A good racer combined with a good machine is usually a winning formula.
And that’s exactly what happened last weekend at the WSA Pro Ice Circuit in Roseau, Mn., where Steve Arpin of Fort Frances stole the show by winning three separate divisions to go along with a second and fourth-place finish.
But not only did Arpin win the races, he often won them in impressive fashion with his Polaris 2000 XC440 SP (one of just 500 built)–which he uses while being sponsored for the first time by Polaris this season.
Arpin was equally unstoppable during his 10 qualifying races in five different classes on Saturday, finishing in first place eight-straight times until he broke a torsion bar on his machine.
He wound up in third place in his ninth and 10th races.
Arpin also was coming off a success weekend at a Fans Circuit First American North Star Series cross-country race in Baudette, Mn. the previous weekend.
“In racing, if you don’t practice, you don’t win and Steve practices,” father, Chuck Sr., said of his son’s success. “He does a lot of work on the equipment and he’s dedicated to winning.
“In racing, you need a good machine and a good racer, and here we have both,” he stressed.
The 16-year-old definitely works hard, putting in at least 15 hours a week tinkering with his machine, then practising on a track before racing on weekends.
And it just may pay off in a big way. If Arpin has another strong performance this weekend at Sauk Center, just west of Minneapolis, he most likely will make the jump from the amateur ranks to the pros.
A feat almost unheard of for someone who just turned 16 years old.
But his times last weekend ranked right up there with the pros. In fact, his winning times were 1/10 of a second within the final times of the top racers in the pro class.
“Polaris is very, very happy with [Steve],” his dad enthused. “Because of his age, he’s only run in the amateur division but he’ll probably be forced to go pro [after] next weekend].”
Arpin and his team also are preparing for the prestigious World Championships in Eagle Lake, Wis. later in the month.
Last season, he won his qualifying heat and then the final in the junior class to claim a world title against the top drivers from the States and Canada.