ARPIN HEADS HOME WITH HARDWARE, OPTIMISM FOR SEASON SUCCESS
By: Jeff Nun

ROCHESTER, Minn. (March 1) -- It’s been a whirlwind month for Steve Arpin.

After a 21-hour, 1,400-mile haul to Lake City, Fla., from his engine builder’s shop in Rochester, Minn., Arpin got his 2007 season off to a perfect start as he swept both nights of the inaugural North Florida Winternationals at the North Florida Speedway, Feb. 2-3. With the sweep, Arpin earned a $700 bonus to bring his weekend take to $2,500 behind the wheel of his familiar No. 00 Larry Shaw Modified powered by Action Engineering.

But that was only the beginning for the 23-year-old Modified ace from Fort Frances, Ont.

Arpin’s fourth straight year of chasing checkered flags in Florida continued at the Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., as the Modifieds battled for eight consecutive nights from Feb. 6-13 for the 36th annual Florida DIRTcar Nationals. Despite rain washing out the final night’s scheduled UMP Modified finale, Arpin effortlessly clinched the points title of the division’s week-long meet. He won five of the week’s seven features -– all consecutively from Feb. 7-11 -– and also registered finishes of fourth and third.

From the southeastern tip of America to the west coast, Arpin and crew ventured to the Central Arizona Raceway in Casa Grande, Ariz., for the inaugural West Coast Modified Championships, Feb. 23-25. While the results were not as mind-boggling as his Sunshine State onslaught, Arpin continued to turn heads as one of the most dominant drivers of the weekend. Mechanical woes thwarted a possible victory on Friday night, but Arpin bounced back on Saturday with a runner-up finish in the main event. While battling for the lead in Sunday’s $8,000-to-win finale, a lapped car spun in front of the leaders and collected Arpin’s Shaw Modified, ending his run for the crown.

Back home after a blazing a trail across the United States, Arpin is now readying for 1st Annual Race Wise Chassis Seminar with Mark Bush in Rochester, Minn., March 2-4.

For 2007, Arpin is piloting a pair of brand new Modifieds on a Larry Shaw chassis as he seeks to pad his ever-glowing resumé. Both Modifieds will adorn the familiar No. 00 with power provided by Action Engineering of Rochester, Minn. Other sponsors helping to put Arpin into victory lane in 2007 include AFCO, A. Rupert Well Drilling, BSB Manufacturing, Bassett Racing Wheels, Fast Shafts, Cornwell Tools (dealer Tyler Rubin of Rochester, Minn.), Hess Technology, Pinewood Sports, New Vision Graphics and Reich Concrete. Arpin is also welcoming aboard new sponsors Comp Cams, Dyers Rods, Schoenfeld Headers and Valvoline for this year’s campaign.

Beginning March 9-10 at the Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb., Arpin will begin his quest for the O’Reilly USMTS national championship. More than 60 dates are expected on this year’s O’Reilly USMTS calendar. In September, 2006, Arpin captured his career-first O’Reilly USMTS main event win with a thrilling victory at the 8th Annual Featherlite Fall Jamboree at the Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn.

For more information about Steve Arpin, visit his website at www.stevearpinracing.com.