By Kevin Kovac
BARBERVILLE , FL – Feb. 8, 2007 – Steve Arpin is scrawling his name all over the 2007 UMP DIRTcar Racing Modified action in Florida .
The product of Fort Frances , Ont., ran his February performance record in the Sunshine State to four wins in five starts with a victory in Thursday night’s 20-lap event during the 36th annual DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Mopar Speedshop at Volusia Speedway Park .
Arpin, 23, was triumphant for the second straight night of DIRTcar Nationals UMP Modified competition. He previously swept the two-race UMP Mod card during the North Florida Winternationals on Feb. 2-3 at North Florida Speedway in Lake City , so his fourth-place finish in Tuesday night’s DIRTcar Nationals opener is the only blemish on his ledger.
Clearly, the 22-hour, 1,500-mile-plus haul that Arpin made from his residence in Rochester , Minn. , to race in Florida is paying off.
An entrant in Volusia’s DIRTcar Nationals for the fourth straight year, Arpin has stamped himself as the favorite to win the points title of the eight-race meet for UMP Modifieds. He took over the points lead from NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch Series veteran Kenny Wallace, whose fifth-place finish on Thursday was his third top-five finish in-a-row while moonlighting as a dirt-track racer at Volusia.
Arpin did have to work a bit harder for his latest checkered flag. He spent much of the distance battling to take the lead away from Joey Kramer of Hanover , Ind.
Finally, with five laps remaining, Arpin slid his Action Engineering-powered Larry Shaw Race Cars No. 00 by Kramer to assume command for good.
Kramer settled for second place, his best finish of the week. Kevin Adams of Cameron , Wis. , finished third, followed by Mark Dotson of Cameron , Mo. , and St. Louis , Mo. , native Kenny Wallace.
Forty-six cars were entered in the night’s UMP Modified action, which continues through Feb. 13 at the half-mile oval.
UMP DIRTcar Racing Modified Feature Finish (20 laps):
1. Steve Arpin
2. Joey Kramer
3. Kevin Adams
4. Mark Dotson
5. Kenny Wallace
6. Ray Walsh
7. Ron Barker
8. Brian Strand
9. Bruce Takash
10. Brad Waits
11. Don Kiger
12. Roger Moser
13. Vance Wilson
14. Shon Flanery
15. Gabe Menser
16. Jake Hawkins
17. Gary Clark
18. Austin Dillon
19. Tom Seets Sr.
20. Julie McDermid
21. Ed Lenhardt
22. David McWilliams
23. Todd Ferber
24. Lee Hobbs
