Pappas Joins Mickey Thompson XTF 3-Second Club

O’FALLON, MO (Aug. 25, 2009) — When Spiro Pappas joined the National Guard ADRL’s eighth-mile Flowmaster Extreme 10.5 (XTF) series this year, he had two stated missions: break into the three-second zone and beat Billy Glidden. He accomplished both goals Aug. 22, during the National Guard ADRL Summit Racing Equipment Ohio Drags III at National Trail Raceway, about 20 miles east of Columbus.

Pappas raced into “the threes” with a 3.992-seconds pass in the semi-finals to advance and face off against defending XTF world champ Glidden for the event win. Glidden went red and Pappas went to his first National Guard ADRL winner’s circle celebration.

The semi-final run also granted Pappas admittance as the second member of the exclusive Mickey Thompson (M/T) 3-Second Club, established early this year for the first five Flowmaster XTF drivers to run the number in official National Guard ADRL qualifying or eliminations passes, regardless of tire choice. Each club member receives a $3,000 bonus, commemorative jacket and ring, and inclusion in a special section of www.ADRL.us, the official Web site of the National Guard ADRL.

Pappas joined Chuck Ulsch, who inaugurated the M/T 3-Second Club Aug. 8, with a 3.98 blast at the National Guard ADRL’s previous event in Madison, Illinois, near St. Louis.

“It always seems like once these performance plateaus are reached, they just start coming,” Mickey Thompson Motorsports Manager Carl Robinson said. “So I’m not surprised to see Spiro get into the club, although I am a little surprised—and very impressed—that he did it so soon. We’re all really happy to see him get this done and look forward to the other Extreme 10.5 guys stepping up and joining the club, too.”

Pappas said the three-second pass was very motivational for his team, which he admits has struggled at times this year while sorting out the new single-turbocharged, 585-cubic-inch engine that rides beneath the hood of his sleek, black 2009 Pontiac GXP.

“My guys, they’ve worked endless hours on figuring out this new engine and I’m so happy for them to see their hard work paying off,” Pappas said. “And my hat’s off to Don Bailey; he’s the guy that tunes everything, he makes a lot of the calls, reads the track, and he’s the one that gets me these numbers. He’s just awesome.”

Flowmaster Dragstock VI, the series oldest and most prestigious event is next on the National Guard ADRL’s calendar Sep. 11-12, at Rockingham Dragway in North Carolina, a track known for producing record-setting runs, so it will be no surprise if additional members are admitted there to the Mickey Thompson XTF 3-Second Club.