Barre, VT – The schedule for the 2021 season at Barre’s Thunder Road is now set. Track officials have unveiled a 19-event campaign from mid-May to early-October with all the events that competitors and fans have come to love.

The 62nd season atop Quarry Hill begins Saturday, May 15 and Sunday, May 16. The annual Thunder Road Car Show is tentatively scheduled for 9:00am on May 15, although it is dependent on the Vermont state health and safety guidelines in place come this time. Open practice for all local divisions will be held that afternoon.

Racing season at the “Nation’s Site of Excitement” then gets underway Sunday, May 16 at 1:30pm with the 23rd Community Bank N.A. 150 for the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Models. The Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers and rk Miles Street Stocks open their championship seasons that day with the Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors rounding out the card.

The Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models begin the “King of the Road” chase on Sunday, May 30 at the 58th Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic. After a one-year hiatus due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, the Memorial Day Classic returns this year with the format originally planned for 2020. The Late Models open their point-counting season in a special 125-lap event while the Flying Tigers kick off the Myers Container Service Triple Crown Series with a 100-lap showdown.

Weekly night racing then goes green on Friday, June 11 with a full card of championship action plus the annual visit from the New England Antique Racers. Thursday night action gets underway the following week on June 17 once local schools are out for the summer. The weekly racing schedule runs through August 26.

During that time, a variety of special events are planned. The annual Independence Day Spectacular will take place on Thursday, July 1, making Thunder Road one of the first places in the region to celebrate the holiday. The second round of the Triple Crown Series is set for Thursday, July 8 with the championship round on Thursday, August 5.

The month of July also includes the 42nd Vermont Governor’s Cup on July 15, the double-point Midseason Championships on July 22, and the annual Port-a-Potty Grand Prix on July 29. The 37th annual Bolduc Metal Recycling Enduro 200 opens the month of August on Sunday, August 1. The Street Stocks run their annual 50-lap special that same night and have the annual Marvin Johnson Memorial First-Time Winner’s Race on June 24.

The Road Warriors go 50 laps as well in the third annual Road Warrior Challenge on August 12. Overall, the Warriors are scheduled to run most of the 2021 events, with nights off on June 11, July 15, and August 5. The finale of the weekly racing season on August 26 includes the annual Run-What-U-Brung Spectator Races.

Once weekly racing concludes, three huge events remain. The 43rd Optical Expressions Berlin Labor Day Classic 200 on Sunday, September 5 brings back the ACT Late Model Tour for their second visit of the year. All division champions, including the “King of the Road” will be crowned at Barre Granite Association Championship Night on Friday, September 17.

The season wraps up with Vermont Milk Bowl Weekend from Friday, October 1 through Sunday, October 3. Milk Bowl Friday is headlined by the Prelude to the Milk Bowl 150 for the Pro All Stars Series Super Late Models plus the North East Mini Stock Tour. The Milk Bowl field will be set at Booth Bros./H.P. Hood Qualifying Day on Saturday, October 2 with the 59th Vermont Milk Bowl presented by Northfield Savings Bank on Sunday, October 3. Following the conclusion of local and regional racing, Thunder Road will host its 2nd Annual Automotive Flea Market & Swap Meet on Saturday, October 30.

Thunder Road’s 2021 schedule remains subject to change based on the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic at a local, regional, and national level. Certain special events and activities, such as the Kid’s Rides slated for June 17, the Driver Autograph session on July 22, and the Kid’s Poster Contest on August 19, could also be rescheduled or modified based on whatever health requirements are in place.

The complete 2021 schedule of events can be found at www.thunderroadvt.com/schedule. Season pass information for the 2021 season will be announced in the near future. Attendance limitations and spectator guidelines for the 2021 season are currently unknown.

Rules and registration forms for all local divisions were released on November 11. These are available at www.thunderroadvt.com/rules and www.thunderroadvt.com/forms.

2021 Thunder Road Schedule of Events

# DAY DATE TIME EVENT

-- Sat May 15 9:00am Thunder Road Car Show & Open Practice

1 Sun May 16 1:30pm 23rd Community Bank N.A. 150 – ACT Late Model Tour

2 Sun May 30 1:30pm 58th Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic – Myers Triple Crown #1

3 Fri Jun 11 7:00pm Capital City Automart Night – NEAR & Scout Night

4 Thu Jun 17 7:00pm Casella Resources Solution Night – Kids Rides

5 Thu Jun 24 7:00pm Community College of Vermont Night – Marvin Johnson Memorial

6 Thu Jul 1 7:00pm Independence Day Spectacular – Holiday Fireworks

7 Thu Jul 8 7:00pm Efficiency Vermont Night – Myers Triple Crown #2

8 Thu Jul 15 6:30pm 42nd Vermont Governor’s Cup

9 Thu Jul 22 7:00pm Country Camper Mid-Season Championships – Driver Autographs