FATE OF THE FULL MOON FELL ON THE NO.20 TEAM

Sparta, Kentucky (May 10^th, 2009) –  Steve Arpin and the No. 20 Jeff Taylor Motorsports Team, headed to Kentucky Speedway with high hopes of bringing home a top 5 finish and all looked good for the No.20 Toyota, until lap 78 when the full moon showed its potential.

A long day of waiting for the track to stop seeping water, forced the ARCA RE/MAX Officials to cancel qualifying and start the Drive Smart Buckle-Up 150 by owner’s points. The No. 20 team was 11^th in owner points and started on the inside of the 6^th row.

From the drop of the green flag, Arpin was off to a great start and already gaining positions, but was complaining of a very loose car and had to start giving up some speed in the middle of the corners. Throughout the run, the car started to get better and better. Arpin held steadily in the top 15 until the second caution came out and pit road opened up to the field. The No.20 crew chief, Jefferson Hodges, decided to tighten up the No. 20 Jeff Taylor Motorsports Toyota a little bit. The team put four new tires, fuel, and 2 rounds down on the track bar and sent Steve on his way. Some mishaps on pit road set Steve a little further back in the field, but Steve would gain it all back on the re-start. Later the team noticed that the right rear tire equalized, which was causing the loose car that Steve was feeling. Now with the four good tires on and the track bar down the car was too tight.

 To the fans that have watched Steve race his dirt modified, seeing him 3 and 4 wide on dirt would be no surprise. The kid with no fear on the dirt proved that he has no fear going 170 mph on asphalt and doing the same thing. Going three wide on the outside, right up by the wall, Arpin would gain four or five position on each re-start. 

“The kid has no fear and is one heck of a wheelman. I haven’t seen someone this good in a long time. I think that if we can give him a good car to drive, there is no doubt that he will be winning races. There were alot of unplanned mishaps that happened throughout the race that were out of anyone’s hands,” said Jefferson Hodges

Another caution came out and the No.20 team was able to come down pit road and put four new tires, fuel, and free the car back up for Steve.  

With only one lap completed after the caution, Steve Arpin and the No.20 Jeff Taylor Toyota was running 12^th with only 22 laps to go when the full moon showed her strength.  As the No.20 car was going into turn 2, another car came hard into the corner and stuck into the back of the No. 20 Toyota sending it into the wall. Significant damage was sustained and the team was unable to finish the remaining laps of the Drive Smart Buckle-Up 150.

“ We fought a loose car at the beginning of the race and then tightened it up only to find that an equilized tire was the culprit to our loose problem. We also had some problems on pit road that set us back a little, but we were really good on the re-starts and gained most of the spots we lost back. Kentucky Speedway is a very fast track and when your going 170 mph there is no room for mistakes, “ Arpin said. “ We had just got the car where we wanted it to be and had only completed one lap after the caution when going into turn two and not really racing anyone hard at all, Gabi DiCarlo just got into the back of us and it sent me hard into the wall. You don’t really realize how fast you are going until you hit the wall here.”

Next for the No.20 Jeff Taylor motorsports Toyota will be the Menards 200 presented by Federated Car Care Sunday, May 16^th at Toledo Speedway in Toledo, OH. Practice and Qualifying will be held Saturday, May 16^th starting at 12:30PM. Racing will begin Sunday, May 17^th at 2:15PM (200 laps/100 miles).

Friday, May 15^th come out to the Toledo Mud Hens baseball game and meet ARCA RE/MAX Series Rookie Steve Arpin and veteran Frank Kimmel. Both drivers will be signing autographs and will be performing fun activities in between  innings. BRING THE WHOLE FAMILY FOR FUN AND LAUGHS!!!

For more on Steve Arpin visit THE NEW WWW.STEVEARPIN.NET website!

Media Contact:

Katrina Arpin

Director of Public Relations

3570 Denver Drive

Denver, NC 28037

C.507-696-7850

O.704-489-8809

F.704-489-8662

teamesr@hotmail.com