Hello all,

We hope everyone reading this is doing well. Even three weeks after the conclusion of Vermont Milk Bowl Weekend, it seems hard to believe the 2020 racing season is over. Perhaps it’s because of the late start to the year, but it feels like the summer and early fall flew by.

That there was even a season at all is a testament to those who supported us week in and week out. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic went beyond not being able to run our first event until mid-June. The fact that so many people stuck with us during such challenging and ever-evolving times is why we were able to get in as much of the season as we did.

Needless to say, a lot of thank-you’s are in order. The first one goes to the teams that supported Thunder Road. There was 90+ cars in the pits most nights and a few events with 100+. And unlike normal years where car counts traditionally lag in latter parts of the season, the exact opposite happened, with most divisions growing as the year went on.

The Road Warriors and Flying Tigers, in particular, deserve special recognition. The Warriors came to us after the season opener and asked to become a weekly division to help support the track. Our worry was that the car count would fall off as a result. Instead, the Warriors averaged more cars per event than they did last year, putting in countless hours to get themselves and others to the track. The Flying Tigers, meanwhile, averaged more than 30 cars per event. The division has soared over the last four years, re-asserting its role as the heart and soul of Thunder Road. The Late Models and Street Stocks also grew in the season’s second half, and we hope that continues into 2021.

The next round of thank-you’s goes to our fans. Just sitting in the stands at Thunder Road this year was far different than in years past. We weren’t even able sell grandstand tickets at the first two events, and there were a variety of requirements once fan attendance resumed. While we understand why these were in place, they led to some tough decisions we never thought we would have to make. Our fans remained loyal and understanding throughout even as the guidelines continued to evolve. Thank you for supporting the track and for following the guidelines to show that racing could happen safely.

On a related note, thank you to Northeast Sports Network for their pay-per-view coverage, as well as those who watched each event from afar. NSN did a great job throughout the year putting on a professional broadcast for people to enjoy from home. We received a lot of compliments about the broadcast quality, and the NSN crew were a pleasure to work with.

Thanks also go out to the sponsors associated with Thunder Road. Pretty much every company in Vermont was affected by the pandemic. Still, the vast majority of our event, division, contingency, and billboard sponsors remained onboard, recognizing the value of short track racing even in uncertain times. We were also pleased to see so many team sponsors stick it out, and we’re sure this was part of why car counts remained strong. Please return that support and let these companies know you appreciate them being part of the Thunder Road family.

We must thank our staff and officials as well. Untold man-hours went into even making it possible to have racing, from preparations during the week to running each event smoothly. The different procedures in place due to the pandemic put even more on their plate each week. Racing officials are some of the most unsung people in the industry — to be an official, you have to truly love racing. We feel very fortunate to have a staff that loves what they do and shows up every week to do it well.

Now we turn our attention towards next year. Based on feedback from our teams, we are going to postpone the annual Banquet of Champions until the spring. The consensus we heard is that people would rather wait in hopes the circumstances will be more ideal for an end-of-season celebration.

For now, our focus will be on the 2021 schedule. Signature events such as the Milk Bowl, Memorial Day Classic, Governor’s Cup, Labor Enduro, and Flying Tiger Triple Crown should be back in some form. We’ll also look at bringing in other series and special events. Although certain things we want to do simply won’t be financially possible if the attendance limitations are the same as this past year, we will explore all options. As usual, we hope to put the schedule out in late November or early December. The rules for each division should follow shortly thereafter. Please understand that the schedule is very much subject to change based on how the pandemic evolves. We urge everyone to continue taking precautions, as this will help put us in the best possible position come spring.

Until next time, please stay healthy and safe. We remain committed to the long-term success of Thunder Road, and we hope for your continued support on this journey.

Regards,

Cris Michaud, Thunder Road managing partner

Pat Malone, Thunder Road co-owner