Thunder Road Gearing up for 45th Chittenden Bank Milk Bowl
Stock car drivers from around New England and eastern Canada are preparing for the 45th Annual Chittenden Bank Milk Bowl event at Barre, VT’s Thunder Road on the weekend of Sept. 27/28. The Milk Bowl is a three-segment, cumulatively scored event that awards $10,000 to the winner plus bonuses. And in a tradition that dates back to the first running of the race in 1962, the winner gets to kiss a real Vermont beauty, but with a twist – the lovely gal is a 1,000-lb Ayrshire dairy cow.
Montréal driver Patrick Laperle has won two of the last three Chittenden Bank Milk Bowls. “Her nose is usually a little wet, but I don’t mind kissing her if it means I’ve won the Milk Bowl,” said Laperle. The 2008 Milk Bowl queen will be announced in the coming days. Harvest Hills Farm’s “Dickens” was Laperle’s leading lady last year.
Aside from the pageantry, the race is a prestigious, historic event, and is the 12th and final race on the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Model Championship schedule. In 2006, National Speed Sport News named the Chittenden Bank Milk Bowl the “Outstanding Annual Short Track Event” in the United States. Legendary short track heroes including Robbie Crouch of Tampa, FL, the late Butch Lindley of Greenville, SC, Dave Dion of Hudson, NH, and Jean-Paul Cabana of Sherrington, QC have each triumphed in the event. More recently, Brent Dragon of Milton, VT joined his father, Beaver, and uncle, Bobby, as a Milk Bowl winner, taking the honors in 2006. Local Vermont heroes Cris Michaud, Eric Williams, Dave Pembroke, and Phil Scott have also kissed the cow.
The Milk Bowl is a 150-lap race broken into three 50-lap segments. The winner of each segment is given one point, the second-place finisher two points, etc., and the driver with the lowest overall score after three rounds is declared the Milk Bowl champion. Booth Bros./H.P. Hood time trials and “Triple 50” qualifying races, along with a last-chance “B” Feature, determine the first-segment starting order.
Drivers expected to challenge Laperle at the 45th Annual Chittenden Bank Milk Bowl include ACT Late Model Tour point leader Scott Payea and seven-time ACT champion Jean-Paul Cyr of Milton, VT, 2003 Milk Bowl winner and 2008 Thunder Road Track Champion Williams of Hyde Park, VT, New Hampshire stars Joey “Pole” Polewarczyk and Randy Potter, Maine’s Glen Luce, and as many as 50 more.
Booth Bros./H.P. Hood Qualifying Day begins at 1:30pm on Saturday, Sept. 27 with Time Trials. The driver with the fastest one-lap time will earn the pole position for the Chittenden Bank Milk Bowl and $1,000. The last-chance “B” Feature begins at 1:30pm on Sunday, Sept. 28, followed by opening ceremonies for the 45th Annual Chittenden Bank Milk Bowl. General admission is $25 for adults and just $5 for children (6-12). Admission for Saturday only is $10 for adults and free for children. For more information, call (802) 244-6963 or visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com or www.acttour.com.
Sources: ACT PR