Ron Rhodes Reclaims X275 Small Block Nitrous Record With Holley EFI!

06/11/2020
10 min read

Ron Rhodes Reclaims X275 Small Block Nitrous Record With Holley EFI!

06/11/2020
10 min read

If you have paid attention to radial tire racing at all in the last decade, then chances are you have heard of Ron Rhodes. The Delaware native is famous for piloting a red 68' Camaro which has consistently been a menace in the popular X275 class. The nitrous fed small block has set numerous records with its port-nitrous system and single carburetor, but recently went on the "No-Carb" diet when he converted to Holley EFI. The BES built engine now utilizes a Holley Dominator EFI system for individual cylinder fueling and ignition control. The Holley EFI crew had a moment to catch up with Ron after his recent win at Cecil County Dragway's Outlaw Street Car Shootout, where he reclaimed the "SBNOS" record with a jaw-dropping 4.310 @ 166MPH!




He originally purchased the car in 1984 for $400 when he was 14 years old, "It's been through many stages to get it to this current state" says Rhodes. Tony Bischoff of BES racing engines assembled the 500 CI small block engine, which gulps down a massive amount of nitrous from the fogger system. "I've been a carb guy my whole life and with spraying the massive amount of nitrous through a SBC, I felt I needed the advantage of EFI to better control every cylinder at every increment of the pass. Which should turn into a happier engine and turn into less wear in tear." The Dominator EFI system handles all fuel delivery and ignition control, Ron relies on an AMS-2000 controller to handle the nitrous delivery but utilizes the 0-5V output to communicate with the Holley ECU and its advanced tables. "The advance tables are an awesome feature that we use, also the individual tuning is the best! It helps balance the motor." When discussing the learning curve of his new fuel injection system, Rhodes complimented its ease of use. "I couldn't be happier with the immediate results from the change over. The system is very user friendly! And the support is excellent."

"Our first race out I ran a personal best ET and speed. The second race out we ran another personal best and reset the SBNOS X275 record with 4.310 @ 166.60 and also won the race!" Referring to his impressive win over Darrell Varner's Mustang (who laid down a 4.35), Ron continued, "I'm excited at what the future holds with this new combo with this new found control through the Holley!" Ron owns Rhodes' Custom Auto & Body with his son Ronny Rhodes (who also campaigns an insanely fast Ultra Street first-gen Camaro) where they specialize in race car fabrication and traditional paint and body. Building tubular components and helping set up leaf-spring suspension combinations are also a talent of his crew.
This leaf-sprung Camaro will continue to campaign at X275 events throughout the year and considering this was Ron's second outing with his new EFI system, you can expect even quicker passes and more race wins. Holley wants to congratulate Ron on his first X275 win of the 2020 season and say thank you for choosing them to handle his impressive combination!

Conversion Breakdown

Part #DescriptionQuantity
554-114Dominator ECU1
553-1067" Digital Dash1
558-117Universal MPFI CNP Main Harness1
558-200V8, Bosch Style Injector Harness1
558-431Crank/Cam Ign. Harness for Ferrous Crank/Magnetic Cam Hall Effect Sensors1
556-128Big Wire Coil-Near-Plug Smart Coil Kit1
558-308Main Power Harness - ECU1
522-228FM220PPH Fuel Injectors 8-Pack - EV1/Bosch Style - Flow Matched1
112-5932550CFM Dominator Flange "Big Dual" Throttle Body Air Valve1
556-123Universal Cam Sync1
554-1183/4"-16 Thread Hall Effect Sensor1
554-100NTK Wideband Oxygen Sensor2
558-401Dominator EFI Connector J2A Auxiliary Harness1
554-1331-BAR Treaded MAP Sensor1
554-1020-100 PSI Stainless Pressure Sensor2
555-100Drag Race Traction Control for Holley EFI V51
554-111High Current Solid State Relay1

Ron would like to thank Mike Thompson from TNT Performance and Ryan Witte from Holley for helping him setup his new EFI system, as well as his longtime friend Dean Marinis for his assistance in getting his Nitrous tuneup dialed in.

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