Alexander Seeking First Wiscasset Pro Stock Win
Ellsworth Teenager to Enter Touring Series Events
Wyatt Alexander of Ellsworth, ME will begin his season at Wiscasset (ME) Speedway’s season opener on Saturday April 18. Alexander’s goals are to compete for wins at Wiscasset and get a top ten and at least one top five in the Pro All Star Series (PASS) North Super Late Models or the Granite State Pro Stock Series.
“I think our best shot at something like that would be the PASS races at Speedway 95 (in Hermon, ME on June 14). It’s a track I am familiar with and there aren’t as many cars when we go there. But overall we are just learning to learn as much as possible and get some good experience moving forward.”
The No. 96 K&B Automotive team will enter additional races depending on how the season at Wiscasset is going. If Alexander feels ready and is comfortable, he will then run other races. Granite State Pro Stock Series for Alexander may include Lee, Hudson, Star twice, and White Mountain. Alexander is looking at PASS races at Oxford, Spud Qualifier, the Oxford 250, and NHMS as well.
The Oxford 250 is one of Alexander’s goals. It will all depend on as a team if they are prepared The August 30 race at Oxford (ME) Plains Speedway is one of the nation’s biggest short track races and brings huge car counts. Over the years, some big names have come to race the event.
“It is a very prestigious race and our entire team wants to be a part of,” Alexander said. “It is a tough race and if I could just make it into the main event, I would be ecstatic. Whatever happens from there is a bonus.”
For Wyatt to qualify would mean the world to him. “It would mean a lot to me. It is one of those things I think a lot of drivers can’t really describe including myself. It is such a big race and is so prestigious. I think every kid from this part of the Northeast grows up and dreams of competing in that race.”
When Wyatt’s grandfather Bob Alexander attempted the race in the 1980s, many southern teams entered. Wyatt believes that his grandfather would probably be more happy than him and that his family would appreciate it as well.
“It is certainly a big goal for the season, but I’m looking forward to preparing for it and giving it our best shot. Oxford is a track I only became really familiar with and started racing at over the past couple of years and I really have liked the track and the atmosphere of the place.”
Alexander has been more anxious and excited for the season to start than the past. “We learned a lot from last year and I know we have more to offer. I can’t wait to see how we stack up against the competition and what work we have to do.”
New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon will host the first PASS and Texas Roadhouse North East Mini Stock Tour (NEMST) doubleheader on July 5. The NEMST held its inaugural race on the 1.058 mile oval last season, while this will be the initial PASS race.
Alexander is uncertain if he will enter the race. Although he has experience in Go Karts and Legend Cars on the road course and mini oval, he feels the Magic Mile would certainly be a new challenge.
The transition from Legend Cars to Super Late Models has been a learning curve for the 15-year-old driver.
“I adapted fairly quickly to the Super Late Model and I credit that to the seat (time) I had in Legends. I think the transition from a Legend to a Super Late Model is a little less of a challenge then the transition from the Go Kart. Legends are great at teaching car control as they are pretty wild to drive with not a lot of grip on the radial tires for the amount of power they put out. The Super Late Model certainly has more rubber compared to power, but it is still an entirely different beast.
“Some things to get used to would be the overall size of the car compared to a Legend. Adjusting to where you are on the on track, how close you are getting to the wall, etc. Also the Super Late Models are a lot heavier and do have more power, so they have a completely different feeling. They are a lot smoother to drive when they are handling right as they have the sway bar and power steering to assist you versus a Legend that doesn’t. Driving a Legend it feels like you are always driving the car to its limits. You save the car from time to time, but it’s not a huge concern. In the Super Late Model, a driver has to learn more about saving the car in certain situations, especially the tires.”
Alexander felt that last season was successful overall. Alexander felt that the results showed that, but were hoping for more. Matt Bourgoine had a stellar season in the NELCAR Legends. Alexander and Bourgoine would have some great battles. Alexander was able to get his first series win at Star Speedway in Epping, NH. After being in contention for two years, it meant a lot to Alexander.
“I made a lot of mistakes that cost me wins and there were things that were out of my control, but that’s racing. I think finishing second and third so many times taught me more than any number of victories could as a driver, an athlete, and a person. I knew it would happen eventually and we all felt it was matter of time, but there were times I started to doubt myself. We blew up an engine at Wiscasset in the Legend this year and I believe that was my only finish outside the top ten. We certainly had consistency as a team and myself as a driver no matter what track we rolled into.”
For Alexander, he felt the Super Late Model was definitely was a roller coaster. The team had a successful first outing at Wiscasset. The team attempted the 100 lap Granite State Pro Stock Series race at Lee (NH) USA Speedway, but did not qualify. He felt it was a good effort for the team’s second attempt, but was disappointed. “It wasn’t fun to watch the race from the pits, but we all learned a lot and kept our chins up.”
The next day the team went to run a Legends race at NHMS and finished second to Shaun Buffington. Alexander felt it was a huge pick me up as there was some stiff competition. The team ran a couple of other races at Wiscasset and then attempted the PASS race at Speedway 95.
“It is my home track as it is the closest track to us way up here in Ellsworth. I was nervous that entire weekend of being in the way of those guys. But when it came down to it and when I focused on running on my own, I could hang with them. We had a good run going until I got collected with another car around lap 30 and went off the top of turn two and hard into the bank. Probably one of the if not the hardest hits I’ve ever taken. The car was pretty torn up, mostly cosmetic, but there was some chassis damage. We thought that car was done for the season. But once it was back at the shop, we determined we could piece it back together and run a couple more races. I came back with determination and so did the crew. The car was just as fast as ever and we ended up with a second place finish at Fall Fury at Wiscasset to end our season.”
Sources: Matt Wiernasz/YankeeRacer.com