Staff
Steve Arpin used the “Joker” to be a smoker and leave other podium chasers gagging on his fumes.
The Fort Frances native waited until just the right time to use the “Joker Lap” advantage to surge his way to third place in the opening main event race of the Red Bull Global Rallycross season Sunday in Memphis, Tenn.
Arpin, driving for Loenbro Motorsports, waited until halfway through the 10-lap final to take the structured shortcut, which each racer is allowed to do once during a race.
His timing was good enough–and put him enough ahead of the rest of the trailing field that they couldn’t catch him on this day–as he finished with a total time of 10:15.543.
That left him just over a second back of only defending points champion Scott Speed (10:14.090) and Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross teammate Tanner Foust (10:14.521).
Meanwhile, the format for Red Bull Global Rallycross has seen some sizeable changes this season.
More heats have been added for each event, with more points for each race added to the championship totals for each driver.
Arpin and Speed won the first-round heats on Friday.
The drivers now will take a couple of weeks off before descending upon Louisville, Ky. on May 21.
