Ice racing
As cold weather is a requirement for natural ice, it is usually found at higher latitudes in Canada, the northern United States, and in northern Europe, although limited indoor events are held in warmer climates, typically on ice hockey rinks (motorcycles and ATVs only).
Cars with studded tires are generally required to contain roll cages and increased safety equipment since they achieve much more speed with the greater cornering abilities.
[3] The sanctioning body's rule book generally specifies the length and type of stud, often with the goal of controlling the level of damage done to the ice surface.
Aggressive studs can cause enough damage to be a safety concern as they wear through the ice on successive laps, particularly during door-to-door auto racing.
The use of these spikes in this discipline necessitate the addition of special protective guards (similar to mudguards) over the wheels which extend almost to the ice surface.
In the studded tyre class there is no broadsiding around the bends due to the grip produced by the spikes digging into the ice.
The safety barrier usually consists of straw bales or banked-up snow and ice around the outer edge of the track.
Automobile ice races have been most successful in France, where the Trophée Andros series, sponsored by an industrial jam (fruit preserver) manufacturer attracts ex-F1 drivers like Alain Prost or Olivier Panis, manufacturer-backed entries of sophisticated 4WD cars and international television coverage.
On several occasions a round also took place in Canada, in the Canadian Challenge, which is held yearly and is the most notable Ice Racing event in North America.
The North American was held in Anchorage, Alaska and their champions include Earl Bennett and Chuck Higgins, while Mexican Formula One driver Pedro Rodríguez won his class and an exhibition race in 1970, and was 2nd overall.
There is no professional ice-racing sanctioning body in North America,[3] but there are clubs in several Canadian provinces (Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba, Quebec, Saskatchewan) and American states (New York, Michigan, Maine, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Alaska[6]).
[3][4] Drivers often find that developing the car control skills needed on ice substantially improves their performance on a wet race track.
[9] In Russia there is a rally raid event, called the Northern Forest run on ice and snow in the last days of February in the outskirts of the city of St Petersburg.
[3] Ice racing was featured in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service with George Lazenby and Diana Rigg as they attempted to evade their pursuers.
