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Alan Ward photo
Barre, VT — Barre’s Thunder Road is putting serious money up for grabs at the 59th edition of the Northfield Savings Bank Vermont Milk Bowl on Saturday, October 2 and Sunday, October 3. Officials have posted $62,000 in total awards for the Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models at “The Toughest Short Track Stock Car Race in North America” along with big purses for the track’s local divisions in their Mini Milk Bowls.
Once again, the overall winner of the three-segment Vermont Milk Bowl is guaranteed a minimum of $10,000. This year, the awards throughout the 26-car starting field have been increased substantially. Second-place prize money has gone up to $5,000 with $3,000 allotted for third place. Every driver who takes the green flag in Segment 1 will receive at least $1,100, up from last year’s $1,000 minimum. If alternates are added to the field, they will receive half the posted purse for their finishing position.
Thunder Road is also rewarding all drivers who support the Northfield Savings Bank Milk Bowl regardless of performance. To this end, the posted purse for the Last Chance “B-Feature” has been increased by more than 40 percent. This includes $500 for the winner, $400 for second, and at least $200 for each starter. B-Feature payouts will be awarded to non-transfer cars only.
Drivers can pick up extra cash at the 59th Milk Bowl via the lap money program. Lap sponsorships are now available to organizations or individuals for $50 a lap. All this money is distributed to competitors with $25 to the leader of each lap, $15 to second, and $10 to third. To sponsor a lap, please call (802) 244-6963 ext. 7 or email mfg@thunderroadvt.com.
Booth Bros./H.P. Hood Qualifying Day will award $1,000 to the fastest qualifier in time trials with $500 to the second-fastest qualifier. Ford Performance has posted a $500 cash award to the winner if they are using a registered Ford S347JR sealed engine and displaying the proper decals. Finally, a $75 DRP Performance merchandise certificate will go to the overall fifth-place finisher.
The entry form for the Northfield Savings Bank Vermont Milk Bowl is available now at www.thunderroadvt.com/forms and www.acttour.com/forms. There is no fee for entries postmarked by Monday, September 20.
“We wanted to go all out for this year’s Milk Bowl,” Thunder Road and ACT managing partner Cris Michaud said. “The teams and the fans both deserve a big-season ending show for all their support through the challenges of the past two years. The Milk Bowl is one of the most storied races in North America, and this year’s event has even more reasons for racers to come try and kiss the cow.”
The Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers, RK Miles Street Stocks, and Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors join the fun with generous purses for their two-segment Mini Milk Bowls throughout the weekend. The Flying Tiger Mini Milk Bowl is paying $1,000 to win with nearly $6,000 in posted awards based on a 28-car starting field. The Street Stock Mini Milk Bowl will pay $500 to the winner with roughly $3,500 in total prize money. The Warriors will double their normal purse for two segments of 4-cylinder racing.
It’s all part of a huge Vermont Milk Bowl Weekend. The program begins with Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Milk Bowl Friday on October 3 at 6:00pm. The Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Models come to town for a 150-lap National Championship event. They’re joined by the PASS Modifieds, North East Mini Stock Tour, and Honey Badger Bar & Grill Street Stock Series.
Saturday, October 2 at 1:00pm is Booth Brothers Dairy/H.P. Hood Qualifying Day. The Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models have time trials and 50-lap qualifying races to set the first 22 positions in the Milk Bowl starting field. The Flying Tigers and Street Stocks will run group time trials and the first segment of their Mini Milk Bowls. The Road Warriors are running both Mini Milk Bowl segments on the Saturday card.
Sunday, October 3 begins at 12:15pm with the Last Chance “B-Feature” to decide the final four Northfield Savings Bank Milk Bowl starting spots. Opening ceremonies following the first of three 50-lap segments going green at 1:30pm. In between Milk Bowl segments, the Flying Tigers and Street Stocks conclude their Mini Milk Bowls while the Arnold’s Wayside Diner Dwarf Cars of White Mountain Motorsports Park come to town for a two-segment Mini Milk Bowl.
A three-day general admission ticket for the Vermont Milk Bowl is $50 for adults, $15 for kids ages 6-12 and free for kids ages 5 and under. Single-day pricing options are also available. More information will be posted soon at www.thunderroadvt.com. The entire weekend’s action will be streamed live on FloRacing for those with a paid subscription.
Thunder Road welcomes the ACT Late Model Tour on Sunday, September 5 at 1:00pm for the 43rd Optical Expressions Berlin Labor Day Classic. The 200-lap, $5,000-to-win showdown will showcase the best of local and regional Late Model racing. The card also includes double features for the RK Miles Street Stocks plus the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers and Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors.
Admission is $25 for adults, $10 for kids ages 6-12, and free for kids ages 5 and under. Advance tickets are available at www.happsnow.com/event/Thunder-Road-Speedbowl. All Thunder Road events are also live-streamed on FloRacing for those with a paid subscription.
For more information, contact the Thunder Road offices at (802) 244-6963, media@thunderroadvt.com, or visit www.thunderroadvt.com. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter at @ThunderRoadVT. For more information about FloRacing, visit www.FloRacing.com.
