Join us for some sanctioned Ice Racing action in Manitoba
What is it?
This action packed winter motorsport has 2 key components – the Fire on Ice Racing series and the IceX drift action – whether you are looking for adrenalin packed door to door racing competition or the excitement of full on winter drifting in a streetcar with others on a frozen track the WSCC Ice Racing has it.
The Fire on Ice Racing series is door-to-door competition with purpose built race cars and for 2022 these cars will all be running aggressively studded tires. The non-studded (Rubber to Ice) class is expected to return in 2023 if there is enough interest. Cars are generally small 4 cylinder front wheel drive cars with safety roll cages and drivers battle it out racing 6 separate 15 minute sprint races on a race day event as part of the season series.
The IceX group involves mostly regular streetcars and while it does not involve door-to-door competition it does involve extensive drifting and hotlapping excitement. Drivers engage in the challenge of perfecting the ultimate lap while honing their drifting and ice rally skills. No special licenses or car preparation is required for this group and the cars entered usually range from $500 winter beaters to $5000 AWD ice drifting rockets to 20,000 daily drivers. A race weekend will typically include a full day of IceX action on Saturday followed by a combination of IceX action and Fire on Ice door-to-door racing on Sunday
When is it?
Our 2022 schedule is all planned out and we generally hold 5-6 race event weekends per winter season, however it goes without saying that due to the pandemic there is some uncertainty this year with our ability to hold our race events while abiding to provincial health restrictions. Please check our club’s online ice racing forum or our club’s online event calendar for the most accurate information on the status of our planned events.
How do I start?
Got an old car sitting in the backyard that can still spin the tires on ice? Maybe a winter beater that is just meant to slide sideways or you know of an autopac writeoff that’s not worth putting back on the road? Pretty much any streetcar works well for the ice assuming the steering, brakes and suspension are safe. Follow the info below to pre-register online for an event and show up with your car to start solo drifting on ice!
How much does it cost?
To start sliding sideways all you need to come up with is a club membership fee, entry fee for the event, a car and a helmet. Ice Racing is one of the cheapest forms of motorsports.
A typical race event for Ice Attack is a $50 entry fee for the day and either a $60 annual club membership or a $15 temporary daily membership gets you on track. Fire on Ice Series costs only $150 a day ($240 for a double header) for high-speed studded tire door-to-door action.
Sanctioned regulations dictate all IceX participants utilize a minimum Snell SA2010 or “M”rated helmet (starting cost approx $100) however the WSCC club provides helmet rentals for $25 a day.
We also recommend the ice racing school that occurs on the Saturday of the first race weekend. For $150 you get some online pre-tutorials and a full day of on-track practicing, learning and coaching of various ice racing and drifting techniques.
Is it hard on my car?
Because you are mostly just tire spinning and sliding on frozen ice the wear on an engine is very minimal compared to any form of pavement racing. Bouncing off the rev limiter is so much safer when there is little torque on the drivetrain! An added bonus with this is the fact that minimal horsepower cars are just as competitive than high horsepower cars when sliding sideways and spinning rubber tires.
It is worth noting the most typical “wear” on a car in Ice Attack is the front plastic spoiler will sometimes not like plowing into a snowbank when you get it wrong trying to perfect that sweeping drift. No worries however as the complementary tow truck is there pull you out!
Do I need special tires?
Good standard winter tires are perfectly fine. You also have the option of running tractionized rubber tires or DOT street studded tires. The Fire on Ice Racing Series utilizes a “spec” studded tire that are hand-built by Club Members utilizing specific bolts installed into a shaved tire for crazy studded grip.
How do I step it up a notch?
Joining the Fire on Ice door-to-door studded tire action requires a bit more commitment however is also fairly easy to jump into. The cars require additional key safety equipment like a rollcage and seatbelt harness and drivers require a racing license. You can review the vehicle and driver requirements along with the licensing information in the WSCC Ice Racing Supplemental Regulations document.
Almost anyone can build an ice racer if they know how to do it properly, however it is definitely easier and almost always cheaper just buying a used ice racer. There is often one for sale within our club on the forum or sometimes other race clubs in Ontario (CASC) or Alberta (NASSC) have used racecars for sale.
If you are thinking of building an ice racer, contact our club at ice@wscc.mb.ca to discuss and review it and we will assist in any way we can. Common potential racecars can often be found cheaply at MPI auctions or kijiji and typically are small 4 cylinder front wheel drive economy cars like honda civics, toyota echo, ford escort, etc.
What’s a typical race day look like?
On IceX days (typically Saturday) the The race day event usually starts at 9:45am with the drivers meeting followed by a review/introduction meeting for any rookies or new comers. IceX cars will be grouped into specific run groups based on their lap speeds and experience. The number of sessions is based on the number of entries/groups and racers can expect a lot of track time. Newcomers and single passengers are both welcome and encouraged!
On Race days (typically Sunday) the various IceX car groups (experienced IceX entries only) will alternate with the caged racecars in the Fire On Ice series with each track session lasting approximately 10-15 minute sessions. You can expect 6-8 sessions per group depending on the car counts.
Please see the WSCC Forum for the specific daily schedule details/times as an event approaches.
How do I sign up?
Online registration will be with our online partners MotorsportsReg.com (a.k.a MSR). Simply go to wscc.motorsportreg.com to get the full list of WSCC events, click the link to the event you are interested in and follow the instructions from there. Events will be posted usually 14 days before the event date and the posting will contain the details such as pricing, event schedule and membership requirements. You can find the calendar to all WSCC events posted on MSR here.