If you thought Helluvachevy and Reeves Performance were just going to coast into 2026, think again. We’re kicking the doors open with an addition that’s equal parts horsepower, history, and a little bit of chaos in the best way.
Nathan Bates—lifelong racing junkie, husband, father of four, and yes, his oldest son is also named Chevy (tell me that’s not fate messing with us)—is joining the team as our Operations Leader for the 2026 season.
Nathan didn’t stumble into motorsports; he was basically raised in it. Two uncles, one slinging dirt in Sprint Cars and the other ripping down the dragstrip, made sure his childhood smelled like methanol and hot rubber. While other kids were learning algebra, Nathan was learning how to make horsepower behave. By his teens, he was wrenching, tuning, and absorbing everything he could get his hands on.
His 20s? That’s when the ember turned into a full‑blown wildfire. Nathan spent those years turning wrenches and logging miles with some of the biggest names in the sport—Dave Richards, Clay Millican, the Lagana family, and longtime friend Paul Lee. If it was loud, fast, and dangerous, Nathan was probably somewhere nearby making it louder, faster, and slightly more dangerous.
Eventually, the guy took all that experience and built something of his own: Dominate Racing, a high‑performance engine shop specializing in custom builds and precision dyno tuning. Precision, Power, Performance—he doesn’t just say it, he lives it. That venture opened the door to his first taste of team ownership in the Pro Mod world, because apparently he doesn’t believe in doing anything halfway.
Now he’s bringing all of that to Helluvachevy and Reeves Performance—not just the history, but an aggressive strategy to push the sport forward and take Chevy Reeves from A to B with purpose. Nathan’s been behind the wheel of just about everything at one point or another, but he’s the first to admit his real passion is under the hood and in the trenches, building teams and building drivers.
Our relationship with Nathan kicked off at SEMA last year—one of those “right place, right time” moments that turned into something bigger. When we asked him why he wanted to come on board, he didn’t hesitate. He said he liked our goals, our values, and the way we approach racing. He sees something in Chevy—Reeves, not his son😉—a young man with passion, professionalism, and the potential to carve out a real career in this sport. Enough potential that Nathan’s ready to commit to a season that’s shaping up to be nothing short of intense.
Nathan put it best himself:
“If I’m not learning something every day, I’m not doing my job.”
He’s watched Funny Cars go from breaking 200 MPH to flirting with 340 MPH. He’s seen what humans and machines can do when they’re pushed to the edge. And now he’s looking at our 1970 Chevelle YETI—a steel‑roof, steel‑quarter‑panel “street car” running 3.70s—and he’s all in.
“It’s amazing what these humans and machines are capable of. I always want to be a part of it.”
Well, Nathan—WELCOME TO THE CHAOS! Let’s go make something unforgettable.
