this, as well as Team Z Motorsports, GS Performance Automotive, PEM Racing Gears and Drivetrain, HPJ Performance, and Hackman Racing.”

Doing What’s Right

Stephens, a committed competitor who regularly travels from Canada to the United States to race with his brother, Damien Stephens, spent 16 hours in the rig each way to get to and from this race. It was worth it, as he led qualifying with a 9.59 in his Thunderbird with a Gen 3 Coyote engine, G-Force G101A four-speed manual transmission, and a combination of homemade, Team Z Motorsports, and UPR suspension components. He went on to defeat Gary Quill with a 9.60 in the first round of eliminations and kept his foot planted to a 9.58 after Scott Milhimes turned on the red light in the second round of eliminations. He put a 9.57 on the board on a solo pass in the semifinal round of eliminations before the split with Worstell in the final round of eliminations.

“In the semifinal on a competition bye, after watching Aaron Worstell break into the 9.50s with a solid 9.59 effort, I knew it was now or never, especially if I wanted lane choice,” Stephens explained. “The car left the line clean, and all the shifts were crisp, and through the traps, my gut felt it may have actually happened, and I was proud to see the 9.57 on the timeslip. So that left us with the all-Team Dirty Bird final, which we had always dreamed of. We love racing (in the United States) as we are always treated like family, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Aaron Worstell wheeled to a 9.65 to qualify in the fourth spot in his Mustang featuring a Gen 3 Coyote engine, G-Force G101A four-speed transmission, and Team Z Motorsports suspension components. (Photo Credit: Anastasia Elvira)

Neither Worstell nor Stephens regret the decision to not race in the final round of eliminations. They are happy with the outcome and with sharing the Winner’s Circle, complete with a bottle of champagne supplied by Tripp Carter and Wanda Hunsucker.

Worstell and Stephens will suit up for their next Coyote Stock competition during the TorqStorm Dust Off Drag Race presented by Horsepower Depot and Gilmore Car Museum, May 9-10, 2025 at US 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan, and Sick on the Green, May 29-31, 2025 at Beech Bend Raceway Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Stephens’ brother, Damien, the 2024 NMRA Factory Stock champion, hopes to be back in Factory Stock action at those races if his car parts arrive in time.