Despite a better than expected result at last week's Calgary Stampede tarp auction, Okotoks chuckwagon driver Mark Sutherland is still nervous heading into this week's auctions.

The WPCA Tour auction is Tuesday, while the Grande Prairie Stompede auction is Thursday.

Sutherland says the one thing he's done well since moving to the Foothills is cultivate relationships that have paid off.

I've always had pretty good support locally, from High River and area, because I'm so close. I guess that's been a blessing to me."

He says it's tougher for some driver's though as they really struggle once they get away from their home base with finding sponsors.

And he says with the economy what it is this year, that "falling off the map" could be felt rather acutely.

Sutherland saw a jump of $12,000 in bids at this year's Stampede auction as compared to the 2015 auction.

But he says it's still about only half of what he pulled in in 2014.