Street Legal Ice Racing in NY!

[blownb310]

Like to take your DSM out on a fresh snow covered road and hang the tail out in the winter?

Check this out:

You could come out and race your daily driven car [or your winter car] wheel to wheel on a custom plowed 1 to 1.5 mile ice road course for just $35 a day. That includes a warm up session and three 20 minute heat races adding up to over an hour of seat time each race day!

All you need to race is a fire extinguisher a set of quality winter tires [studded or unstudded], and a Snell 95 or better helmet. There are no roll bars required in this class. They are encouraged as is any other type of safety equiptment you'd like to have. But most people just drive to the lake and run their stock street cars. Look how w-i-d-e the tracks are plowed for lots of racing room to pass safely.

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OK, you're saying to yourself a this point, "I'm not going to race my beautiful street car wheel to wheel with some knucklehead that's gonna slide into me in a corner." A.M.E.C. Ice Racing's Street Legal [SL] and SLU [Unstuddd] classes has had a strict "No Contact" rule in place for two full seasons now. It is the cleanest wheel to wheel road racing you will find anywhere. In fact, it's comparible to Vintage racing where you make darn sure that you avoid contact at all costs. Unlike SCCA, DIRT, or NASCAR, it is rare that anyone's car even gets a scratch. Obviously there's no guaranty of no contact, but these classes have shown that you really can drive your car to the race, race all day and drive it home no worse for wear. The SL classes are where you'd run your stock street car [no engine mods] carefully and with respect for everyone else's car on the track. I'd like to say it is a gentlemen's class, but I can't because we have several ladies running very competitively with us each season.

Sound interesting? Please take a look at this new SL and SLU class web page from the Adirondack Motor Enthusiast Club [A.M.E.C.] website SL Ice Racing or our main page at http://www.icerace.com/.

Mike Kamm
A.M.E.C. V.P.
Albany, New York

 

[Defiant]

Wow. Ice racing must be terrific. You could do things at ten miles an hour that'd take over a hundred in the dry.

 

[Slipstream]

You know, I think our AWD with studs on all 4 and about 800lbs in sand spaced around the car would own that "track". Definately not about being super fast, more about being able to maintain traction at any speed greater than the others...Still not something I'd subject my talon to.

 

[blownb310]

You know, I think our AWD with studs on all 4 and about 800lbs in sand spaced around the car would own that "track". Definately not about being super fast, more about being able to maintain traction at any speed greater than the others...Still not something I'd subject my talon to.

Thanks for the replies guys. Actually, you most definately would not want 800 lbs of extra weight in the car. AWD cars are already a bit on the heavy side as it is. They do have excellent traction for accelleration, but they generally don't turn or stop any better than a light FWD car. If this was an autocross on ice-yes, but this is road racing with long sweeping curves where you can keep your momentun up pretty well. So far in 4 years of this new class' existence, an AWD car has only won two races. That's why we don't separate the AWD from the FWD cars. So far we have found that there is very little difference between them on big 1.5 miles road courses.

Check out one of our members having the time of his life racing with us.

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[blownb310]

Thought you guys might like to see some aerial pics to get a better idea of what we do.

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It doesn't just look like fun, it is!

 

[Dallas J]

What type of speeds do you get up to on the straights? How far do you have to brake in advance

Looks like bunches of fun though. Throw on some steelies with some blizzack and go rock the course.. To bad I live in oregon where we only get snow like once every couple years .

-Dallas J

 

[yup talon]

that looks pretty fun, id be there for sure if it were in MI

 

[blownb310]

What type of speeds do you get up to on the straights? How far do you have to brake in advance -Dallas J

I have gotten up to 85 mph in the straights in a Nissan SE-R. Yes, you have to brake early to make the corner. Once you learn to do that, you will pass several cars per lap!

 

[blownb310]

that looks pretty fun, id be there for sure if it were in MI

You are in luck. You can race with the Michigan Ice Racing Association [M.I.R.A.]. Check them out HERE.

 

[HighPsi92GST]

wow that looks pretty cool. dont know if id risk a possible collision with another car though. ill stick to driving around the fields around here in the snow.

 

[blownb310]

wow that looks pretty cool. dont know if id risk a possible collision with another car though. ill stick to driving around the fields around here in the snow.

We have a solo ice trial event on the same track once a year. This year's event will be on Saturday, February 12th at Round Lake in Round Lake, NY. It's called the "Studs on Ice" trials. No chance of a collision with another car. More fun than a field too.

 

[blownb310]

The Adirondack Motor Enthusiast Club
presents:

2005 Studs on Ice Time Trial event

Test your driving skills on studded or unstudded winter tires in a combination Open Track Lapping and time trial event on Ice

Location: Round Lake, in the village of Round Lake, NY

Date: Saturday, February 12th, 2005

Price: $35.- per driver

Winter tires only. No summer or all season tires allowed.

With an all new format this year.

