55th Vermont Milk Bowl Fast Approaching at Thunder Road

The 55th Vermont Milk Bowl presented by Northfield Savings Bank is just around the corner at Barre’s Thunder Road. Track officials have announced plans for the latest running of the famed event at the Barre high banks on Saturday, September 30 and Sunday, October 1, with five divisions of racing action that promise something for every racing fan in the Northeast.

The 55th Milk Bowl is the biggest event on the Thunder Road calendar with a storied history that dates back to 1962. It has been captured by the biggest names of Northeast U.S. and Canadian Late Model racing over the decades from four-time winner Robbie Crouch to three-time champion Nick Sweet. Many of today’s top American-Canadian Tour (ACT) and Thunder Road Late Model drivers are expected at the 55th edition as well.

This year’s Milk Bowl will again pay a minimum of $10,000 to the winner. Additional lap leader bonus money will be on the line throughout each of the three segments along with the $1,000 Booth Bros. Pole Award and qualifying event purses. More than $70,000 has been posted in total awards across all divisions.

Known as the “Toughest Short-Track Stock Car Race in North America”, the Milk Bowl uses a unique three-segment format to determine the winner. After each 50-lap segment, the full field will be inverted for the next 50-lap segment. Cars are scored “Monza-style” in every, receiving one point for first, two points for second, and so on through the field. The point totals will then be added up and the driver with the best combined finish in all three segments will be crowned Milk Bowl Champion.

Thunder Road’s Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers and Allen Lumber Street Stocks will be in action as well with their two-segment “Mini Milk Bowls”. Thunder Road has announced that the Flying Tiger Mini Milk Bowl will pay $1,000 to win while the Street Stock Mini Milk Bowl will pay $500 to win. Many of the top weekly drivers in both divisions are expected, plus a number of invaders along with drivers testing the waters in preparation for the 2018 racing season.

The New England Dwarf Cars and Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors will round out the card. The Dwarf Cars will run their own two-segment Mini Milk Bowl while the Road Warriors will have a Saturday-only special event.

Milk Bowl weekend kicks off Saturday, September 30 with Booth Bros./H.P. Hood Qualifying Day. The Late Models will hold time trials followed by “Triple 50” qualifying races to help set the Milk Bowl starting field. The Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers, Allen Lumber Street Stocks, and New England Dwarf Cars will hold time trials and Segment 1 of their Mini Milk Bowls, with the Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors completing the day’s action.

Sunday, October 1 will be the 55th Vermont Milk Bowl presented by Northfield Savings Bank. The day kicks off with the Last Chance Qualifying Race for the Thunder Road Late Models followed by segment one of the three-segment Milk Bowl. In between Milk Bowl segments, the Flying Tigers, Street Stocks, and Dwarf Cars will run Segment 2 of their Mini Milk Bowls and determine their event champions.

General admission for the 55th Vermont Milk Bowl presented by Northfield Savings Bank is just $30 for a two-day ticket or $10 for Saturday only. Post time is 1:00pm for both days of racing. An optional open practice for the Late Models, Flying Tigers, and Street Stocks will be held on Friday, September 29. The complete schedule of events will be announced in the near future.

Thunder Road will next be in action this Sunday, September 3 at 1:00pm for the 39th Coca-Cola Labor Day Classic 200. The ACT Late Model Tour hits the high banks for 200 laps of green-flag racing along with the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers, Allen Lumber Street Stocks, and Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors. Admission is $25 for adults and free for kids ages 12 and under.