Veteran doorslammer competitor Dean Marinis stunned the assembled crowd at the Superchargers Showdown at the Maryland International Raceway Saturday evening, recording the quickest 1/4-mile nitrous oxide-assisted doorslammer run in history — and the first in the 5.50-second zone.

Driving Harry Pappas’ 959 cubic-inch, Pat Musi Racing Engines-powered 1969 Camaro, Marinis uncorked a stunning 5.572 at 255.19 mph in an opening round losing effort to Dave Norris. To understand the gravity of Marinis’ run, consider that prior to this weekend the quickest nitrous run in history was a pedestrian (by comparison) 5.676, Andy our count just three nitrous racers (of which Marinis is one) had ever been quicker than 5.699. 

Given the consistency and frequency of low 3.6-second runs in PDRA Pro Nitrous competition, such numbers were not unexpected, but rather, had not been attempted by a team of Pappas’ and Marinis’ caliber in mineshaft weather conditions like those presented on Saturday evening (the density altitude was sub 200-feet by nightfall).

Already with a 5.69-second run on his resume, Marinis clocked a career best 5.677 in qualifying, before taking a swing at it in the opening round of Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod competition and getting all of it, as baseball commentators would adequately put it. Marinis was .930 to 60-feet, 2.455 to 330-feet, 3.662 at 205.07 mph to the 1/8-mile, and 4.695 to 1,000-feet. The 1/8-elapsed time, for its part, would have qualified Marinis No. 1 at this weekend’s PDRA Fall Nationals and No. 6 in Pro Modified at the recent Shakedown Nationals in Virginia — with a 1,320-foot setup in the car. 

Unfortunately, Marinis was .138 on the tree on his barrier-shattering run and came up short of Norris and the 5.639 from his supercharged Corvette, but that 5.57 will live on long after the round win.