Here are the key changes:

1. Instead of the traditional solo format, with it's waiting around all day to make your run, we are switching to a new "track day" format with four "Run groups" that will run in 10 minute open track lapping sessions, with approx. 10 cars in each group. This will give you more track time than the last three events we have held combined. After practicng your technique all day, there will be a single timed solo run for all competitors at the end of the event. Trophies will be awarded to the top three quickest in each class.


2. There will be passing allowed in three of the four run groups, but only on the straight. This will be monitored very closely. Point by's are optional and encouraged. Don't worry we plan on plowing the the track wide enough to slide a tractor tralier around again this year, with plenty of room to pass. Passing will only be done in a well educated, non-competitive, and controlled fashion. The car being overtaken must help facilitate a safe pass, and will not "race" the passing car to the braking zone. There will be a set of cones at the end of the straightaway denoting where you must have your pass completed.

3. We will have one run group that will accomodate all of the driver's who don't want any passing in their run group.

4. In the unlikely event that any participant's vehicle touches another particpant's vehicle, one or both of them [determined by the course marshals] will be excluded from the remainder of the event without a refund. This should not be an issue, but has to be mentioned. You are not racing the other cars in your run group.

Class pairings for run groups:

Seven Classes include:
All 2WD Rubber-to-Ice [2WD-R]
All 4WD Rubber-to-Ice [4WD-R]
All 2WD w/street studs [2WD-S]
All 4WD w/street studs [4WD-S]
All cars with Menards [M] class
All 2WD bolts "X-perimental" [2WD-X]
All 4WD w/bolts [4WD-X]

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Existing classes will be paired in this way:

Run group #1: Menard, 2WD-X, and 4WD-X, cars run together.

Run group #2: 2WD-S and 4WD-S cars run together.

Run group# 3: 2WD-R and 4WD-R cars run together.

Run group #4: No passing group [Rubber or Studded cars only - no Menard or X cars]

Notes:

***** Dual driver cars will be able to run in different run groups of similar performance. In other words, a "Group #3" car's with second driver would run with either the "Group #2" cars or in "Group #4" [the "No Passing"] group. Each driver will choose their run group when pre-registering, so we can organize the sizes of each group.

***** Like last year, there will be a maximum of two drivers per car.

***** Final results will be tallied much more quickly, and trophies will be awarded for all classes.

***** There is an additional benefit of this new format for all eligible Street Legal cars [under 3,200 lbs.]that are invited to stay over and race with us the next day in our regular wheel to wheel "Street Legal" classes. They will have practiced the course extensively, and will have the advantage of knowing it like the back of their hand for Sunday's races. Keep in mind the SL and SLU [unstudded] classes have a strict "no contact" in effect.

The date of this year's event is scheduled [weather permitting as usual] for Saturday February 12th, 2005. The location will be much more convenient for the majority of you than last year's event. It is planned to be held on Round Lake, located in Round Lake, NY, about 25 minutes north of Albany.

Morning registration will be at the Grapevine Deli /gas station, just off of Northway [I-87] Exit 11.

Directions from the South:
Take exit 24 of the New York State Thruway, for I-87 North [a.k.a the "Northway"]. Get off of the Northway at Exit 11 for Round Lake. Bear left at the end of the ramp onto Round Lake Rd., go under the Northway, and on your right will be the Grapvine Deli / gas station. There is a truck stop next door, so there is plenty of parking for everyone. After registering, go left [back the way you came on Round Lake Rd], under the Northway again, and proceed into the village of Round Lake. Don't make any turns, just wind your way through the village and proceed until you come out to a "Y" at a traffic light, which is route 9. Bear right onto route 9 South and you'll see the lake on your left. Just a few hundred yards up, look for the second opening in the guardrail on your left. In the middle of the big opening is the lake access to the event. Be very careful when crossing oncoming traffic on route 9 and turn left into the access. Follow the plowed path to the pit area.

Directions from the North: Northway south to exit 11, then bear right onto Round Lake Rd. The Grapevine Deli is on your right. Follow same instructions "From the south" from the "After registering" heading, to get to the lake.

Motels Round Lake: HERE


You may also want to stay in Clifton Park [Exit 9], which is about 10-15 minutes south of Round lake.
Motels Clifton Park: HERE


Tim Stevens was very helpful in getting these price quotes for Clifton Park area:

Best Western Clifton Park - 617 Plank Rd. (518) 371-1811 $75 a night includes continental breakfast.

Comfort Inn - 41 Fire Rd (518) 373-0222 $99 a night for 2 double bed room.
Comfort Suites - 7 Northside Dr. (518) 373-2255 $129 for suite with 2 queen beds or 1 king bed.

Hampton Inn Clifton Park - 620 Plank Rd. (518) 373-2345 $107 for King or 2 double bed room.

To register:

There is a blank registration form at the bottom of THIS page. You can fill it out and email it to me at: HERE . You can also send me an email reply [or call me at 518 674-0520] with the following information: Driver's name, Driver's age, Full mailing address, Car owner's name, Car make model and year, Brand and Model winter tires to be used, Car color, preferred car number, and emergency contact phone number. This event is open to the first 60 drivers. It is suggested to register promptly.

Best regards,

Michael Kamm
A.M.E.C. VP
Studs on Ice coordinator