FOUNTAIN CITY, Wis. -- The list of veteran racers was familiar during Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Winona night at Mississippi Thunder Speedway Friday, but it was members of the “Youth Brigade” who flexed their muscles and showed their strength by running hard, clean and fast.

Every division that hit the high banks on Mississippi Thunder Speedway for green flag action contained at least one driver who was either still in high school or at least young enough to remember the experience; and they all showed that they had the skill and equipment to not only run with, but in many cases, ahead of the veterans.

Strapping in behind the wheel of a high-powered RiverCity Manufacturing USRA Modified is a tall order for any racer. The ability to control the power, read the ever-changing racing surface and not let the competition intimidate you is a tall order for even those drivers who’ve been at it for years.

But 15-year-old Lucas Schott, made it look almost effortless Friday night, as he piloted his Schott Hardwood Floors #69 USRA Modified to an dominating lead en route to his first feature win of the 2012 season.

Schott has made quite a name for himself over the few seasons that he’s been behind the wheel of an entry in one of the most competitive divisions to hit the area dirt tracks. And on those nights that he’s raced his way to victory, he’s done in on similar track conditions while besting some pretty impressive veterans.

The clear skies, constant breeze and beating sun through the whole day had drivers consulting their setup notes and almost all of them new that a dry-slick track would be waiting for them when the evening’s features rolled around.

For Schott, that was perfectly alright.

“This track was almost exactly like it was the last time I won a feature here,” commented the Chatfield, Minn., youngster from victory lane. “I actually really like it when it gets more dry and slick like this.”

After winning the second heat race earlier in the evening, Schott lined up for the night’s feature on the inside of the front row pole position and with the drop of green flag he jumped from the field and never looked back and he raced to an almost entire straight away lead over a couple quick veterans by the time the checkered flag waived.

First heat race winner Hank Rollinger Jr. enjoyed another strong showing for the 2012 season by racing his way past defending track champion Bob Timm for second.

“I made a lot of changes to the car over the off season - a lot,” remarked Rollinger. “Some of them big, some of them not so big; but I did make a lot of changes and so far the car is working great.”

After racing his way to the second-place finish, his smile was even bigger and the Buffalo City racer.

“That was another fun night,” smiled Rollinger. “The battle with Bob (Timm) was fun, and my starts were strong. Just not quite as quick as Schott.”

Timm held on for third with Lance Hoffer, a 20 year-old racer himself, putting on a strong showing racing his way up to a fourth-place finish just ahead of Brad Waits.

Chatfield, Minn.’s Jacob Bleess added to the theme for the evening by winning the night’s EngineStore.com USRA B-Mod feature.

But similar to Schott he too had to hold off a couple of hard-charging veterans and a couple teen-aged peers in order to pick up that checkered flag.

Earlier in the evening, 15 year-old Bleess showed that he had the goods by winning the opening heat race over another young-blood, Brandon Reutzel.

During the evening’s feature, it was two-time and defending track champion Ben Anderson and Erik Kanz, who already has two feature wins at Mississippi Thunder Speedway this year, right behind Bleess’ #21.

But neither were able to catch Bleess to offer a challenge for the lead, setting the scene for another teenager celebrating a feature win.

After receiving a congratulatory hug from his dad, Matt, in victory lane, the soft spoken Bleess climbed from the interior of his Modified and soaked up the cheers from the crowd. “Yeah, fun night.” offered Bleess in his soft voice, “A little slippery, but fun.” The smile and sparkle in his eyes though more than made up for the youngster’s almost shy demeanor; it was obvious that a HUGE celebration was taking place behind those victorious eyes.

As Bleess lead the field, and as Anderson and Kanz enjoyed a hard fought battle for second and third, another pair of 15 year-olds, in the form of Alex Williamson and Parker Hale, were having their own little war for the fourth and fifth positions in the field.

Willamson and Hale continue to show that they are both high caliber competitors and ready any night to contend at the front of the field.

Mississippi Thunder Speedway’s 2012 regular season action continues next Friday night, May 25. On-track action headlined by USRA Modifieds and USRA B-Mods begins at 7:00, with Wissota Super Stocks and Street Stocks, 600 Mods and Pure Stocks also on tap.

Adult general admission is $12 with senior citizen tickets only $10. Student admission (ages 13-18) is just $5 while all children 12 and under will be admitted absolutely free. The MTS Family Pass is just $25 and gets two adults and up to three kids into the show.

