Nathan Schaldach, known as Cali Nate from the Discovery Channel’s Street Outlaws, tragically passed away in a car crash during a race in southwest Texas on Saturday night. His girlfriend, Courtney Paulshock, confirmed the heartbreaking news in a moving Facebook post, referring to Nathan as her “soul mate” and expressing her shock and devastation.
“I’m not whole,” she wrote on Sunday, sharing her deep grief. “I feel like my heart is breaking.”
The accident happened while Schaldach was racing at Eagle Pass, about two hours west of San Antonio. Though his friends rushed him to the hospital, they were unable to save his life. Paulshock, still in shock from the loss, declined to share further details about the crash or its circumstances.
Reflecting on their relationship, Paulshock spoke about how much happiness Nathan found in reconnecting with his mother and sister. She also mentioned how he lived passionately, pursuing his love for racing and the joy he brought to her life. “To know the kind of love that Nathan gave me and showed me daily was a true blessing,” she said.
Schaldach appeared in the fourth season of Street Outlaws: Fastest in America, a series that followed eight drag racing teams competing for a $100,000 prize. His season wrapped up in May of last year, and the show itself was inspired by the original Street Outlaws, which showcased the risks and thrills of street racing.
While professional drag racing is generally safe, street racing remains dangerous and illegal in many places. Tragically, Schaldach is not the first Street Outlaws star to die in a racing accident. In 2022, Ryan Fellows, another cast member, died in a car crash during filming. His car overturned and caught fire in Las Vegas, leaving a lasting impact on the racing community.
Following Schaldach’s death, his friends and fans poured out their grief online. One of his friends, Chris Frank, posted on Facebook about the impact Schaldach had on those who knew him, whether as a fellow racer or a beloved friend. Frank also acknowledged the risks of the sport, noting that every race could be a racer’s last. He called Nate “one of the last genuine racers with a true love and understanding of the sport.”
In one of her last messages to Schaldach, Paulshock shared a poignant moment, promising to love him forever. “Garth told me to tell you I love you very much, just in case tomorrow never comes,” she texted him before what would be his final race. Later that day, she shared Lady Gaga’s song, “I’ll Never Love Again,” from A Star is Born, as a way to honor his memory and express her grief.
