Barberville,FL — Jan. 30, 2009 — One or two wins during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals is usually a successful way to jumpstart a season. When Steve Arpin reeled off five UMP DIRTcar Modified wins in seven nights during the 2007 season-opening event at Volusia Speedway Park — and in front of a large media contingent — it launched him squarely into the motorsports spotlight.
Soon, Arpin was appearing on covers of all kinds of racing publications. He’s continued to show off his ability, drawing comparisons between himself and NASCAR Sprint Car Series star Carl Edwards.
The UMP DIRTcar Modifieds return to Volusia in four days, and this year will race in the special Gator Championship event on Feb. 8 — the sixth of their eight nights of competition.
Arpin’s Sunshine State dominance began with a fourth place run behind NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace, not a bad start for the 23-year-old driver from Fort Frances, Ontario. He then made history at the 36th edition of the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH by rolling to five consecutive wins.
His first victory came in convincing fashion, but Arpin’s win streak in the #00 Larry Shaw racecar was hard-earned. He battled with drivers like Joey Kramer, who he passed with only five laps remaining on the third night of competition and repeated the effort the next night, sliding into the lead past Kramer with only two circuits remaining. Kramer eventually knocked Arpin out of the top spot on the final night of UMP Modified action.
In fact, about the only thing that went wrong for Arpin during his streak were the victory celebrations. After climbing out of his car one night, an excited Arpin picked up the race queen — and promptly received a cut on his chin from the pointy wing of the eagle-shaped trophy she was holding.
To see who emerges as a star in the Feb. 3-14 running of the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals By UNOH, make sure to reserve your favorite seats in advance at the sweeping half-mile oval. With infield trailer heights limited to 9 feet, 6 inches, there are no bad seats in the grandstands at Volusia Speedway Park, which is only 15 miles inland on State Road 40 from Ormond Beach, Fla.
Take advantage of special ‘Super Ticket’ deals that offer seats for all the events contested by each headline division, including six Sprint Car events (All-Star Circuit of Champions on Feb. 3-5, World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series on Feb. 6-8); eight nights of UMP DIRTcar Modified action (Feb. 3-10); six-nights of Dirt Late Model racing (Feb. 9-14); the and four Advance Auto Parts DIRTcar big-block Modified dates (Feb. 11-14).
To reserve your seats, follow the ticket links at http://www.volusiaspeedwaypark.com, http://www.dirtcarnationals.com or call the Volusia Speedway Park office at 386-985-4402.
