If actions speak louder than words, then the scoreboard sends an earsplitting message for defending ADRL Extreme 10.5 champion Spiro Pappas.
 
Pappas’ turbocharged Pontiac GTO whispered its way down the Houston Raceway Park eighth-mile to the quickest elapsed time, 3.883 seconds, in the history of organized 10.5 tire racing. He missed backing up the potential record by .001, but it didn’t matter.
 
The run was intended to send a message and for him the high horsepower statement came across loud and clear, despite the fact crew chief Don Bailey had the car backed down on the 3.88 pass.

If actions speak louder than words, then the scoreboard sends an earsplitting message for defending ADRL Extreme 10.5 champion Spiro Pappas.
 

Pappas’ turbocharged Pontiac GTO whispered its way down the Houston Raceway Park eighth-mile to the quickest elapsed time, 3.883 seconds, in the history of organized 10.5 tire racing. He missed backing up the potential record by .001, but it didn’t matter.
 
The run was intended to send a message and for him the high horsepower statement came across loud and clear, despite the fact crew chief Don Bailey had the car backed down on the 3.88 pass.
 
“It feels bad to the bone,” said Pappas, when asked how making such a monumental run made him feel. “It feels good, I love it. It just shows what a great team I have and what great heart these guys have to make this car run this fast. It’s not about me … it’s about the boys that make it happen - Don Bailey, Graham Jones, Eddy Villadonga, Mike Bueller. Without these guys you wouldn’t be seeing these numbers. This is the team that makes it happen. I’m just somebody who drives the car.”
 
And, he drives it plenty fast.
 
Last October, Pappas ran the current world record, a 3.921, during the final 2009 ADRL outing. At the event, the ADRL Len Mar Motorsports World Finals, Pappas won the 2009 championship on Friday and on Saturday, drove his way to a runner-up finish to start the new season.
 
When you go out on such a high note, what’s a team to do over the off-season to upgrade the momentum? If you’re Pappas and the team you don’t touch a thing. In fact, you don’t even look at the car the wrong way.

“We didn’t change a thing in the off-season,” said Pappas. “We were content to leave things alone and we kept to our game plan of letting the conditions come to us at the first race. We were determined that we would race with the conditions we faced at the first race and adjust to that.”
 
Granted, for Pappas, the conditions at the first race were much better than he faced early last season when he and the team battled one gremlin after another. Those gremlins had pyrotechnic tendencies and caught the car on fire more than once.
 
Despite the shortcomings, Pappas never wavered in his confidence in the team. A long winter to bask in the championship glow went a long way towards developing amnesia of the 2009 disasters.
 
“I always had the confidence in this team, but having some setbacks with fires that we’ve had and accidents, it takes your motivation away,” Pappas explained. “But running good numbers bring your motivation back. You feel good about it and sleeping on this all winter long definitely, you come back out again firing away; you’ve got all that energy in you. It feels good.
 
Pappas understands running as quick as he does and winning goes a long way towards generating respect from his peers. He’s quick to point out respect is a two-way street and he’s got plenty for them.
 
“Well I respect them and vice versa, they respect me,” said Pappas. “That’s just the way we all are out here. I’ve been racing these guys for many years before and they’re all tough competitors. We appreciate each other and that’s what makes it fun. It’s the challenge that makes it fun out here.  These guys are all winners. You have to lose to appreciate a win.”