Thunder Road International Speedbowl announces the continuation of a thirty-seven thousand ($37,000.00) point fund program for their weekly competitors’ 2016 season. Started in 2014, the three divisions – ACT Late Models, Bond Auto Tigers, and Allen Lumber Street Stocks – have enjoyed one of the largest weekly point funds in the country.
The Thunder Road Late Model Champion is awarded $7,500.00 at the end of the season. The top 15 positions in both the Late Model and Tiger divisions battle throughout the race season for positions in the point standings. The Late Models receive a total payout of $25,000.00; the Tiger division has a total of over $7,500; the 4-cylinder Street Stock division has a point fund through 20 positions that will pay over $4,400.00 in post season awards.
“Thunder Road has been known for paying some of the best weekly purses around the country, and certainly some of the best point funds. When I was racing the purse for Late Models was around $6,000 on the quarter mile. When you added in the year-end point fund, together it really helped with the expenses to race at the level we raced at. I think the same thing applies to the two other divisions,” said former three time-track champion and current ACT race director, Cris Michaud.
Using the ACT formula of spring-boarding from an affordable 4-cylinder type car to an intermediate division, with a potential eventually of becoming a Late Model team, was the goal of former promoter Tom Curley when he took over the track in 1982.
“I think there are a couple of things that have given us a little success over the years. Certainly the design of Thunder Road, long before my time, has established it as a challenging and exciting race track,” said Curley, President of ACT and since 1982, part-owner of Thunder Road with Ken Squier. “I also think that having divisions that establish the training ground, and the possibility of moving a program to a more sophisticated level if a team wants to go in that direction, has helped us over the years. Nearly all our Late Model stars of today have come out of one of the other two developed divisions. I am proud of that. Remember TR was shut down for nearly two years back in 1980-81 when it had been sold and only raced a handful of events under the new owner.”
The ACT Late Model point season gets underway with the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic Sunday, May 29, 2016. The race program will feature the first point race for ACT Late Models, the Bond Auto Tigers, Allen Lumber Street Stocks, along with the Pro All Stars Series and Modified divisions. Gates open at 10 a.m. and admission for the Mekkelsen Memorial Day Classic is just $25. Kids 12 and under are free.