CONCORD, N.C. — Steve Arpin has worn a lot of hats and helmets during his career in motorsports.
He enjoyed racing career that has spanned dirt and asphalt and ranged from modifieds to late models, stock cars and state-of-the-art rally cars.
A successful business owner, Arpin’s career went full circle when he returned to the dirt-track scene building modifieds a few years ago and eventually became co-owner of Longhorn chassis.
With dirt late model drivers such as Brandon Sheppard, Chris Madden, Jonathan Davenport and others wheeling Longhorn cars with tremendous success on the two national touring series, Arpin is enjoying his returns to the dirt tracks of America.
“One of the things that I am most excited about right now is seeing the chemistry that is being built in this whole team and this whole organization right now,” said Arpin during Thursday’s World of Outlaws Late Model Series media day at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “Seeing so many great drivers in our cars and seeing how everyone is continuously working together to get better is the start of a very exciting thing.”
Even when he was racing in NASCAR and wrestling rallycross cars around the world, Arpin never lost touch with his dirt track roots and dreams.
“Since I was a little kid, my dream was to have a bad-ass dirt car team,” Arpin said. “That was the goal no matter what I did. I chased a lot of different disciplines in racing and ultimately ended up back here.
“I never imagined I would end up back in the position that I am in right now. It is so cool. I got teary eyed watching Brandon and Jonathan Davenport race side by side for lap after lap after lap. Two cars, two heroes in the sport racing like that, and to be a small part of those programs.”
Arpin, who helped fly the Longhorn drivers from Florida, where they raced on Wednesday and will practice on Thursday night, to Charlotte to participate in media day, is loving life these days.
“Out of everything I have ever done in my life, this is the most rewarding place I have ever been in my life,” he said.
While Arpin first joined Longhorn, which was created by NASCAR Cup Series champion Bobby Labonte, on the modified side, he jumped all in with the company in the spring of 2022.
“Since I first got involved with Longhorn in November, 2020 on the modified side of it, I have been drinking from a firehose and really watching and observing and trying to understand the space,” Arpin said.
He’s been instrumental in the company’s steady growth, drawing on his past experience along the way.
“I have been so fortunate in my career to be partnered with some of the greatest influencers in motorsports globally,” he noted. “From racing with Ken Block, Brian Deegan, Travis Pastrana, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick and being able to be surrounded by such successful people in the space and absorb some of the things that they have done to build their platforms.
“Then coming back to the late model space and trying to understand the space and take so much of what we learned in different disciplines and start applying it to this space.”
His involvement with Longhorn Chassis has only strengthened his love of dirt-track racing.
“One of the things that is amazing in this form of the sport is the access that the national touring series have given both our Saturday night and grassroots racers and the fans to these drivers,” Arpin said. “It is unbelievable.
“The product they are putting out there is second to none and they are still making it better. I think the evolution of the sport is going to keep on going in a great direction.
“The Longhorn factory team is, hopefully, going to lead the charge on what tomorrow will bring.”