The Sport of Ice Racing

Most people know about car racing on paved tracks or dirt bike racing on dirt tracks with obstacles. But did you know that racing on ice is a sport? When the world outside starts to freeze, ice racers get ready for ice racing season.  

Ice racing takes place in Canada, the United States and Europe. Vehicles used in the races are automobiles, motorcycles, snowmobiles and ATVs with some safety modifications and special tires for ice. Depending on the event rules and racing class, studded tires may be allowed or even required. Race courses typically include frozen rivers and lakes, but also can be held on dirt tracks and trails with water sprayed across the track to create ice.  

Ice Racing in North America

Races in North America are usually hosted by local clubs, and courses are often short, oval shaped and about a mile in length, due to ice conditions brought on by global warming. The ice thickness must be 12 inches to support the number of cars and tow rigs for the event.

These are some of the clubs and organizations that hold ice races:

• The International Ice Racing Association (IIRA) races cars on plowed courses on frozen lakes in Minnesota. They use studded racing tires in the fastest classes. Racing formats include endurance races, sprint races, and high-performance ice driving series races.
• The Midwest Ice-Racing Association races outdoors in northern Wisconsin with classes for bikes, quads, side by sides and kids.
• Great Lakes Ice Racing, located in Gladstone, Michigan, offers racing in the Great Lakes area with motorcycles, ATVs and cars racing on frozen lakes or rivers.
• Lakes Region Ice Racing Club in New Hampshire races six classes of cars on a frozen pond January through March, depending on ice conditions.
• Our Gang Ice Racing located in Colorado holds races for five weekends January through March on Georgetown Lake. They have three divisions based on tires and driver level. They also have a Sunday Fun Day Track for people who just want to drive on ice without the pressure of competing.
• Adirondack Motor Enthusiast Club located in northeastern New York has been holding races on frozen lakes for over 70 years. They have classes for street legal cars as well as race stud classes.
• At the AMA Ice Race Grand Championships ice racers compete on bikes, sidecar rigs and ATVs in classes ranging from 4 to over 50 years old.

Motorcycle Ice Racing

Motorcycle ice racing started in Scandinavia in the 1930s. Motorcycles are modified with a stiffer frame and longer wheelbase and with or without studded tires, depending on the race class. For driver safety, mud guards are also required in the stud classes because they tend to kick up more ice. The bikes do not use brakes, and the type of tire used will determine the driving style. Rubber tires use drift to turn, and stud tires rely on the angle of the bike to corner.

Indoor ice racing began in 1975 with the first race held in Huntsville, AL. The third race, which was held in summer 1976 in Kent, OH, included speedway rider Gary Densford who finished second in the race. He was so excited about what he just experienced that he began looking for arenas to hold a championship series. He wrote a rule book and formed ICE (International Championship Events) in 1977. The first championship was held in Oklahoma City.

At that time, the bikes were modified indoor bikes without brakes and the only thing they had for traction were sheet metal screws. By 1982, technological advancements led to ICE adopting a rule for mandatory Ice Getter stud use, which offers better traction. Then in 1985, they started using the Kold Kutter stud, which is a directional stud that can be adjusted to the kind of traction needed. Riders discovered that they could actually achieve better traction than with their bikes on dirt tracks. In 1991, they switched to Silver Rockets Racing Studs, which are made for indoor and outdoor ice racing and help reduce ice wear.

To increase speeds, racers would build sets of tires using liners made from bicycle and street motorcycle tires that they installed inside their regular racing tires. Today, there are special purpose built liners available. These liners give the studs more rigidity to increase traction.

Today ICE racing classes include more than just motorcycles. They also include quads and have classes for pros and amateurs as well as youth classes.

Ice Racing in Europe

F.A.T. International holds an ice race in Austria in February and went international in 2024 when they brought the race to Aspen, Colorado. There are three classes of competition and include both amateurs and professionals. The first race was in 1952 to honor Professor Ferdinand Porsche and was such a success that races continued every year until 1974 when a tragedy on the ice cancelled the races for 45 years. In 2019, Ferdi Porsche, the great-grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, revived the event, with a three-year shutdown during Covid-19. One unique part of this race is that it includes Skijoring, which is skiers being pulled behind a car.

The Benefit of Ice Racing

Racing on ice helps improve your winter driving skills overall, and many racers use ice racing to improve their skills when racing on pavement or dirt. If you’re looking for something other than ice skating, snowboarding, skiing and making snow angels, this might be a fun activity to watch or even participate in. And if you want to stay inside in front of a warm fire sipping hot chocolate, that’s okay too.