FROM ARCARACING.COM
Eddie Sharp Racing's Steve Arpin
Featured on ARCARACING.com's 30 at 30 Show

TOLEDO OH (March 9, 2009) - It's the hope and dream of every aspiring racer to catch the right person's eye, or to finally get that phone call.

That's, in part, how it happened for ARCA RE/MAX Series rookie Steve Arpin. Arpin, a dirt modified standout, was in a hospital recovering from injuries when his phone rang. It was veteran NASCAR driver Carl Edwards on the other end.

Steve Arpin & NASCAR Veteran Carl Edwards

"I couldn't believe it," said Arpin. "I had never spoken to Carl in my life. He called to wish me well. He had always been my favorite driver. He said he was one of my biggest fans - I had no idea. It's hard to get your arms around something like that when your hero calls."

Both Arpin and Edwards came from similar backgrounds - barnstorming across the states racing dirt modifieds on short-tracks.

Arpin was not hurt racing his modified, but got burned standing next to his modified when a radiator hose burst.

"We had just blown the engine in the heat race (at Volusia County Speedway/2008), so we needed to change it for the feature. I was taking the carburetor off when the top radiator hose blew off - sprayed me like a pressure washer. Carl found out about it and called to wish me well. That was our initial introduction.

"We spent a week in the hospital. The hospital wouldn't let me drive home and I couldn't fly commercial because of the possibility of infection. It was getting frustrating because they were talking another week in the hospital."

That's when some friends he never knew he had, nor had ever met, stepped up and got Arpin home to Fort Frances, Ontario - friends like Ken Schrader, Kenny Wallace, Carl Edwards and Bobby Labonte, who shared in the necessary resources to make Arpin's trip home possible.

"Bobby Labonte supplied the jet and his people, and they flew my wife and I, and my mom and dad home. It was wonderful."

Modified

And just as soon as Arpin had completely recovered from injuries, he was headed to another dirt track to sling mud in his modified when the phone rang again.

"It was Carl. He wanted to know what I was doing tomorrow. He told me he wanted me to drive his Silver Crown car at Richmond that weekend."

Arpin would finish the year in Edwards's Silver Crown car and earned 2008 USAC Silver Crown Rookie of the Year honors while he continued to barnstorm across the states racing his dirt modified.

Arpin has earned quite a name for himself in the dirt modified ranks with some very impressive stats.

In 2007, Arpin won seven out of nine A-Main events at Volusia County Speedway during Speedweeks. Later that year, he dominated the IMCA-sanctioned Big Dog Dakota Classic in North Dakota winning every heat and every feature he entered. There were more than 100 modifieds entered each night of the Dakota Classic. In that same season, Arpin competed in 26 different states at approximately 50 different tracks.

"Never won a touring series title. We never stayed with one long enough to win one. We always went to the money races. We had to in order to pay for our racing program."

Arpin's racing program began at the ‘ripe old age' of 15 when his father put him in a modified for the first time at his hometown Emo Speedway, just 15 minutes from the house. For the next two years, Arpin, not only won the track championships, he won every race, every week, for the next two years.

Steve Arpin's No. 20 Mesilla Valley Transportation Toyota

So after a few years of dominating just about everywhere he went, people were beginning to notice the incredible records this ‘kid' out of Canada was putting out there - people like Carl Edwards.

"Carl actually put me up in his house to do some testing in a late model at Caraway Speedway."

And from all of the above more opportunity began to develop.

"My wife and I started a business building modifieds. I joined forces with Steve Taylor Motorsports who builds chassis. We've got 26 sold out the door and six more being delivered."

And it's through Arpin's business partnerships that he's able to take the next step in his career via the ARCA RE/MAX Series.

Arpin is one of three rookies signed with Eddie Sharp Racing for the 2009 season.

Steve Arpin

"Right now, we have 13 out of 22 events secured. And we're working very hard at running the full schedule. My goals are Rookie of the Year and the championship - we're working on funding to do that.

"Actually, Salem was not originally on our schedule, but we've added it. We're going to test at Rockingham this Saturday, and we're scheduled to test at Salem the following week. Never been to Salem, but, outside of Iowa, I haven't been to any of the tracks on the ARCA schedule."

Arpin, who was involved in one of the multi-car wrecks in the Daytona season opener, finished 26th, 34 laps down.

"Daytona was an absolute incredible experience for me. It was so incredible to be a part of that experience at Daytona with all those great drivers. I learned a ton. I had Carl (Edwards) on the pit box coaching me through, Lorin Ranier (Jamie McMurray's spotter) spotting for me. I was so disappointed we got caught up, but still so excited just to have had the experience.

"The wreck bent the front clip under and it was binding up the steering so we had to take the sway bar out."

When Arpin returned to the track, pieces and parts were missing, including the hood.

"I told my guys on the radio that it felt like I was back in my dirt car the way it handled, but I still had a blast."

At the time of this interview, Arpin was in Rochester, Minnesota teaching at Racewise Chassis School.

"I'm partners with Mark Bush (co-founder, AFCO Shocks) on this school. School starts this Friday, but I'll have to cut out to go do the open test at Rockingham on Saturday.

"I am 110% committed to my ARCA program. We'll keep running our business, teaching and running the modifieds, but the ARCA program comes first. Everything else we do will be according to what we have time for outside the ARCA program.

"I'm working really hard to make this my career. Not just make it my career, but to be very successful at it. Carl told me once he always wanted to find and help a young, up-coming racer that wanted it as much as he did."

Sounds like Carl Edwards found that person.

Arpin will be the featured guest on "30 at 30" at arcaracing.com Tuesday, March 10 at 3:30 PM ET.

"30 at 30", a live on-line chat show at arcaracing.com, airs Monday through Friday at 3:30 PM ET featuring a different personality each day from the world of the ARCA RE/MAX Series.