It was a balmy 60 degrees in Welch Village, Minn., for the final 2017 Regional Championship event. Many of the course workers who helped salt the run in Welch Village will also be at Nationals in Steamboat, Colo., to lend a hand with timing. Fortunately, it cooled down enough in the evenings that racers were able to enjoy a well set and hard-packed course in the mornings. With a turnout of about 100 competitors, the races were exciting and filled with energy.

All racers who went home with podium spots have now automatically qualified for Nationals!

At the Race of Champions, Michael Hunt took home the gold by posting the fastest discounted time during the handicapped race. Last year, his son Baedan Hunt won the Race of Champions at the National Championships. Eight-year-old Nathan Schield took the bronze medal racing with a handicap of 73.180 his adjusted time of 17.61  was only 0.36 seconds behind Hunt!

Bill Wilson of Cannon Falls, Minn., ripped past his competitors during the Race of Champions to record the fastest raw time. Serving as a Delta Airlines pilot of over 31 years, his extraordinary run placed him ahead of many racers who often beat him.

During the Adult Regional Championship, Adam Adkins placed first in the 35-39, Platinum/Gold Division recording the third lowest handicap. Adkins has attended every NASTAR Nationals race since 2005. “It’s been awesome to watch Adam improve as a racer since beginning in 2005,” said NASTAR Director Bill Madsen. “His passion for the sport is what NASTAR is all about.”

In the women’s Race of Champions at Welch Village, Victoria Voss beat out Jenna Muchow to take the overall win with the fastest discounted time, but Jenna recorded the fastest raw time to take the top step of the podium during the that race. Jenna placed second last spring at Steamboat during the Nationals Race of Champions, right behind Nicola Rountree, and she is excited to compete for the win again March 23-26 at the National Championships. It will definitely be exciting to see whom will take the overall win this year at Steamboat. 

Invitations for Nationals were sent out on Feb. 21 so if you’ve qualified but have yet to register, be sure to do so before the deadline of March 15. It’s been a great season of NASTAR racing and Welch Village provided NASTAR with the perfect wrap-up of the Regional Championships before our biggest event of the year.

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