SPRING VALLEY, Minn. - Race fans will get the best of both worlds when the 31st Annual Gopher 50 invades the high banks of the Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., on Wednesday, July 7. Not only will they get to see the stars of the World Of Outlaws Late Model Series, but also the speedway’s ultra-competitive USRA RHS Modified division.

Each week, Deer Creek’s USRA RHS Modified class features some of the toughest competition in the country. Adding to the excitement of this year’s Gopher 50 show will be budding ARCA Racing Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Steve Arpin, as he will make his return to the dirt.

The 26-year old driver who hails from Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada, raced at Deer Creek for a few seasons and will come back to see his fans at the Gopher 50. Arpin has driven the Venturini Motorsports/Mike’s Hard Lemonade #55 to three ARCA wins so far in 2010 and currently sits fourth in overall points. Arpin has also driven in four Nationwide Series events in the Dale Earnhardt Jr.-owned JR Motorsports #7 machine.

The Canadian driver has six career wins at Deer Creek and his first triumph was during the 2005 version of the Gopher 50. Arpin will be racing a Mike Sorensen-prepared Mike’s Hard Lemonade-sponsored USRA RHS Modified during the evening’s program. Sorensen has flown the colors of Mike’s Hard Lemonade products for the past few seasons on his USRA RHS Modified and played a key role in this appearance.

“Mike Sorensen has always been trying to help me in any way he could since I started racing at Deer Creek, he has been great,” Arpin explained. “We have kept in touch since I have moved down the North Carolina and we were talking a few months back about how awesome it would be to be able to get back up there to race again. Mike called me back a few weeks later and asked if he put a second car together if I would come and race with him, I was just pumped right up! Mike's Hard Lemonade has been a long time supporter of Mike and has now came on board with our ARCA program, so it is a perfect fit for Mike and I to race as a team at this year's Gopher 50.

Arpin has stated in the past that racing at Deer Creek helped prepare him for bigger things, he talks about what he meant.

“Deer Creek has some of the toughest weekly competition there is in the whole country. To be competitive there you have to be on top of your game each and every time you hit the racetrack. That is a lot what it is like with the ARCA program and especially the Nationwide program. It really taught me how to be aggressive but yet smart at the same time and how to get everything I could each and every lap out of my race car.”

The personable driver had been struggling a bit getting sponsorship deals for the ARCA/Remax program. Then Mike’s Hard Lemonade jumped on board and things have taken off since then. When asked about how his relationship with them got started Steve said.

“Mike Sorenson really helped a lot with developing a relationship with Mike's Hard Lemonade and I. Mike put us in contact with them over a year ago and we have been developing a relationship and also a program that would fit well with their marketing efforts. It has definitely been a work in progress but I believe that both Mike's Hard Lemonade and I are more than satisfied with the outcome.”

Anyone that knows Steve Arpin and his enthusiasm towards dirt racing will be able to see how much he is looking forward to coming back to his dirt racing roots.

“I am more excited than anyone can imagine to come back to Deer Creek, it has been way too long. It's going to mean a lot to me to be able to get home and see everyone I used to race each and every week with and also all the fans that have continued to follow and support us as we make our way up through the ranks. I couldn't pick a better situation to be able to get back on the dirt! The Gopher was the first race I won at Deer Creek years ago, hopefully we will have a shot to do it again.”

On race-day, Arpin’s #55 Mike’s Hard Lemonade ARCA Racing Series car, along with the Venturini Motorsports transporter, will be on display for the fans to get an up close look at their equipment. This will be the actual car that Arpin will compete with during the ARCA Racing Series event at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa, on Saturday, July 10.

Arpin will also host a question and answer session with the fans from 4:30-6:00 p.m. and will also sign autographs as well. The team will also have die-cast replicas of the Mike’s Hard Lemonade #55 car, along with apparel and other merchandise available.

The Queensland family that operates the facility, are also excited to have the popular driver back at their facility.

“We are all very excited to see Steve and Trina again, and having him compete at the Gopher 50 is going to be an awesome bonus,” stated track marketing director Ryan Queensland. “It will be great to see if he still remembers his way around the high banks of The Creek.”

For advanced tickets to the 31st Annual Gopher 50, call the speedway office during regular business hours at 1-877-DCS-RACE or 507-754-6107 or log on to www.deercreekspeedway.com and click on ticket information to use the secure ticket director program.

Stay informed and keep up with Steve Arpin’s schedule, go to his official website at www.stevearpin.net. For more information on JR Motorsports go to www.DaleJr.com or www.JRNation.com. To find out more about Venturini Motorsports log on to www.venturinimotorsports.com. To visit Mike’s Hard Lemonade online, go to their website located at www.mikeshardlemonade.com.