Storm Night Road
Layout: 5 x 4 x 2 Storm Pin Buffer Layout
Rev Rate: 325 rpm, 7 degree of axis tilt, 40 degree of axis rotation
Testing information: 41 foot THS (medium to light volume)
Bowling Center: Fulton Bowling Center
Kegel Machine – Brunswick Anvilane

The Storm Night Road utilizes the proven Inverted Fe2 core and REX pearl reactive coverstock.  The HyRoad line continues to produce winning balls.  The all-new Night Road is the next ball in this line.  We tested the Night Road with the factory 4K finish.  We tested against the Storm Fate.  The Night Road was about a 4 and 2 right of the Fate.  The Fate handles oil better than the Night Road.  The Night Road has easy length then a strong backend motion on fresh backends.  The Night Road will be best for medium to light oil conditions.
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I drilled up my NIGHT ROAD 60 x 4.5 x 30. This is my go to layout for most balls. I did take the surface down to 1000 and bring it back up with Storm Step Two to a light gloss. This is a combo that gives me a better consistent reaction than the factory finish.

I put this on the lanes with some other newer Storm releases like the INFINITE PHYSIX and PHAZE V. The NIGHT ROAD is definitely longer thru the fronts compared to both newer pearls in Storm's line. The INFINITE picks up a few feet earlier compared to the NIGHT ROAD. The PHAZE V was close in length, but rolled sharper almost angular than the NIGHT ROAD and was sharper at the spot also.

Where the NIGHT ROAD really shined was a great compliment down from these two higher performance pearls. The NIGHT ROAD has a smoother motion that worked for me when the PHAZE V was getting sideways at the break point and was forcing me too far left to carry well. The NIGHT ROAD fit right in this spot and let me stay right longer before I had to go the lower powered releases.

Drill the NIGHT ROAD for surfaces that have more friction and you need the ball to get thru it but still have some good motion on the backends. Also the NIGHT ROAD is a good compliment when the higher powered pearls are getting to sharp downlane.

Storm Night Road Ball Review

Bowler Stats
Speed: 15.5 MPH
Rev Rate: 300 RPM
Tilt: 3-5 degrees
Axis Rotation: 60 degrees
PAP: 5 ⅜ over 1 ¼ up

Layout:  5 X 5 X 23/4 VLS

My style has never matched up with the Hyroad series so I was a little worried when I decided to give the Night Road a try. I drilled the original Hyroad to help with the PBA 50 events and longer pattern lengths I would be bowling on. I drilled it with a 4 ½ inch pin placement to help the ball roll earlier because of the higher RG core and how clean the hybrid cover is for me. The ball never made the shape I was comfortable with so it didn't go down the lane much.

Fast forward to the Night Road with a stronger REX pearl cover and a weaker layout of 5 X 5 X 23/4 Vls. The combination of cover to layout really matches up with my low rev rate and style of play. The core gives me the length I need and the REX cover is strong enough to make a sharper Hyroad type of reaction off the dry. This ball will help me on the longer patterns later in blocks where I will be playing farther left but give me the ability to keep my angles to the pocket shallower. This releases out of box surface is 4K Fast but I have taken it to 2000 abralon by hand.

I am also having success using this ball in game 3 of our second shift league on a lane surface that has lots of friction to the right. Game one I start with the Phaze V as the lanes transition, the next ball I use in game 2 has been the Fate and when that ball is too early in game three the Night Road fits the shape I need to have standing left and throwing it to the right.


Pete Dohan
Storm Bowling Amateur Staff
#StormNation

Storm’s Night Road is one of my favorite bowling balls It took me about 10 years to like the Hyroad core because I was either using too strong of a layout trying to make the ball hook or too weak of a layout using it to get down lane on extreme conditions. The Hyroad is designed to get down the lane and allows you to keep your angles straighter to the breakpoint. Again, 10 years ago I was trying to hook the ball on every pattern and can see now the purpose of this ball. The shinny cover on the Night Road, which is the same cover as the Dark Code is designed to handle the midlane easier on drier lane conditions. When I use the term drier I mean conditions where “The Front of the Lane is hooking” Not when the pattern is snapping down lane. Depending on bowling style, the average bowler with slower ball speed at a drier house can use this ball with surface at the start of league night and then ball into something like an Electrify G/O or Tropical Surge after game 2 if moving left isn’t an option. If moving left is an option, balling up into a Phaze 5 because moving left in league means you’re moving into more oil, the Low Rg. of the Phaze 5 will read earlier and help you control the pocket. If you’re a player with higher ball speed I wouldn’t recommend the Night Road because the ball is designed to get down lane. Instead of drilling a Night Road to hook, drill something like a Super Nova or Gem that will get started sooner. Bowling is all about matching up and using the correct ball at the correct time.

Storm Night Road
Cover REX Pearl Reactive
Symmetric Core
Finish 4K Fast
Layout: 5 5/8 x 5 7/8 x 3 3/8
PAP: 4.5 over x 1 up.

I personally hadn't had a ton of past luck with the balls in the Road series (not since the original Thunder Road, one of the best of all time) but the Night Road intrigued me enough to drill one up. I put the pin above and left of my middle finger with a long pin to PAP measure. I was looking for more of a "boomerang" look downlane when I needed some extra length and continuation and this ball delivered in all areas. Perfect example was this past weekend at our local association tournament. One lane the mids got pretty burnt up while there was carry down on the other. I used the Idol Cosmos one one lane (carry down lane) and the Night Road on the other. They complemented each other very well. The Cosmos started up a little sooner and had more of an arcing motion while the Night Road cleared the dry mid lane with ease and made a very hard left turn in to the pocket. I've seen multiple high rev players use this ball with great success and it's easy to see why. This ball retains energy with the best of them and doesn't slow down when going through the pins. This will be a staple in my bag for the foreseeable future.

Brent Ritchie
Storm Pro Shop Staff Member