While several drivers in their 20s and 30s are working to make a name for themselves in the premier Super Late Model or Pro Stock class, one teenage prodigy from the mid-coast is turning heads while making significant progress of his own.

Fifteen-year-old Ellsworth native Wyatt Alexander is in his first full season in the Pro Stock class at Wiscasset after making five starts in 2014 to get a feel for the faster, heavier cars.

In his first four points races of 2015, he’s already notched a podium finish (third) on May 16 after leading the feature for 16 laps, and ran as high as third again on May 30 before ignition failure took him out of contention.

“That third-place run on May 16 was a great night for us,” Alexander said. “I had second place locked up until a late-race caution came out. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to hold off Andy Saunders, and I certainly wasn’t going to able to get by Jeff Burgess on the outside on the restart. There aren’t many other drivers I admire more than those two, so to finish third behind them was very rewarding.”

His recent charge from seventh up to third in the feature on May 30 had fans cheering, until the mechanical gremlin derailed his hopes for another podium finish.

“I came off turn 4 with two laps to go and was making up ground on the second-place car,” Alexander said. “The car just stopped running and wouldn’t refire, so I immediately pulled it down pit road. It was obviously a tough way to end the night, but I came through the field a couple of times. We were one of the fastest cars there; we just need a little luck on our side.”

Alexander started racing Go-karts at the age of four at Thundering Valley in St. Albans. From there, he progressed on to the popular Legends cars, the next logical step for young drivers. His karting career was highlighted by the World Karting Association (WKA) National Championship in 2012.

“I ended up winning a major Grand National event, and it gave me the national title. The competition in the WKA is the highest caliber you’ll find anywhere. A lot of young drivers competing in NASCAR today got their start on the WKA Karting tour. It wasn’t easy to win there on any occasion, but we had a lot of success with Karts.

“It was a lot harder to go from racing a Go-Kart to driving a Legends car, than it was to go from the Legends car to a Pro Stock. The Legends car takes finesse to be fast, just like the big cars require. I really enjoy driving the Pro Stock, and now we’re striving for our first victory.”

Part of Alexander’s ambitious plans this summer includes an attempt to qualify for the AIM Recycling Oxford 250. With the move to late-summer for Maine’s richest short track spectacle, Alexander will have an chance to learn Oxford’s quirky layout.

“Just being part of Oxford 250 weekend in the past when I drove a Legends car was truly an honor,” Alexander said. “We plan to get down to Oxford a couple of times on our off weeks at Wiscasset to figure out what we need in the car. I’ve only run 15 or 20 laps in a Super Late Model there, so more seat time can help us a ton.”

Wiscasset Speedway rotates between classes every other weekend to make it easier on teams.

“I know I’m very early in my Super Late Model efforts, but if we could actually qualify for the 250 and roll out onto the front stretch for introductions, it would be the highlight of my career thus far. I know we have a sponsor to cover the cost of tires for that race, and we’re going with a goal of making the show.”

Alexander doesn’t possess this natural driving talent by accident. He’s the grandson of Maine Motorsports Hall of Fame member Bob Alexander (Class of 2014), and son to Brett, who, along with working with his father many years, also had a brief stint behind the wheel.

“When I was little, I didn’t know about any of that family history,” Wyatt Alexander said. “I didn’t realize my grandfather raced, or that my father dabbled in the sport. I just knew I loved race cars and wanted to drive them.

“As I got older and learned that history, I discovered how much I love the entire sport, not just the racing itself. It’s a huge honor for me to be carrying on a family tradition three generations deep. That sense of family pride is what means the most to me.”

Alexander’s next road trip will be a short one on Sunday, June 14, when he hopes to compete in the PASS North Series Hight Chevrolet 150 at Speedway 95 in Hermon.

“We want to qualify for and run well in that PASS race, just as we’re hoping to do at Oxford in late August,” added Alexander. “We’re also hoping to win one or two features at Wiscasset before season’s end. If we can pull all of that off and finish within the top five in final points, it will definitely have been a very successful season.

“It’s going to be a busy summer, but I’m anxious to dive in and see what we can accomplish.”

pwhipple@sunjournal.com