NASA Great Lakes’ Spec Iron drivers brought the thunder to National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park on March 21–22. With a robust field of 11 Spec Iron racers angling for podium finishes, the weekend was defined by thin qualifying margins, strategic “chess matches” at triple-digit speeds, and the resilience required to survive one of the region’s most technical circuits.
The 3.15-mile full-course configuration at NCM provided its usual challenges, demanding precision through its complex transitions. While the Mustangs thrived on the straightaways, the weekend tested every driver’s ability to manage heat, tires, and the occasional full-course yellow.
Saturday: A Game of Fenders
The competitive field was evident before the first green flag even dropped. Saturday morning qualifying saw the top four drivers — Jeff Wood, Cody Powell, Robin Burnett and Jason Scott — separated by 0.8 seconds. Wood secured the pole with a blistering 2:22.42, but the narrow gap signaled that the afternoon race would be a dogfight.
VIDEO
Race One
In the opening race of the weekend, Wood held the early advantage. A multi-car encounter involving a slower-moving out-of-class vehicle created the opening of the weekend. Robin Burnett capitalized on the chaos to leapfrog from third to first in a single maneuver.
“I went from third to first in the middle of a straightaway while passing two competitors and a Ferrari,” Burnett said. “He [Wood] really had control. He needed just a hundred more yards.”
Wood finished a heartbreaking .064 seconds behind Burnett, essentially a fender’s length at the stripe. Meanwhile, Andrew Janosik faced early heartbreak when his Mustang suffered a melted O2 sensor wire, causing the car to lose power and forcing an early exit.
In Saturday’s race one, Robin Burnett took first, with Wood .064 seconds behind in second, Cody Powell in third, Jeff Nevi in fourth and Jason Scott in fifth.
No. 34 Jeff Wood leads No. 50 Cody Powell and No. 21 Robin Burnett on his way to two wins in three races at National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park. Powell took third in races one and two. Burnett got the win in race one, and second in races two and three.
Sunday Race Two: Yellow Fever
Race two was defined by a significant full-course yellow. An American Iron competitor lost traction coming out of Turn 17, resulting in a tank-slapper that sent the car backing into the wall at Turn 18. The incident happened just before the pit entry, necessitating a caution period that essentially froze the field.
“The race really was about three laps long and then however many more the rest of it was all under yellow,” Burnett said of the shortened sprint.
Racing throughout the Spec Iron field was close throughout the opening weekend at National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park.
Jeff Wood took the win under caution, followed by Burnett and Powell. Chris Armbruster, still navigating the learning curve of his new build, managed a fourth-place finish despite an open differential that struggled as the laps ticked by. “I resorted to trying to diamond off some turns and just get as much straight line shot as I could,” Armbruster noted.
Race Three Finale
The final race of the weekend provided the finale the drivers had been waiting for. With the track clear and the sun beating down, Wood and Burnett checked out from the rest of the field, engaging in a high-speed pursuit that saw both drivers leaning on their equipment.
“That was an epic battle,” Burnett said. “I put my car over every curb and I was in the grass I don’t know how many times just trying to get Jeff to just slide a little bit and let me pull up next to him.”
The battle behind them was equally fierce. Jason Scott, Jeff Wood, and Jeff Feit crossed the finish line in a near-simultaneous blur. Scott, who finished fourth, felt he was finding his rhythm just as the clock ran out. “There wasn’t much of an overlap between the three of us coming across start-finish,” Scott said. “I think probably with another lap I would have had Jeff Feit. He was losing his tires pretty heavily and I was just keeping the pressure on.”
Wood took first, with Burnett in second, Feit in third, Scott in fourth, Nevi in fifth.
Key Driver Perspectives
As always, the weekend hinged on the technical nuances of the Spec Iron platform, specifically regarding the “hot ticket” for speed: cam phaser lockouts and weight reduction. Drivers discussed the benefits of trade-offs between torque and weight, with some choosing to run lighter cars by “clipping” the torque peak in their tunes.
Chris Armbruster provided a unique perspective as a former Spec Miata racer adjusting to the Mustang’s power. “I’m really amazed with how much Ford makes for these cars,” Armbruster said. “The Mustangs can accelerate everywhere on this track still. They never really run out of power or torque to ever stop accelerating. Mustang never stops. You look at your speedo, it’s just always going up.”
For Andrew Janosik, the weekend was one of recovery. After his Saturday electrical fire, he managed to get back on track for Sunday. “Car ran the whole time Sunday. So, it was improvement on the first race,” Janosik said. “Car held together great. Like Chris was saying, there are more corners here in a Mustang than there are in a Miata.”
Conclusion
The March 21–22 weekend at NCM proved that Spec Iron is as much about mechanical sympathy and strategy as it is about raw speed. Wood and Burnett emerged as the titans of the weekend, splitting the top honors and setting the stage for a season-long rivalry. With the Great Lakes Region now looking forward to the upcoming events, including a highly anticipated stop at Mid-Ohio, the field is already back in the garages. Drivers like Armbruster and Janosik are eyeing weight reductions and tune tweaks to close the gap on the podium regulars.
