STEVE ARPIN CONCLUDES 2009 ARCA RE/MAX SERIES WITH STRONG ROOKIE SEASON |
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Topics: Steve Arpin
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Emily Teeter
Venturini Motorsports
October 14, 2009
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA (October 14, 2009) Steve Arpin concluded his run on the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series this past Sunday with a strong performance that looked like was going to propel him to his first tour win of the season. After leading the race on four separate occasions for a total of twenty laps and battling within the top-three for the first three-fourths of the 'American 200', Arpin's run for the victory and 2009 season came to an abrupt end when the transmission on his Mundy Ranch sponsored machine exploded on a restart while running in second place. It was a tough way to end the season for Arpin and the Venturini Motorsports entry, but Arpin served notice of his driving skills and saavy at Rockingham Speedway and to the global viewing audience on SPEED TV.
Arpin, from Fort Frances, Ontario started the race from the fifth spot following a solid qualifying effort on Saturday. The rookie contender found his way to the front in a matter of a few laps and would take the lead for the first time on lap 45 holding the point for four laps as part of a wild scamble for positions within the top-five of the running order. Arpin charged back into the lead on lap 78 and would have command of the field through lap 91 as he and 9-time ARCA champion Frank Kimmel battled door to door with Arpin leading again on lap 93 and then retook the front spot on lap 119. Arpin, who was clearly a victory lane threat feel out when his transmission failed on a restart just 39 laps shy of the finish.
“Our MundyRanch.com Chevy ran up front all day,” said Arpin. “We were really just trying to pace ourselves to be there at the end. I didn’t have to push the car as hard as a lot of the other guys to run competitive laps and we were just riding and saving our tires throughout the entire race.”
The sudden mechanical failure thwarted Arpin's efforts not only for the win, but at his aim of a top-five position in the final driver's championship standings, where he concluded the season in a very respectable 7th place. The Mundy Ranch was the primary partner on the Venturini Motorsports car driven by Arpin for the event. Mundy Ranch is a unique property located in the Charma River Valley region of the Rocky Mountains in New Mexico. Visit www.mundyranch.com to learn more about the rare recreational living opportunities at Mundy Ranch.
“It’s a shame that we weren’t able to finish the race. We definitely had a car to win it. As soon as I got on the gas on the final restart, 2nd gear starting piling up. I short shifted into 3rd to try and save it, but then the transmition just came apart,” said Arpin.
Arpin's season has seen signs of brilliance for the maturing stock car pilot with four top-five finishes and eleven runs resulting in top-ten finishes. Stay tuned to the rising stars news and plans for 2010 at Arpin's official home on the internet www.stevearpin.net. During the past five years, the young Fort Frances, Ontario native has become a dominant force in motorsports, earning numerous titles while racking up wins in his open wheel modified against the strongest competition in North America and attracting the attention of some of the sport’s biggest names to his racing program.
This year's ARCA tour featured some of the most dynamic and thrilling racing action in the sport, with an astonishing level of competition and one of the most impressive groups of young guns in the history of stock car action. Arpin was a regular guest on numeous national and region radio and television shows in feature appearances, helping to promote the sport and his affiliated sponsors.
Last season Arpin claimed the USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year award and prior to moving into auto racing Arpin earned 7 world championships in snowmobile competition as lead pilot for Team Polaris. Arpin’s role with Venturini Motorsports has seen the team turn in strong results. Arpin’s associates and sponsors at Pinewood Sports & Marine, and long-time sponsor and dirt racing partner Jeff Taylor with his Jeff Taylor Chassis for Open Wheel Modified racers continue to help fuel Arpin's ARCA program and future racing aspirations. Arpin's overall racing efforts also continue to involve support from Lo-N-Bro Enterprises and SpeedShop (Rochester, Minnesota) as continuing partners in the team efforts.
Steve Arpin would like to thank all of his fans, team associates, team members and those involved with giving him the opportunity to compete in the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series, with special thanks going out to Venturini Motorsports and each of the sponsors.