For more details, visit the official Mississippi Thunder Speedway website at www.mississippithunder.com.

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OFFICIAL RESULTS
American Racer USRA Weekly Racing Series
Mississippi Thunder Speedway, Fountain City, Wis.
Friday, May 11, 2012

USRA MODIFIEDS

Heat #1:
1. (2) 59 Hank Rollinger Jr., Buffalo City
2. (3) 89 Eric Pember, Pittsville
3. (1) 77 Thomas Brink, Winona, Minn.
4. (5) 49jr Jake Timm, Winona, Minn.
5. (9) 96 Jay Ihrke, Dover, Minn.
6. (7) 18 Mick Glenn, Minnesota City, Minn.
7. (4) 94jr John Doelle, Arcadia
8. (6) 15 Steve Bangart, Auburndale
9. (8) 86 Phil Wernert, Galesville

Heat #2:
1. (2) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn.
2. (3) 49 Bob Timm, Winona, Minn.
3. (5) 99 Josh Angst, Winona, Minn.
4. (4) 11 Lance Hofer, Cochrane
5. (7) 52w Nate Wasmund, Rochester, Minn.
6. (9) 24 Brad Waits, Rochester, Minn.
7. (1) 51 Chris Oertel, Marshfield
8. (6) 96 Doug Herrick, West Concord, Minn.
9. (8) 44 Leroy Scharkey, Rochester, Minn.

Feature:
1. (1) 69 Lucas Schott, Chatfield, Minn.
2. (2) 59 Hank Rollinger Jr., Buffalo City
3. (4) 49 Bob Timm, Winona, Minn.
4. (3) 11 Lance Hofer, Cochrane
5. (12) 24 Brad Waits, Rochester, Minn.
6. (9) 77 Thomas Brink, Winona, Minn.
7. (5) 49jr Jake Timm, Winona, Minn.
8. (16) 96 Doug Herrick, West Concord, Minn.
9. (6) 96 Jay Ihrke, Dover, Minn.
10. (10) 99 Josh Angst, Winona, Minn.
11. (13) 94jr John Doelle, Arcadia
12. (18) 44 Leroy Scharkey, Rochester, Minn.
13. (11) 18 Mick Glenn, Minnesota City, Minn.
14. (15) 15 Steve Bangart, Auburndale
15. (14) 51 Chris Oertel, Marshfield
16. (17) 86 Phil Wernert, Galesville
17. (7) 52w Nate Wasmund, Rochester, Minn.
18. (8) 89 Eric Pember, Pittsville

USRA B-MODS

Heat #1:
1. (4) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.
2. (1) 44 Brandon Reutzel, Winona, Minn.
3. (6) RED1 Dan Wheeler, Columbia Heights, Minn.
4. (2) 28 Parker Hale, Grand Meadow, Minn.
5. (7) 15w Alex Williamson, Rushford, Minn.
6. (5) 80j Lee Jonsgaard, Minnesota City, Minn.
7. (3) 3 Matt Appel, Taylor

Heat #2:
1. (1) 23k Erik Kanz, Winona, Minn.
2. (4) 95x Shaun Walski, Winona, Minn.
3. (5) 39 Ben Anderson, Winona, Minn.
4. (2) 11 Jack Baehman, Hudson
5. (7) 9 Brady Keefe, Stewartville, Minn.
6. (3) 4g Scott Guthrie, Whitehall
7. (6) 90 Tyler Creeley, Winona, Minn.

Feature:
1. (2) 21 Jacob Bleess, Chatfield, Minn.
2. (7) 39 Ben Anderson, Winona, Minn.
3. (6) 23k Erik Kanz, Winona, Minn.
4. (8) 15w Alex Williamson, Rushford, Minn.
5. (10) 28 Parker Hale, Grand Meadow, Minn.
6. (9) 9 Brady Keefe, Stewartville, Minn.
7. (3) 44 Brandon Reutzel, Winona, Minn.
8. (13) 3 Matt Appel, Taylor
9. (1) 11 Jack Baehman, Hudson
10. (5) RED1 Dan Wheeler, Columbia Heights, Minn.
11. (11) 80j Lee Jonsgaard, Minnesota City, Minn.
12. (14) 90 Tyler Creeley, Winona, Minn.
13. (4) 95x Shaun Walski, Winona, Minn.
14. (12) 4g Scott Guthrie, Whitehall