If you’re a fan of radial tire racing, the Pro 275 class should have you pretty fired up because it’s quickly becoming one of the most competitive classes in small-tire racing. The talent pool in Pro 275 was already deep and it’s about to gain another tough competitor when Marty Stinnett makes his debut in the class at the Sweet 16.

Stinnett has proven over his racing career that he’s a threat in any category he enters behind the wheel of his Mustang. In Radial vs The World, Stinnett set small-block records left and right and even qualified number one at No Mercy 8. That success also transferred over to the NMCA, where Stinnett routinely challenged for a Radial Wars championship when he raced with the organization.

Stinnett decided to make the move to Pro 275 so he could remain competitive in his stock wheelbase Mustang.

“I guess the biggest factor is that I feel we reached the limits of what my little car was going to do versus the performance levels of the Pro Mods in Radial vs The World. By the time I got my car as light as I possibly could it became nose-heavy with that 101-inch wheelbase. Unless we’re running on a super sticky track, the car would never be anywhere close to showing its best performance. The guys with the Pro Mod chassis have been working hard with their programs and now that they’re at such a low weight they just do so much better on radials,” Stinnett explains.

Now, Stinnett isn’t the first competitor to drop down a class and try his hand at Pro 275 racing. This year we’ve seen Jason Hoard and Mark Micke both make the transition to Pro 275, along with several other teams. What Stinnett brings to the table is a sizable resume of experience on a 275 tire, so he anticipates being up-to-speed quickly.

“With this current set up we’ve made no hits on a 275 radial at all, but we’re not new to 275 racing. I started racing on a 275 radial in a few different classes, plus we ran some no-time stuff on the tire, as well. At several different times, we were even the quickest car on a 275 radial, so I’m not worried about making the tire work. With my old car we went 4.11 at 188 mph on a 275 radial using a small-block Ford, so I think this car is really going to fly on the tire,” Stinnett says.

Besides putting the smaller radial tire underneath his Mustang, Stinnett plans on making other changes to the car. The suspension will receive some attention along with adjustments to the transmission to help the car work better on the tire. Stinnett told us that because the Mickey Thompson tire works so well, it will make the transition much easier.

While Stinnett is making the change for the Sweet 16, don’t think he’s done with Radial vs The World yet. If he can figure out how to make the car work better, Stinnett hasn’t ruled out a switch back to the 315-sized radial tire.

“I really wanted to put this car into the 3.50s as a steel body and factory wheelbase car, so it’s breaking my heart a little to make the switch. This is just a matter of trying to just get in where I fit in so I can keep racing competitively. I’m not ruling out making a return to Radial vs The World, but right now I just want to do well in this class against all the tough competition,” Stinnett explains.

All of the Pro 275 racers are ready to do battle during the Sweet 16 at South Georgia Motorsports Park March 19-21. You’ll be able to see all the racing live RIGHT HERE on SpeedVideo when the event begins. This broadcast is brought to you by Vortech Superchargers, Titan Fuel Tanks, FuelTech, COMP Cams, TCI Automotive, Flying A Motorsports and ATI Performance Products.