With the launch of the new Radial Pro tires from Mickey Thompson, new blowers from ProCharger and Vortech, and a virtual no-holds-barred, no-expense-spared assault by racers in the wildly popular X275 eliminator, the small tire category has seen a barrage on the record books this spring that changes by the week and shows no end in sight as racers roll out news cars and new engine combinations.

During Friday nights Speed Unlimited Midnight Madness at the Maryland International Raceway, Rocky Mountain, N.C. racer “King Jack” Collins ripped off an incredible series of runs during qualifying, eliminations, and TNT that culminated in a new all-time best for the category and certainly for nitrous-fed X275 machines.

Collins, in his Big Block Chevrolet-powered ’88 Ford Mustang, qualified on the pole in X275 with a new nitrous record of 4.706 at a stout 152.78 MPH and although he fell in the opening round of eliminations, returned for a couple of test ‘n tune passes that included a 4.67 at 151.43 and then a crushing 4.62 at 153.23. Collins’ mount reeled off a killer 1.115 short time on the pass, but making it all the more impressive is the fact that the nitrous purger got hung open and hampered what may well have been the first 4.5X pass in the category.

As if we’re not already impressed with the amazing finesse that this machine displays with seemingly effortless short times, the Coors Light can bolted to the rear deck lid has us sold. Perhaps a “speed activated” can?