When Joe Chamberlain put together a Winston Mini-Cup race series in his native Caribou in 1997, after seeing it for the first time in Florida, he had only “four or five cars.” They would race at Caribou’s Spud Speedway and at any other track that would have them.

Now, just eight years later, the Quirk Chevrolet Super Cup tour features 14 races including at least one race at each of the state’s five tracks. Twelve of the 14 races will be in Maine.

Three have already been held.

They usually attract 17-22 cars and Chamberlain said a couple more drivers are interested in joining the series.

“The racing of the future is going to be scaled [down] racing. Downsizing,” stated Chamberlain. “With the cost of fuel and tires, most guys who want to race can’t do it with the big cars [due to the expense].”

The Super Cup cars are half-sized replicas of the Nextel Cup cars. The combined weight of the driver and lead bars must add up to 270 pounds.

“The guys are getting good and we’ve expanded our tour every year,” said Chamberlain, who noted “we have built the largest open division in the whole nation with 22 registered drivers.”

“And half of them live within a 50-mile radius of Bangor,” said Chamberlain.

A new car costs $8,500 while used cars range from $5,500 to $6,500.

“A couple of new tires will last a season and a half and, between practice and the race, the cars burn less than a dollar’s worth of gas [per weekend],” pointed out Chamberlain.

“We race every other week because nobody in the series would be able to race every week due to the travel,” explained Chamberlain.

There is tremendous parity in the series. Chamberlain pointed out there have been seven different points champions.

“And no one had clinched the points championship until the final race,” said Chamberlain.

The cars all have the same Honda 400cc single-cylinder, four-stroke (motorcycle) engine.

Racing fans often complain about tracks that have just one fast racing groove because they don’t get to see much side-by-side racing.

They won’t have any complaints watching the Super Cup racers.

“Believe it or not, at Wiscasset [Raceway] earlier this season, they were racing six to eight wide because the track is so wide,” said Chamberlain.

There are three different points titles up for grabs within their schedule.

There is their overall 14-race tour; a five-race American Mini-Cup series and a four-race New England Championship series involving racers from all over the region.

Two of the four New England Championship races will be held in New Hampshire at Star Speedway and Lee USA Speedway.

The last three overall points champions are among the drivers in this year’s tour.

Francis Bernard Jr. of Howland was last year’s titlist; Rich Hall of Mechanic Falls won in 2003 and the 2002 champ was Bob Leighton of Milford.

Chamberlain credits his wife, Lorraine, with playing an integral role in the series’ development.

“She hasn’t missed one race yet. We’ve been to all 185 races. We do this as a team,” said Chamberlain.

He said the fact he and his wife have been hands-on organizers from day one has enabled the series to grow.

He has also been grateful to Speedway 95 co-owner Del Merritt, who has consistently booked their shows.

“Speedway 95 has been very good to us. We’re racing there six times this season,” said Chamberlain.

The tour, which raced for the first time ever at Scarborough’s Beech Ridge Motor Speedway earlier this season, will race Saturday night at Oxford Plains Speedway.

Leighton leads the points with 147 but there are seven drivers within 16 points of the lead.

Busch North opening tonight

The rain-marred Busch North Series will again try to open its season tonight with the Aubuchon Hardware 150 scheduled for Stafford Motor Speedway (Conn.). Qualifying begins at 5:15 with the race slated for a 9:00 start.

Scarborough’s Kelly Moore is the defending champ, as he beat Cherryfield’s Andy Santerre across the finish line.

Santerre is the three-time defending points champion.

He is also managing the Grizco motorsports team including drivers Mike Stefanik and Brad Leighton. Santerre, Stefanik and Leighton have won seven of the last eight Busch North points championships.

Unity 250 scheduled Sunday

Unity Raceway will hold its second annual Hight Chevy/Budweiser/Coca-Cola/Sunoco 250 Sunday beginning at 1 p.m.

The pro stock race has been sanctioned by the IBG-Pro All-Stars Series tour.

PASS president Tom Mayberry said this race has been added to their 18-race schedule. PASS licensed competitors will be able to drop their worst finish of the season for the year-ending points total.

Hallowell’s Johnny Clark won the 250 a year ago, when it was sponsored by DNK.

Turner’s Ben Rowe enters the race as the points leader with 1088, four more than Farmington’s Cassius Clark. Johnny Clark is third with 1048 followed by Turner’s Mike Rowe (1030) and Falmouth’s Scott Mulken (1014).