1980 Plymouth Duster

Super Sportsman is super tight

Calvin Rankin of Quispamsis currently leads the points battle after two races with 93 points. Luc Bourgeois of Memramcook holds down second with 90 and Rothesay's Cal Hatfield is in third with 82.

The top five are separated by only 18 points after two Super Series races.

Dan Bourque, who has raced stock cars for two decades, said the tight field doesn't leave much room for mistakes. The Grande Digue racer sits in fifth with 75 points in the Maritime Super Series.

"It just seems to be one bad move and you're toast," Bourque said.

While he's been struggling with some mechanical issues, the veteran Sportsman shoe says he'll be driving hard this weekend and not holding back in a bid to protect his championship hopes.

"We're going for the win. The championship - that will come if it gets here. Every year that we've tried to go for a championship and basically (been) careful, we've lost.

"You've got to go for the win."

The competition, he said, is so stiff that trying to protect a points lead is impossible.

"It's so tight that you have to race hard. You just can't protect (it) because they'd just go by you, I'm sure they would."

Point-leader Rankin, said Bourque, seems to have a setup that hooks up harder as the day goes on.

"For some reason, in big races, his car (doesn't) seem to slow up," Bourque said.

"The track just comes to him, I'm sure that's what it is."

In regular sportsman racing at the centre, Bourgeois leads with 240 points while Bert Cormier of Bouctouche sits in second with 238 and Bourgeois has 235 points after five events. Bourque in his No. 15 NAPA sponsored car has one feature and four heat victories under his belt this season.

On Saturday the drivers will practise 7-9 p.m. and then the centre will host Go Kart Warz until 10 p.m. Racing gets underway Sunday with the Shediac Sportsman 50 and four-cylinder classes taking to the 3/8-mile oval. For those that want to spend the weekend at the track, camping is free. The Super Sportsman will cap off the day's action with a 100-lap feature. Community Days continue with free admission for those from postal codes E2V, E3A to E3Z and E6.

"I have a fast car," Bourque said. "I know I have a car good enough to win. I just have to have a little bit of luck on my side. It's either feast or famine. We either run super or we break.

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