BARRE, Vt. — The purse for the 60th Vermont Milk Bowl presented by Northfield Savings Bank at Thunder Road International Speedbowl has swelled to more than $100,000.
Along with an increase for top finishers and in lap money, the Milk Bowl qualifying Triple-50 heat races will once again feature a separate purse structure for the top-10 runners. Two possible bonuses and contingency partners have also come together to help celebrate the 60th Vermont Milk Bowl to the tune of a $103,100 total posted awards.
All told, the winner of the Milk Bowl could earn upwards of $25,000 while the purse is spread across the board to support everyone who qualifies into the event.
It all begins Saturday, Oct. 1 with Booth Bros./Hood Qualifying Day. The best ACT Late Model drivers and teams from across the Northeast will start by setting the Triple-50s heat race line-ups through time trials. The fastest Maplewood/Irving Oil, ACT-type Late Model will earn the $1,000 Booth Bros./Hood Pole Award with second-fastest again set to earn a $500 bonus, guaranteeing the front row for Sunday. With Milk Bowl time trials breaking the track record twice in the last five years, the competition is always well-prepared for their two most crucial laps of the season.
Following time trials, the Triple-50 heat races roll out and qualify the rest of the field for the Sunday’s 60thVermont Milk Bowl, with an added twist. For the first time since 2019, the three Triple-50 heats will have their own separate guaranteed purse of $4,300 each. Each position is crucial enough, but with $1,000 going to the winner of each heat, drivers will be battling hard for an early pay-day and the chance for more on Sunday.
Sunday Oct. 2 welcomes yearly festivities for the 60th Vermont Milk Bowl. As if joining the list of greats like Crouch, Cabana, Laperle and Sweet isn’t enough award, the winner of the Milk Bowl will take home at least $12,000 with increased payouts through the top-11 finishers. All qualified drivers are guaranteed $1,100 to start. Lap money is again up for grabs to the top-three runners of each lap. With the increase to $100 per lap, leaders will steal $50, second across the line will earn $30 and third will take $20.
Last, but certainly far from least, two special bonuses have also been posted. The Milk Bowl is a segment race featuring three separate 50-lap sprints with the field inverted from the previous segment’s finishing order and a winner determined through a special points system. To further boost what has made the Milk Bowl captivating for 60 years, big money is on the line for the winner who can kiss the cow with as few points as possible.
If the winner can sweep all three segments, earning a perfect three points, they will earn an additional $10,000, on top of the $12,000 top prize. This feat has been secured three times, most recently in 1986 by four-time winner Robbie Crouch. A second bonus is up for grabs if this year’s victor earns a score of four-to-five total points, taking $5,000 if they can best Nick Sweet’s record-tying fourth victory last year by, at least, four points.
With this being the 60th running of the iconic end-of-year classic, as well as an ACT Late Model Tour 100%er event, ACT and Thunder Road owners Cris Michaud and Pat Malone thought the time was right for a celebration.
“We want to go all out for our big 60th show,” said Michaud. “By elevating the purse, bringing back heat race money and adding in the total-point bonuses we feel the racing will be more exciting than ever as drivers battle hard to kiss the cow.”