Thunder Road Gearing Up for Huge 58th Milk Bowl Weekend

Barre, VT — Teams and fans across the Northeast are ready for the 58th Vermont Milk Bowl presented by Northfield Savings Bank at Barre’s Thunder Road. The three-day extravaganza this Friday, October 2 through Sunday, October 4 has saved the best for last during the 61st season of competition atop Quarry Hill.

Despite a delayed start to the season and other challenges related to the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak, the 2020 Thunder Road campaign was one to remember. Now, regionally- and nationally-recognized racers such as Jason Corliss, Bobby Therrien, Ben Rowe, Scott Dragon, Ryan Kuhn, and Johnny Clark will do battle at the “Nation’s Site of Excitement” as part a 10-division card capped by the $10,000-to-win Milk Bowl.

The weekend is scheduled to kick off Friday, October 2 at 6:00pm with Mekkelsen RV Milk Bowl Friday.  The Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Model 150 headlines a card of four top regional touring series that are invading Barre.

Series officials expect a field of 20-plus Super Late Models to slug it out on the Barre high banks. Defending PASS champion and current point leader D.J. Shaw of Center Conway, NH; reigning Oxford 250 winner Johnny Clark of Hallowell, ME; multi-time PASS king Ben Rowe of Turner, ME; and rising star Kate Re of Harrison, ME are just some of the names on the entry list.

As it often does at Thunder Road, the PASS Super Late Model field will have a local flavor. Two-time defending “King of the Road” Jason Corliss of Barre, 2019 Milk Bowl winner Bobby Therrien of Hinesburg, and former Late Model winner Evan Hallstrom of Northfield have entered the event. ACT Late Model Tour standout Ryan Kuhn of East Bridgewater, MA joins Rowe, Corliss, and Therrien in doing double-duty over the weekend.

The Friday night spectacular also includes 50-lap features for the PASS Modifieds, Honey Badger Bar & Grill Street Stock Series, and North East Mini Stock Tour. The quartet of high-powered Super Late Models, open-wheel Modifieds, full-body eight-cylinder cars, and lightning-fast four-cylinders means something for everyone to open the weekend.

The weekend continues Saturday, October 3 at 1:00pm with Booth Bros./H.P. Hood Qualifying Day. The Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models take center stage that day with time trials and 50-lap qualifying races to set most of the Milk Bowl starting field. Local heroes such as Milton’s Scott Dragon, Shelburne’s Trampas Demers, Montpelier’s Kyle Pembroke, Wolcott’s Brendan Moodie, and Fayston’s Brooks Clark will try to get a head start on dethroning Corliss and Therrien. Outsiders such as Midsummer 250 winner Dillon Moltz, multi-time White Mountain Motorsports Park winner Joel Hodgdon, and Rhode Island youngster Mike Benevides also are coming to take their shot.

The rest of Thunder Road’s local divisions also have big weekends planned. The Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers and Allen Lumber Street Stocks have time trials and Segment 1 of their “Mini Milk Bowls” on Saturday. The Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors run a two-segment Mini Milk Bowl that afternoon as well. Following the main program, the Junior Champ Karts for 6-14 year-olds are slated to run Mini Milk Bowls on the backstretch track.

Sunday, October 4, the weekend and season reach their apex with the 58th Vermont Milk Bowl presented by Northfield Savings Bank. The Late Model Last-Chance “B” Feature rolls onto the track at 12:15pm. The four remaining spots in the Milk Bowl will be up for grabs, meaning desperation time has arrived.

Opening ceremonies will follow with the first of three 50-lap segments going green at 1:30pm. The finish of each segment is reversed to start the next segment, and the driver with the best combined finish gets a minimum $10,000 check and a kiss with a genuine Vermont dairy cow.

Sunday also includes the final segment of the Flying Tiger and Street Stock Mini Milk Bowls. The 7-Eleven Dwarf Cars of White Mountain Motorsports Park complete the program with their annual trip to Barre for a two-segment event.

Limited grandstand seating is still available for all three days of Vermont Milk Bowl Weekend. Adult general admission tickets are $20 for Friday, $10 for Saturday, and $30 for Sunday. Kids ages 12 and under are $5 for Friday/Saturday and $10 for Sunday.

Fans can order advance tickets at https://happsnow.com/event/Thunder-Road-Speedbowl. Pit passes will be sold at the track on race day. Visit www.thunderroadvt.com to find health and safety requirements for attendees.

All three days of the Vermont Milk Bowl presented by Northfield Savings Bank will also be broadcast live on the Northeast Sports Network. The pay-per-view is $50 for all three days, $40 for Saturday/Sunday, and $25 for Friday-only. Sign up now at www.NSNsports.net/sponsors/racing.