Arpin well on his way with racing career

Meet Steve Arpin.
At only 20 years of age, the local race car diver’s name receives 8,370 hits on an Internet search engine—and for good reason.
Arpin is considered by many to be the best driver to ever come out of Fort Frances and he has the track record to prove it.
He has been a two-time Emo Speedway track champion, four-time Sportsman of the Year, winner of the 2002 Silver 100 (Proctor Speedway), winner of the 2003 WISSOTA 100 (Cedar Lake Speedway), and Driver of the Year at the Emo Speedway for three years in a row.
And this is only the beginning for the aspiring professional, who started with go-karts at the age of 10 before graduating to the Modified stock car class at 15.
“We’re just going to keep on going, and basically work our butts off and try to get as fast as we can go and go as far as we can. We’re just going to keep on going and going,” Arpin said after his victory in the MOD-A feature race at the Emo Speedway on Friday night.
And going he is, by competing weekly against some of the best drivers he is able to find at race tracks in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska, North Dakota, Manitoba, and, of course, Ontario.
But due to Arpin’s hectic racing schedule, he is not able to race nearly as much as he would like to at his home track in Emo.
“He loves racing here at Emo, but unfortunately we’re a small town, small track, very little exposure to scouts,” said Chuck Arpin, who introduced his youngest son to the sport.
“And that’s one of the reasons why he’s been racing so much in the south, because he is serious about racing and wants to make something out of it,” his dad added.
When Arpin arrived at the speedway for Friday’s racing, other drivers in his class figured they were vying for second spot. Such praise is hard to find among the competition, especially when speaking of a 20-year-old, but they know the talent he wields and are the first to admit it.
“I learned anything I know pretty much from him,” said fellow driver Joey Galloway. “You can put him in any car and he’ll go to the front and win. He’s smart and he’s really aggressive, and he drives the car to its limits.
“He’s just born with the talent.”
“He’s a natural and can drive anything,” agreed Jamie Davis. “He’s so motivated to go forward in racing. It seems like he’s never satisfied and it’s almost like nothing is ever good enough for him because everything can be better.
“He’s a role model to me,” added Davis. “I definitely look up to him almost as a big brother. He’s just an awesome person all around and he’s always there to help no matter what.”
“Given the opportunity, he can really go somewhere. He’s that good,” stressed Jason Anderson. “He’s almost unbeatable and when he races here, he almost never loses.
“It’s always his race to lose, and he’s the benchmark for the racing here and other race tracks, too.”
“Unbelievable. He’s simply unbelievable,” echoed Vic Larson. “You can’t measure to him. He’s got so much talent that it’s unbelievable and you couldn’t ask for a nicer guy.
“There’s nothing wrong with that young man at all.”
At just 20 years old, Arpin doing things most people twice his age—with twice his experience—aren’t even able to dream about accomplishing.
This season, except for a speed bump at the WISSOTA Cup race May 28 at Cedar Lake Speedway where he finished 21st, Arpin hasn’t been out of the top 10, including four victories, two seconds, and four third-place finishes.
“It’s everything racing in the south. You’re not going to get faster until you race against faster guys and that’s what my dad has always told me,” said Arpin.
“You’re not going to beat them unless you get your [butt] kicked, but we caught on pretty quick, though,” he added.
Arpin already may be an accomplished race car driver, but his thinking resembles that of a grandmaster in chess. He’s always looking ahead, constantly playing out different scenarios in his mind—all the while travelling at dangerously fast speeds.
But this is his home and he has always felt the most comfortable in the tight confines of a race car.
“I’m always thinking about getting to the front. Getting to the front is all I think about,” admitted Arpin. “How do I pass the next guy? It’s all I think about, and it takes lots and lots of focus.
“This being natural to me? It does kind of come naturally. I don’t really have to think about things too much because it just comes to my head and it’s always there,” added Arpin, who is transferring to the Confederation College campus here to pursuing a major in business.
Just how serious is he about racing? Let’s put it this way. During the week leading up to Friday night’s racing in Emo (he left for a race in Wisconsin the next day), Arpin spent close to 18 hours a day just preparing the car.
“You can’t have your car ready enough to race. There is always, always, always something to do on it,” stressed Arpin. “And I’ve learned that when I slack off on my car, I slow down.”
All those hours in the garage, isolated from the outside world, as well as all those days spent on the road, away from family and friends, has caused Arpin to miss out on things most 20-year-olds get to experience.
But the rewards still outweigh the drawbacks.
“Hanging out with my friends is what I miss most,” he admitted. “It kind of bums me out and that’s that hardest part about it. Every week there’s less and less calls on your phone because you just start drifting away from your friends.
“But I’m having the time of my life and it’s something I love to do,” he added. “I don’t think anything replaces friends, but nights like tonight when you go out and win, and then having all the kids coming for autographs, is really rewarding.”
What’s also rewarding is having your hard work start to pay dividends. Arpin has been brought under the wing of American racer Pat Doar, an accomplished driver who “is the best” and is starting to have doors open for him.
“He’s become very close with people who are involved with racing at a higher level and there are people making a path for him,” said Chuck Arpin.
And where most people would crumble under such lofty expectations and pressure, Arpin shines through the challenge of consistently doing well.
“I do better when I have those expectations on me,” he said. “It really makes me want to make them happy.
“[Pat Doar] has helped me so much, and it’s not so much pressure, it’s just to show them that their time is not being wasted,” he explained.
An opportunity recently has arisen for Arpin that would secure a place in racing for a lifetime. Things still are very early in the works, but he does have an interview this fall with a racing crew (who he preferred not to name at this time).
“I don’t want to be saying too much about it just in case anything doesn’t happen,” said Arpin. “But there is some writing on the wall and I can say that much.
“I don’t know if anything’s going to come of it, but there’s an opportunity for a lifetime career in racing.”
But even if nothing transpires from that interview, it still is something, because he is starting to be recognized for his talents. He is on his way—taking steps towards something he dreamed about as a child and something he is working towards now as an adult.
What once were baby steps are now large strides.
But no matter where he goes in the sport, Arpin will never forget what got him there.
“Never ever, no matter what you are doing, forget your roots,” he stressed. “This is where I started. This is what has gotten me to where I am with racing and it’s like a big family here and I always miss it.
“It’s like nothing else.
“I’m going to go as far as I possibly can with racing,” he vowed. “I’m going to do whatever I can to get there, and I’m going to have fun along the way.”