CHARLOTTE, N.C. (July 14, 2009) Steve Arpin notched another top-ten finish this past weekend during ARCA RE/MAX Series action at Iowa Speedway. Arpin piloted his Pinewood Sports & Marine/Taylor Motorsports Toyota Camry to an eighth place run in the ‘Prairie Meadows 200’ at the Rusty Wallace owned racing oval in Newton, Iowa and is currently ranked in the seventh spot of the season-long championship chase. One-hundred and thirteen different drivers have competed on the ARCA tour thus far in 2009 and Arpin is just one-hundred fifteen points away from being positioned in the top-five of the title standings. After qualifying eighth for the event, Arpin battled his way up to third place and began to reel in the front two cars prior to a pair of pit stops under separate caution periods. Fighting back through the field after handling issues were resolved, Arpin would battle side-by-side with 9-Time ARCA Series Champion Frank Kimmel for the last two laps to eventually wind up in eighth at the end of the night.
‘Our Pinewood Sports Toyota was very strong all weekend,’ commented Arpin on the Iowa run. ‘ We just really struggled through the middle of the race with one set of tires that just had no grip. I was just along for the ride until the next caution came out and we could get them off. Jefferson (Hodges – crew chief) and the guys did a great job on the car and my spotter Jim did an awesome job keeping us clean,’ Arpin added. ‘I am not at all happy with an 8th place finish,but I do know that we are still heading in the right direction and our cars are getting better each week.’
Arpin and his team are ready for this weekend’s challenge at Kentucky Speedway, where the tour makes its second stop of the 2009 campaign at the mile and a half oval in Sparta, Kentucky. Arpin’s strong run at the lightning fast Kentucky Speedway in May was cut short when he was taken out of contention in a crash not of his own making. The number 20 Toyota Camry out of the Eddie Sharp Racing operation is backed by Pinewood Sports and Marine from Arpin’s hometown of Fort Frances, Ontario with continuing backing from Jonesboro, Arkansas based chassis builder Taylor Motorsports as well as Lo-N-Bro Enterprises and Arpin is anxious to return to Kentucky Speedway.
‘The last time we were at Kentucky it was our first race with Jefferson as our new crew chief,’ Arpin points out. He and I have come along way since then and have really developed a good relationship. I'm confident that we are going back there and are going to be a real threat all weekend long.’
Pinewood Sports Driver Pulls Double Duty at Iowa Speedway
Prior to this past Saturday night’s ARCA RE/MAX Series event at Iowa Speedway, Steve Arpin took on the added challenge of competing in the truck series event which preceded the ‘Prairie Meadows 200’ as he was tabbed to compete in the fifty lap ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series event. Both the ARCA RE/MAX Series and the ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series competed at Iowa Speedway during the ARCA double header providing the perfect opportunity for ARCA RE/MAX Series rookie Steve Arpin to fulfill his passion for racing. The Eddie Sharp Racing driver competed in both the IMTA ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series 50 and the Prairie Meadows 200 ARCA RE/MAX Series race. Arpin posted top-10 finishes in both ARCA-sanctioned Series this weekend.
"The cars and the trucks were both completely different to drive," said Arpin. "Especially with the truck being on such narrow tires and having no power steering. They don't have near as much power as the cars and I could almost hold the truck wide open all the way around the track. The ARCA cars are just bigger, faster, heavier and have a lot more power and they take a lot more patience to get around the race track. Either way they were both a lot of fun to drive and it was fun to lead some laps in the truck at Iowa Speedway."
The busy afternoon had Arpin on his toes as he qualified the truck at 3:30 p.m. then immediately jumped into his ARCA RE/MAX Toyota Camry for qualifications at 4:00 p.m. then having to be ready to compete in both of the races in the summer heat.
‘It was pretty cool to get the opportunity to race the number 11 Phantom truck for the Pizza Ranch 100 before the ARCA race,’ said Arpin on his chance to race in two different events in one day at Iowa Speedway. ‘We had a great qualifying run and was able to start on the outside pole. The trucks get around there pretty good and we took the lead at the start and held on to a solid 3rd position,’ Arpin added. ‘We were taking the lead again just past the half way mark and the right rear tire blew. It was great to get some extra laps before the ARCA race.’
Kentucky Speedway ARCA Event LIVE on SPEED This Saturday Night
Tune in for Steve Arpin’s ARCA RE/MAX Series run for the winner’s circle this Saturday night (July 18th) LIVE on SPEED TV at 9:30 p.m. (Eastern) in the ‘Click It or Ticket Buckle Up Kentucky 150’ at Kentucky Speedway. The ARCA Racing Network covers all the on-track activity for the ARCA RE/MAX Series from Newton, Iowa. Listen and watch live streaming audio and video of practice, qualifying at ARCAracing.com inside the ARCA Nation. The official web site for the talented Canadian racer is found on the internet at www.steveaprin.net. To contact Steve Arpin Racing, send an e-mail to teamesr@hotmail.com.
