Soon after his 16th birthday in 1994, with a brand-new Louisiana driver's license in his pocket, Stevens attended Roy Hill's Drag Racing School and quickly earned his official Pro Stock license. A few months later in his first event against other professional NHRA drivers, the annual preseason Pro Stock SuperBowl in Houston, Stevens drove to a runner-up finish behind his mentor Hill. 

   After his impressive start in Texas, Stevens opted to gain experience competing in the International Hot Rod Association in 1996 where he immediately grabbed the spotlight by capturing his first professional win at the Spring Nationals in Bristol, Tenn. That same season Stevens turned heads by setting both ends of the IHRA Pro Stock record with a mind-numbing pass of 6.711 seconds at 205.10 mph in Darlington, S.C. 

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