The X275 record books have been a revolving door in recent weeks as the cool, fall weather has delivered favorable track temperatures and air conditions conducive to creating tons of horsepower. In late September, Justin Smith drove his nitrous-fed Camaro to a 4.858 during the Ultimate Outlaws Shootout at Maryland International Raceway , and t was just a week and a half ago, at the Shakedown at E’Town at Raceway Park in Englishtown, that Rich Bruder brought down the house by obliterating the record with a 4.80 that trumped his 4.84 he had already recorded earlier in qualifying.

But with the Radial Revolution at South Georgia Motorsports Park just a week away, those numbers were likely to fall, and everyone knew it.

During the final round of qualifying on Saturday evening, Lebanon, Ohio’s Kevin Neal, in his 582-inch Big Block ’89 Mustang, rolled to a stunning 4.785 at 149.27 MPH that edged out Brad Medlock’s likewise sub-record pass of 4.795. Neal use that momentum – and runs of 4.84. 4.81, 4.82, and 4.81 – to come out on top of the field of some 86 cars.

If one were to look up the definition of a picture-perfect pass in the dictionary, this is likely what you’d find. No shake, no tiresmoke; the wheels dangling just a couple of inches from the pavement and marching through the traps virtually straight as an arrow. A big congratulations to Kevin Neal on his dominant performance in Valdosta.