Justin Smith Resets X275 Record With 4.85 At MIR Ultimate Outlaws

With cool temperatures in the forecast and the always-tacky Maryland International Raceway surface prepped by Jason Miller producing possible record conditions, the popular X275 class at the Ultimate Outlaw Shootout Series season finale was expected to be an all-out war; and the field didn’t disappoint, delivering an assault on the record books amidst some intense battles during qualifying and eliminations. And when the dust cleared, it was local racer Justin Smith and his nitrous-fed Chevrolet Camaro that walked away with the new national record for the category at a stunning 4.85-seconds.

X275 kingpin Chris Evans, a multi-time champion and former record holder, paced the field of 41 cars in qualifying with a then-record 4.862; just ahead of eventual winner Jon Rittenhouse’s 4.881 and Smith’s 4.899 that were all under the previous all-time best mark of 4.90.

But in the opening round of eliminations, Smith, from South Hill, Va., turned his nitrous car loose on the boosted machines, uncorking a 4.858 at 146.62 MPH in a decisive defeat of Russell McManus. Unfortunately. Smith’s run to the winners circle was cut short with problems in the next round, but none of his competitors could muster better than a 4.90 in the ensuing rounds, giving Smith and the nitrous camp – considered to be at a disadvantage – some lofty bragging rights.