LIGHTS OUT 9
Dean Marinis’ Outlaw 632
Experiment Ends in Final Round
D
ean Marinis
didn’t show up
at Lights Out
9 expecting to
compete in two classes,
but sometimes the
unexpected brings out
the best in the talented
New Yorker.
In 2014, Marinis won the quar-
ter-mile MIR World Cup Finals in
X275 vs. Hot Rod after only going
there to make test hits in the
eighth mile.
This year, Marinis jumped in
Outlaw 632 at the last minute,
and only after having issues with
his first pass in X275. It nearly
worked out, as Marinis advanced
to the final round in his orange
Mustang before falling to winner
Ken Quartuccio.
Coupled with a solid showing in
X275, Marinis made something out
of his early trouble, pulling double
duty in the process. “I had a good
time,” says Marinis, who ran one
car in two classes for the first time.
“It would have been real cool if I
won both of them, but it was fun.”
It will be hard for Marinis to
top his impressive 2017 season
that included wins at both Lights
Out 8 and No Mercy in X275, as
well as a Pro Mod title in the
Northeast Outlaw Pro Mod Asso-
ciation and a victory at the X275
exhibition race during the NHRA
event in Epping. A double-dip in
Valdosta would have certainly giv-
en him a good start, but Marinis
was still pleased with the weekend,
making a strong showing with
the Outlaw 632 standouts despite
the Mustang weighing consid-
erably more.
“Running (Outlaw 632) would
be an option in the future,” Marin-
is adds. “It’s kind of cool running
well in a class I’m heavy for. I was
running 300 pounds heavier, but
it was kind of cool getting in with
the heavyweights and repping
X275 in that 632 class.”
It’s also a sign of the busy sched-
ule Marinis has laid out for 2018.
In addition to racing the X275 Mus-
tang – and possibly some Outlaw
632 races – Marinis plans to defend
his NEOPMA title in a new ’69 Ca-
maro being finished at Jerry Bickel
Race Cars. He’s hoping to jump
in at some NHRA Pro Mod and
PDRA events as well, continuing to
push the envelope on both cars.
“I’ll definitely be busy with both
cars as always, but that’s what I
do,” Marinis asserts. “We made a
few changes to the X275 car over
the winter, and we’re working on
some more new stuff right now.
It’s a constant work in progress.
We’re still trying to find a few
things on the X275 car. But if
you’re not looking for new things,
you’re going backwards.”
– JOSH HACHAT
DI DI
DI
DI DI DI DI
DI DI DI
FIREBALL
RUN
102 | D r a g
Known for his appearances on Street Outlaws and the recent Street Outlaws
vs. Fast N’ Loud Mega Race 2, Ryan Martin in the “Fireball” 2010 Camaro held
his own against Radial vs. the World’s best racers. He qualified No. 11 and scored
two round wins before Stevie Jackson ended his weekend in the quarterfinals.
I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
Issue 131