Birdman Is Striking Fear Into the Hearts of Other 'Street Outlaws' Racers

Street Outlaws carries on the wonderful tradition of speed, gas, and high stakes action where anything can go wrong, with the added benefit of getting to know the people behind some of the most successful drag racing cars in America. While the Discovery Channel show showcases quite a number of promising and talented racers with their respective teams of equally skilled and beautifully insane gearheads, perhaps the most respected of those racers is Birdman.

James got his start in street racing some 25 years ago around Houston. This was well before The Fast and the Furious and well before there were tons of reality shows about it. He did it for a simple reason: the man loved to go fast and go faster than the guy in the other car right beside him.

While James didn't really become popular before constantly crushing the competition in Street Outlaws, he developed quite the reputation as a speed demon very quickly.

In a Noprep.com piece, Birdman didn't seem too phased by the fact that before he and his team were featured on Discovery that he didn't receive the widespread recognition and accolades that a lot of racers receive today. But the fact that he would race anything with wheels is the reason why he says "Anybody in Houston knows who we are, and that’s pretty much why." 

Another reason why Birdman is such an enigma, and not just because he's a street racing genius, is the fact that he leads a very secretive personal life. Not much is known about his life outside the track, but it is known that he's currently dating Kim Ynfante, who is heavily featured on Street Outlaws and can be seen accompanying the racer on many of his gas-powered contests in the Houston area.

While James isn't super vocal about his relationship with Kim and posting tons of selfies together on social media, they aren't exactly keeping their relationship a secret, either. They've posed with one another quite a few times, and the fact that they're featured on the popular cable series together is proof that they've got no problem letting the world know they're an item.

To give you an idea of how successful of a drag racer James Finney is, he said that he stopped counting how much prize money he collectively earned in drag racing after hitting the hundred grand mark in prizes. While many people would think that such a successful racer with a powerful name would've exuded confidence about his abilities from the very beginning, Birdman didn't always put so much stock in his racing skills.

Apparently, when he first started putting his cars on the track, he wasn't exactly sure he'd have what it takes to be a top professional drag racer. He didn't think he or his team could actually make it as a legitimate threat on the track, but after making a few "passes" on the very first day, he knew immediately that street racing was not only what he wanted to do, but that it was something he and his crew were very, very good at.

"Once we made a couple of passes, we were like ‘okay; we can do this. We can own this… Watch." Even though he knew very early on that he'd be able to make a living for himself on the track, he's still surprised at just how big his name has become in the racing world, and how many fans he's managed to accumulate over the years. 

He's become somewhat of an "ambassador" of the sport. Even those who only dabble in the world of drag racing have probably either seen Birdman race or heard his name.

Rocking a 4,000 horsepower Firebird with a 572 Hemi that is so powerful it's sometimes difficult for the vehicle to maintain a straight line, it doesn't really matter, as he still manages to win tons of high-profile, top prize races.

Birdman's whip is definitely a force to be reckoned with, and you can see him race it on Street Outlaws. The show's currently on its 15th season and you can catch Episode 3 on Monday, Jan. 27, at 8 p.m. EST.