Hard work and dedication yield great results in just about anything, and that rings extra true in the cutthroat world of radial tire racing. When your hard work pays off it can lead to race wins, series championships, and records. Darren Hilterbran has quietly achieved all three of these things in the X275 and Nitrous X world over the years and is one of the most feared racers you don’t hear about. At No Mercy V in Georgia, Hilterbran steamrolled the Nitrous X field and in the process smashed the Nitrous X record by over a tenth.

Hilterbran has been racing his bright red Fox body Mustang for over 17 years, where it started life as a 10-second bracket car. Over the years, Hilterbran, with the help of Jim Unger Racing and Team Z Motorsports, has progressed through 6.50 index racing, 8.5-inch tire racing, and now is one of the toughest competitors in X275 and Nitrous X.

Hilterbran is only one of three cars to dip into the 4.50’s in X275 small block nitrous trim and has qualified in the top five at every major radial tire race this year — even winning the Ohio Valley Prize Fight race.

At No Mercy V Hilterbran’s BES-powered and Neal Performance Innovations nitrous huffing Mustang set the Nitrous X world on its ear running in the 4.70’s every pass and setting the record with a 4.71 at 149 MPH.  Hilterbran recognizes this record and success would not be possible without the help of friends and family.

“My wife Ruby and daughters Abby, Lily, and Chloe along with my mom and dad help out so much along with a lot of friends” says Hilterbran.  With the progress made this year, could the quiet giant from Ohio be the first Nitrous X car to dip into the 4.60’s? Only time will tell, but with Hilterbran’s track record of performance this is and much more could be possible in 2015.