Holley EFI Racer Ron Rhodes Crushes Another X275 Class Record At Sweet 16 4.0

04/01/2021
10 min read

Holley EFI Racer Ron Rhodes Crushes Another X275 Class Record At Sweet 16 4.0

04/01/2021
10 min read

In the weeks leading up to Duck X Production’s Sweet 16. 4.0 event, Delaware racer and X275 stalwart Ron Rhodes knew he was on to something with his fuel-injected, nitrous-oxide-huffing small-block Chevrolet. Despite being at what some would call a significant disadvantage with his leaf-sprung Camaro, Rhodes has continued to pick away at his combination over the years. Today, he was rewarded with a record-smashing 4.16 blast at more than 171 mph on the perfectly-prepped surface of South Georgia Motor Sports Park.



First, he tried to tell us that it was a fluke, then a hot dog wrapper, then a cat. In reality, his consistent performances come down to every team member, from his engine builder Tony Bischoff to tuner Mike Thompson to second tuner Dean Marinis and others pulling their weight for Rhodes to run at the top of what some call the most competitive class in small-tire heads-up racing.


It is no secret that every racer in this class works hard at figuring out how to run quickly with the limitations placed on them, and in what most would call “boost weather,” Rhodes has taken the little nitrous engine that could and shown the competition what they’re up against at this event.


“It feels incredible, just incredible. I’m almost speechless. All this work you put in, man.. everybody puts in hard work, and I get it. But it feels so good,” he says.

“These engines all have expiration dates; when you’re racing a nitrous motor in this weather, you’re gambling every time. I’m not going to beat it up. That 4-teen pass satisfies my goals.”


Nitrous-injected engines can be a challenge to keep alive when they encounter cold weather, and the forecast for the weekend will provide Rhodes with the challenge of his life to stay at the top of the heap.


As a result, he decided to sit out the rest of the day today, and tomorrow he’ll give it another go to see what he can do with the car before Saturday’s elimination rounds. He’s chasing an even better performance while walking the tightrope of keeping the engine in one piece. With a nitrous combination, the down-track performance comes from the efforts in the first third of the track, and there’s nobody better at getting one of these small-tire cars to do the dance on the starting line than Ron Rhodes.

“We went two 1-flat 60-foots in a row. I’m waiting for that .99x 60-foot. We’re going to try that.. that’s where we’re going next. Hopefully, that’ll happen this weekend,” he sums up.


X275 is knocking on the door of the 3s. Technology is amazing.


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