Follow ARCA on Twitter
ARCA is now on Twitter. Follow us at http://www.twitter.com/ARCA_Racing. In addition to twitter, keep up with all ARCA Racing properties at http://www.arcaracing.com/ and http://www.arcanation.com/.
Upcoming ARCA RE/MAX Series Races
Click-it or Ticket. Buckle-Up Kentucky 150 at Kentucky Speedway; Saturday, July 18
Wolverine Power Systems 200 presented by Generac at Berlin Raceway; Saturday, July 25
Pennsylvania 200 at Pocono Raceway; Saturday, August 1
About Pinewood Sports & Marine
www.pinewoodsports.com
Since 1977 Pinewood Sports offers a complete line of products to help you enjoy the great outdoors. Our business is built on Service and continues to grow and propser due to our policy unequalled customer service and competitively priced product lines that represent the very best recreational products in the world. We also offer many services to seasonal residents such as boat pick-up and delivery along with storage.
Location: Fort Frances, Ontario
Phone: 807-274-7737
About Taylor Motorsports
www.jefftaylor5.com
Located at 3501 E. Parker Road in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Jeff Taylor Motorsports manufactures and delivers Taylor Chassis racecars and quality performance.
Phone: 870-910-0555
About Lo-N-Bro Enterprises, Inc.
www.lonbro.com
Paul and Jon Leach, brothers and Sun River, Montana Natives, started the business in 1998 while only 21 and 18 years old respectively. In that first stage, the entire staff was made up by the two of them. In 2001 they took their “baby” to the next step and transitioned from being an LLC to becoming a formal corporation. One of their first major projects was to build a 10,000 square foot shop on their property in Sun River that formed the base for their operations. Since that time, they have grown into a company that employs over 85 people and generates revenue of over $5,000,000.00 annually. Paul and Jon are always looking for ways to expand their business, while also filling a niche’ within the respective areas of contracting. One of the prominent areas that they give their employees credit for is how they have helped to build Lo-N-Bro into what it is today. The quality of people that are hired, as well as retained, reaches far beyond the industry standard. Paul and Jon genuinely value each and every individual employee and want the best for them as well as the best out of them. Employees are dynamic members of the family, and thus are offered incredibly competitive wages and benefits, as well as opportunities to advance within the company.
About Eddie Sharp Racing
www.teamesr.com
Eddie Sharp earned racing stripes on sea and land, behind the wheel and on the pitbox, from race-to-race and year-to-year building the dream that is now the reality known as Eddie Sharp Racing. For those drivers who have become part of the fabric and family, the business is simply called Team ESR. At Eddie Sharp Racing, it’s all about the team.Eddie Sharp set up shop in 2005 after several years of transforming young, talented drivers into ARCA championship contenders. Today, Eddie Sharp Racing has evolved into the rite of passage for any serious upcoming driver with an ambition for professional stock car racing
‘Our Pinewood Sports Toyota was very strong all weekend,’ commented Arpin on the Iowa run. ‘ We just really struggled through the middle of the race with one set of tires that just had no grip. I was just along for the ride until the next caution came out and we could get them off. Jefferson (Hodges – crew chief) and the guys did a great job on the car and my spotter Jim did an awesome job keeping us clean,’ Arpin added. ‘I am not at all happy with an 8th place finish,but I do know that we are still heading in the right direction and our cars are getting better each week.’
Arpin and his team are ready for this weekend’s challenge at Kentucky Speedway, where the tour makes its second stop of the 2009 campaign at the mile and a half oval in Sparta, Kentucky. Arpin’s strong run at the lightning fast Kentucky Speedway in May was cut short when he was taken out of contention in a crash not of his own making. The number 20 Toyota Camry out of the Eddie Sharp Racing operation is backed by Pinewood Sports and Marine from Arpin’s hometown of Fort Frances, Ontario with continuing backing from Jonesboro, Arkansas based chassis builder Taylor Motorsports as well as Lo-N-Bro Enterprises and Arpin is anxious to return to Kentucky Speedway.
‘The last time we were at Kentucky it was our first race with Jefferson as our new crew chief,’ Arpin points out. He and I have come along way since then and have really developed a good relationship. I'm confident that we are going back there and are going to be a real threat all weekend long.’
Pinewood Sports Driver Pulls Double Duty at Iowa Speedway
Prior to this past Saturday night’s ARCA RE/MAX Series event at Iowa Speedway, Steve Arpin took on the added challenge of competing in the truck series event which preceded the ‘Prairie Meadows 200’ as he was tabbed to compete in the fifty lap ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series event. Both the ARCA RE/MAX Series and the ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series competed at Iowa Speedway during the ARCA double header providing the perfect opportunity for ARCA RE/MAX Series rookie Steve Arpin to fulfill his passion for racing. The Eddie Sharp Racing driver competed in both the IMTA ARCA Lincoln Welders Truck Series 50 and the Prairie Meadows 200 ARCA RE/MAX Series race. Arpin posted top-10 finishes in both ARCA-sanctioned Series this weekend.
