If you’ve been reading our articles this time of year, you’ve probably heard us rambling about racing cars on frozen lakes in upstate New York. If you haven’t, have a read and take a look at some pictures to see what it’s all about.

Ice racing is a great way to build experience in actual competition driving without the expense of building a dedicated race car or the irritation of three-short-laps-per-day SCCA Autocross. As an added bonus, ice racing happens in the off months when you won’t normally be getting any track time anyhow. If you live in the Northern US or the populated parts of Canada, there is probably an ice racing organization within driving distance. For those in New York and New England, I recommend the Adirondack Motor Enthusiasts Club (AMEC) for their large events, experienced organizers, and enthusiastic participants.

So you have a car with proper tires, you know the rules and requirements of the organization you will be racing with, and you want to be prepared on race day. What will you bring? What should you expect? How should you drive once you get on the ice?

Come Prepared:

• DO bring warm clothes, hat, gloves, socks and appropriate footwear. It won’t be warm, it could be windy, and you’ll be walking around on ice which is a virtually infinite heat sink.
• DO bring a few tools and Mechanix gloves. Don’t go crazy, but a small tool bag with a selection of wrenches, ratchets, sockets, pliers, and screwdrivers could come in handy.
• DO bring a small hydraulic floor jack and spare tire. Don’t forget an appropriate lug wrench (and key if you have locking lug nuts).
• DO bring a tarp, so that you can put the contents of your car on it and keep them from getting wet. A bag for trash might be nice.
• DO bring windex or windshield washer fluid and paper towels. The organization may require that you put sponsor stickers on your car, and you might want to clean your windshield.
• DO bring food and snacks for a day on the ice. Don’t assume the organizers have something, or the nearest town store is well-stocked.
• DON’T bring much extra in your car. Clean it out before race day and leave what you can at home.

Next, you’re probably wondering how do I drive on ICE?!? — it’s not as impossible as it sounds. Yes, traction is low. But traction is low for everyone, and so long as you have a decent snow and ice tire like the Bridgestone Blizzak, you won’t have much less traction than anybody else. Traction is an equalizer and it tends to minimize or remove advantages like power, suspension, and drive type.

Racing on Ice:

• Take it slow. You won’t be winning any races on your first day, and you’ll have a lot more fun if you don’t get stuck in a snowbank.
• Take extra care driving in traffic, especially at the start of the race. Nobody wants to bang up his/her car. Back off and let it thin out.
• Be smooth. Don’t make abrupt steering, throttle, or braking inputs. Do one at a time and feed in each input slowly.
• Slow down as the race progresses! I know this is counter-intuitive, but traction is actually less each lap because the cars polish the ice smooth (this applies to unstudded classes, of course).

That’s really all there is to it. If you read the rules, listen to the organizers at the driver’s meeting, and ask questions, that’s really all you need to do for a fun and safe first event. As I’ve heard a veteran racer say before: “Welcome to the best-kept secret in motorsports!”.