The 2016 NASA Great Lakes region wrapped up the 2016 season where it began, at National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park in Bowling Green, Kentucky on October 22. With the Great Lakes regional championship already decided, the focus was on the Southeast Region competitors, who had the rare opportunity to race a crossover event for points with the Great Lakes Region.
Saturday’s points race saw the largest field in the Great Lakes Region Thunder Roadster Series, with eight cars taking the green flag. 2016 Southeast Region points leader Will Miller qualified on pole, with 2015 Southeast Region champion Ralph Nolan qualifying second in the race. As the race began, Miller got the jump and drove to a 5.818-second victory, and in the process lowered the track record to 2:17.794 seconds.
But all eyes in this race were on the battle for second with Nolan and Scott Lanford trading places most of the race. Lanford and Nolan ran the last three laps side by side until Nolan made a last-ditch effort and ran wide in the Sinkhole on the last lap, giving second to Lanford. Nolan ended the race in third, followed by Lee Roberts in fourth. 2016 Great Lakes regional champion Brian Bohlander rounded out the top five.
The Thunder Roadster Series would like to thank all the partners of the NASA Great Lakes region and NASA nationally that made this a great season. The 2017 NASA Great Lakes season begins at NCM Motorsport Park, March 18, 2017.
