Looking Ahead: 5 Thunder Events to Look Forward to in 2022

Alan Ward photo

We’ve taken a look back at some of the most memorable events in 2021. Now it’s time to look ahead toward 2022! Every event at Thunder Road this year is going to stand out in some way — but here are five that we think people will still be talking about next offseason, too. Once you’ve seen our picks, let us know: what events are YOU looking forward to most?

(NOTE: Events are listed in chronological order.)

May 1, 2022: 24th Community Bank N.A. 150

The season opener is almost always an eagerly anticipated event — and why wouldn’t it be after a long Vermont winter? It’s a time to finally get on the track and see what’s in store for the year ahead. The 24th edition of the Community Bank N.A. 150 is sure to be another barnburner. A large field of ACT Late Model Tour and Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Model racers is again expected. With $3,800 in prize money and contingency awards guaranteed to the winner, there’s plenty of reasons to go all-out for victory.

The Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers and RK Miles Street Stocks will start their championship battles, and the Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors complete the card of racing. Fans will get their first chance to see the new drivers, cars, and paint schemes at the annual Thunder Road Car Show on Saturday, April 30. And there’ll be camping at the track so people can reunite with their racing family all weekend. Don’t miss it — we sure won’t!

May 29, 2022: 59th Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic

The Memorial Day Classic is always a highlight of the holiday weekend in New England. With the addition of the Tri-Track Open Modified Series, it’s gotten even bigger. The Granite Capital 100 will award $10,000 to the winner of the inaugural Tri-Track event at Thunder Road. Stars such as Matt Hirschman, Chase Dowling, Ron Silk, Justin Bonsignore, and Ronnie Williams are expected to be in Barre that weekend for the track’s first Tour-type Modified event in 12 years.

The rest of the card is top-notch, too. The Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models open the “King of the Road” chase with the 125-lap Memorial Day Classic. There’s also a full program for the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers, RK Miles Street Stocks, and Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors. And on Saturday night, local rock band Native Tongue will entertain campers with a free show in the Turn 3 Pavilion! Spend your weekend at Thunder Road experiencing the best of short track racing.

July 21, 2022: Times Argus Midseason Championships

After last year’s Midseason Championships, how can the 2022 edition not be on our list? All divisions run added-distance features with double points in both their qualifiers and the main event. It’s a night that can completely reshape the championship picture and often does. Just witness 2021, when Chris Pelkey started the night 67 points behind Jason Corliss and ended it 27 points ahead. Even with the extra laps, drivers take chances they wouldn’t normally take because of what’s on the line — and that makes it a memorable night for those watching. That’s before we even get to the double prize money from FloRacing!

Midseason is also the night of our annual Driver Autograph session. After a one-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event made a welcome return in 2021. It’s a chance for fans to meet their heroes and get a memento they’ll carry around for years. Join us for a midsummer night that’s always hot at the top of Quarry Hill!

August 25, 2022: Jet Service Envelope/Accura Printing Night

The final Thursday night race of the year always draws one of the largest crowds of the year. Part of that is only having one more opportunity to watch Thursday racing on the high banks. And part of it is the annual “Run-What-U-Brung” spectator races. You never know what’s going to happen at this event. We’ve had cars flip and win, Corvettes race against SUVs, bread trucks, and much more. It’s predictably unpredictable — and that’s why we love it.

Have we mentioned it’s also Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Model Championship Night? The final bout of the title fight returns to the Thursday schedule this year, putting a bow on 14 rounds of thrills. The Late Models will go 63 laps to crown the 63rd “King of the Road”, and every single one of them matters. A full card for the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers, RK Miles Street Stocks, and Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors wrap up one last Thursday of 2022 racing.

October 1-3, 2022: 60th Northfield Savings Bank Vermont Milk Bowl Weekend

We’re aiming to make the 60th edition of the Vermont Milk Bowl one of the biggest ever! It will again be a three-day weekend starting with Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Milk Bowl Friday on October 1. The Pro All Stars Series Super Late Models again have a 150-lap National Championship event while the PASS Modifieds try to follow up last year’s classic. We’re working on a couple of other surprises for the Milk Bowl Friday, too — stay tuned!

Then we get into Booth Bros./H.P. Hood Qualifying Day and Vermont Milk Bowl Weekend. Rest assured this is going to be a Milk Bowl worthy of an anniversary event! This year, it will be a “100%er” race for the ACT Late Model Tour, bringing even more stars to Barre. Five different Mini Milk Bowls are also slated for the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers, RK Miles Street Stocks, Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors, Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Stock Mini’s, and Dads 4 By Tool & Supply Kids Division. Stick around after Qualifying Day for a Saturday night party in the Turn 3 Pavilion featuring local rock band Vinyl Spell! It’s another celebration of short track racing that you can’t miss.