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ARPIN, BOAT GARNER 2008 "ROOKIE" LAURELS
DECEMBER 9, 2008 --- Canadian Steve Arpin and Arizona's Chad Boat have been named 2008 USAC National "Rookies of the Year" and will be honored as such at USAC's "Night of Champions" year-end celebration January 9 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in downtown Indianapolis, Ind.
Arpin, of Fort Frances, Ont., Canada, finished 16th in the standings to earn the "Rookie of the Year" honors in USAC's K & N Silver Crown Championship Series. Piloting a J & J/Dynotech entry fielded by NASCAR star Carl Edwards and R.E. Technologies of Bartlett, Tenn., Arpin took ninth in the 100-lapper at Iowa Speedway in early-August, then came back with a sixth-place finish in the series finale at Phoenix, Ariz. in November.
The 25-year-old Arpin, a winner of numerous pro-stock and modified championships since his 2001 debut, is also an accomplished snowmobile racer. He becomes the second driver in a row for Edwards/RE to claim the Silver Crown "rookie' honors. Cameron Dodson was the 2007 recipient.
Boat, whose father Billy still holds the all-time USAC record of consecutive single-series victories with 11 in the 1995 Western Midgets and started on the pole in the 1998 Indianapolis 500, swept "rookie" honors in both the 2008 USAC Mopar National Midget and Sprint Car series. The Midget award honors the late long-time USAC series supervisor Bob Stroud.
The 16-year-old Boat, of Phoenix, Ariz., became the youngest USAC National Sprint Car feature winner ever with his June 7 win at the Hagerstown (MD) Speedway at the age of 16 years, four months and eight days. Driving his father's Billy Boat Performance Exhaust Maxim & Beast Chevies, Chad finished 11th in the National Sprint standings, adding a third place finish at Rossburg, Ohio to his Hagerstown win and recording seven more "top-10s." He ranked 13th in the Midgets, scoring a second at Slinger, WI and a fifth at Rockford, IL and adding four more "top-10s" in his dad's Spike and Beast Esslinger Fords.
Tickets for USAC's 53rd "Night of Champions" celebration are available by calling the USAC Headquarters in Indianapolis at 317-247-5151.
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