"The cars and the trucks were both completely different to drive," said Arpin. "Especially with the truck being on such narrow tires and having no power steering. They don't have near as much power as the cars and I could almost hold the truck wide open all the way around the track. The ARCA cars are just bigger, faster, heavier and have a lot more power and they take a lot more patience to get around the race track. Either way they were both a lot of fun to drive and it was fun to lead some laps in the truck at Iowa Speedway."
The busy afternoon had Arpin on his toes as he qualified the truck at 3:30 p.m. then immediately jumped into his ARCA RE/MAX Toyota Camry for qualifications at 4:00 p.m. then having to be ready to compete in both of the races in the summer heat.
‘It was pretty cool to get the opportunity to race the number 11 Phantom truck for the Pizza Ranch 100 before the ARCA race,’ said Arpin on his chance to race in two different events in one day at Iowa Speedway. ‘We had a great qualifying run and was able to start on the outside pole. The trucks get around there pretty good and we took the lead at the start and held on to a solid 3rd position,’ Arpin added. ‘We were taking the lead again just past the half way mark and the right rear tire blew. It was great to get some extra laps before the ARCA race.’
Kentucky Speedway ARCA Event LIVE on SPEED This Saturday Night
Tune in for Steve Arpin’s ARCA RE/MAX Series run for the winner’s circle this Saturday night (July 18th) LIVE on SPEED TV at 9:30 p.m. (Eastern) in the ‘Click It or Ticket Buckle Up Kentucky 150’ at Kentucky Speedway. The ARCA Racing Network covers all the on-track activity for the ARCA RE/MAX Series from Newton, Iowa. Listen and watch live streaming audio and video of practice, qualifying at ARCAracing.com inside the ARCA Nation. The official web site for the talented Canadian racer is found on the internet at www.steveaprin.net. To contact Steve Arpin Racing, send an e-mail to teamesr@hotmail.com.
Follow ARCA on Twitter
ARCA is now on Twitter. Follow us at http://www.twitter.com/ARCA_Racing. In addition to twitter, keep up with all ARCA Racing properties at http://www.arcaracing.com/ and http://www.arcanation.com/.
Upcoming ARCA RE/MAX Series Races
Click-it or Ticket. Buckle-Up Kentucky 150 at Kentucky Speedway; Saturday, July 18
Wolverine Power Systems 200 presented by Generac at Berlin Raceway; Saturday, July 25
Pennsylvania 200 at Pocono Raceway; Saturday, August 1
About Pinewood Sports & Marine
www.pinewoodsports.com
Since 1977 Pinewood Sports offers a complete line of products to help you enjoy the great outdoors. Our business is built on Service and continues to grow and propser due to our policy unequalled customer service and competitively priced product lines that represent the very best recreational products in the world. We also offer many services to seasonal residents such as boat pick-up and delivery along with storage.
Location: Fort Frances, Ontario
Phone: 807-274-7737
About Taylor Motorsports
www.jefftaylor5.com
Located at 3501 E. Parker Road in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Jeff Taylor Motorsports manufactures and delivers Taylor Chassis racecars and quality performance.
Phone: 870-910-0555
About Lo-N-Bro Enterprises, Inc.
www.lonbro.com
Paul and Jon Leach, brothers and Sun River, Montana Natives, started the business in 1998 while only 21 and 18 years old respectively. In that first stage, the entire staff was made up by the two of them. In 2001 they took their “baby” to the next step and transitioned from being an LLC to becoming a formal corporation. One of their first major projects was to build a 10,000 square foot shop on their property in Sun River that formed the base for their operations. Since that time, they have grown into a company that employs over 85 people and generates revenue of over $5,000,000.00 annually. Paul and Jon are always looking for ways to expand their business, while also filling a niche’ within the respective areas of contracting. One of the prominent areas that they give their employees credit for is how they have helped to build Lo-N-Bro into what it is today. The quality of people that are hired, as well as retained, reaches far beyond the industry standard. Paul and Jon genuinely value each and every individual employee and want the best for them as well as the best out of them. Employees are dynamic members of the family, and thus are offered incredibly competitive wages and benefits, as well as opportunities to advance within the company.
About Eddie Sharp Racing
www.teamesr.com
Eddie Sharp earned racing stripes on sea and land, behind the wheel and on the pitbox, from race-to-race and year-to-year building the dream that is now the reality known as Eddie Sharp Racing. For those drivers who have become part of the fabric and family, the business is simply called Team ESR. At Eddie Sharp Racing, it’s all about the team.Eddie Sharp set up shop in 2005 after several years of transforming young, talented drivers into ARCA championship contenders. Today, Eddie Sharp Racing has evolved into the rite of passage for any serious upcoming driver with an ambition for professional stock car racing
