Thunder Road Announces 2020 Racing Schedule
Barre, VT – Barre’s Thunder Road Speedbowl has officially unveiled its schedule of events for the 2020 racing season. The 19-event schedule goes from early May until early October and includes the 1,000th event in the history of the high banks.
The 2020 season opens on Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3. Saturday features the annual Downtown Barre Car Show followed by open practice for all divisions. The first green flag flies Sunday at 1:30pm for the 22nd annual Community Bank N.A. 150 featuring the ACT Late Model Tour.
The 58th Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic will follow on Sunday, May 24. The event will see a new format this year with the Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models and Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers taking center stage. The Memorial Day Classic for the Late Models has been extended to 125 laps and will open the 2020 “King of the Road” chase. Meanwhile, the Flying Tigers will go 100 laps on Memorial Day.
The Flying Tiger 100-lapper is also the first event of the Myers Container Service Triple Crown Series. They will also run 75-lap events at Efficiency Vermont Night on Thursday, July 9 and Cody Chevrolet Cadillac Night on Thursday, August 6.
As has been customary in recent years, night racing begins with a special Friday show on June 12. Capitol City Auto Mart Night will include the New England Antique Racers and is also Scout Night. The Thursday season begins the following week on June 18 with Casella Waste Management Night and the annual Kids Rides.
Thursday racing continues through the end of August. Along the way, Thunder Road will run its 1,000 event on Thursday, July 2 at the Aubuchon Hardware Holiday Spectacular. The event will feature the annual holiday fireworks plus other to-be-announced festivities.
All the summer events Thunder Road fans know and love will once again return in 2020. This includes the 41st VP Fuels Vermont Governor’s Cup 150 on July 16; the Country Camper Midseason Championship on July 23; the 36th Bolduc Metal Recycling Enduro 200 and Street Stock Special on Sunday, August 2; and the “Run-What-U-Brung” at the Thursday finale on August 27. The Road Warrior Challenge that debuted in 2019 will also return on Thursday, August 13 as part of Community College of Vermont Night.
The action continues hot and heavy once September rolls around. The 42nd Labor Day Classic 200 on Sunday, September 6 marks the second visit of the year for the ACT Late Model Tour. All track champions will then be crowned at Barre Granite Association Championship Night on Friday, September 18.
The season-ending Vermont Milk Bowl presented by Northfield Savings Bank is scheduled for the first weekend of October and will be a three-day event as it was in 2017. Milk Bowl Friday on October 2 consists of the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Models, PASS Modifieds, North East Mini Stock Tour, and Honey Badger Bar & Grill Street Stock Series. Saturday, October 3 will be Booth Bros./H.P. Hood Qualifying Day with the 58th Vermont Milk Bowl on Sunday, October 4.
The complete schedule of events can be found at www.thunderroadvt.com/schedule. Season passes for the 2020 season are also available for purchase. The order form can be found at www.thunderroadvt.com/forms.
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.
2020 Thunder Road Schedule of Events
# DAY DATE TIME EVENT
— Sat May 2 9:00am Downtown Barre Car Show & Open Practice
1 Sun May 3 1:30pm 22nd Community Bank N.A. 150 – ACT Late Model Tour
2 Sun May 24 1:30pm 58th Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic – Myers Triple Crown #1
3 Fri Jun 12 7:00pm Capitol City Auto Mart Night – New England Antique Racers & Scout Night
4 Thu Jun 18 7:00pm Casella Waste Management Night – Kids Rides
5 Thu Jun 25 7:00pm North Country Federal Credit Union
6 Thu Jul 2 7:00pm Aubuchon Hardware Holiday Spectacular/Fireworks – 1,000th Event Celebration
7 Thu Jul 9 7:00pm Efficiency Vermont Night – Myers Triple Crown #2
8 Thu Jul 16 6:30pm 41st VP Racing Fuels Vermont Governor’s Cup 150
9 Thu Jul 23 7:00pm Country Camper Mid-Season Championships – Driver Autographs
10 Thu Jul 30 7:00pm WDEV Radio/Calkins Portable Toilets – Port-a-Potty Grand Prix
11 Sun Aug 2 6:00pm 36th Bolduc Metal Recycling Enduro 200 & Street Stock Special
12 Thu Aug 6 7:00pm Cody Chevrolet-Cadillac Night – Myers Triple Crown #3
13 Thu Aug 13 7:00pm Community College of Vermont Night – Road Warrior Challenge
14 Thu Aug 20 7:00pm Vermont Tire & Service Night – Marvin Johnson Memorial
15 Thu Aug 27 7:00pm Jet Service Envelope/Accura Printing Night – Run What-U-Brung
16 Sun Sep 6 1:00pm 42nd Labor Day Classic 200 – ACT Late Model Tour
17 Fri Sep 18 7:00pm Barre Granite Association Championship Night – all track champions crowned
18 Fri Oct 2 6:00pm Milk Bowl Friday
PASS Super Late Model 150, PASS Mods, NEMST, Honey Badger Street Stock Series
— Sat Oct 3 1:00pm Booth Bros./H.P. Hood Milk Bowl Qualifying Day
19 Sun Oct 4 1:00pm 58th Vermont Milk Bowl presented by Northfield Savings Bank
Schedule Subject to Change
Sources: Michael R. Stridsberg/Thunder Road Speedbowl PR
(tr07121924.jpg): The 19-event 2020 schedule at Thunder Road will include the track’s 1,000 event, many of which have featured the famed Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers pictured here. (Alan Ward photo)