Purpose-Built rigs like this are loads of fun!

A hundred years ago, ice racing was probably what kids did with big blocks of ice and a steep hill. For Our Gang Four Wheelers, the last twenty-five years have meant something entirely different. They have been holding annual races on a frozen lake near Georgetown, Colorado. The Georgetown Ice Races are a tradition in Colorado. Since the lake is right next to a major highway (I-70) leading to the ski areas, it draws all kinds of spectators and participants. The lake freezes to 20+ inches thick. That is thick enough to hold hundreds of Jeeps and motor homes on the ice. The races cater to all kinds of drivers and skill levels. There are basically three different classes to chose from. These factors make for plenty of excitement for all levels of racers from mild to totally wild!

The Basics!

All vehicles must be four wheel drive! This includes everything from all wheel drive sports cars to Jeeps and trucks. The courses come in various shapes but always include two start/finish lines at opposite sides of the track. Two vehicles are on the course at a time racing against each other. The racers start at opposite sides of the track traveling in the same direction (this keeps them on opposite sides of the course at all times). The first driver to finish one complete lap first wins! This is not always the guy that has the fastest vehicle, though. This may just be the guy that stayed on the course or did not hit a cone.

The Classes

Bare Rubber!

Cole's YJ in last year's races

The bare rubber class is the most intense slow speed racing that you will ever do! I have done complete races that did not exceed four miles per hour, and won! The bare rubber class is the most popular class since it is the easiest to get into. All you have to do is drive your rig to the lake, pass a tech inspection, pay your entry fee and you're ready to race. Recently, they have divided the bare rubber class into men and women's classes. This has made things a bit easier on the men's egos. We men seem to have a testosterone flow to the gas pedal problem that the women do not. Since ice racing requires a bit more finesse, the women do very well. Too much of the stupid pedal can get you nowhere in a hurry in the bare rubber class.

Studs!

Here is where the racing and the fun start to get serious. The rules start to get more serious at this point in the game. Roll cages are now required equipment, as well as helmets. The studs class is divided in to sub-classes, just like the bare rubber. I am only going to cover some of the basics here.

Studs range from 17mm to 20mm in length. There are classes for street legal and competition vehicles. Here is where the aggression level with the throttle starts to pay off! The competition rigs even run steering brakes to make cornering more effective. I took a ride in a fiberglass bodied CJ-2A with over 400hp in this class. YEEEEEHAAAA!!!!! This was a serious kick in the pants!

Cheaters Class!

Long spikes like these let the rigs have traction like nowhere else!

Here is where the big boys play! This is the true meat of ice racing! The Jeeps that compete in this class are no joke. We are talking about purpose-built, custom tube chassis Jeeps with hundreds of horsepower, steering brakes, full cages, five point harnesses and much more.

The rules allow for bolts of any diameter up to 1 1/2 inches out of the tread. Talk about traction! I wish I could get this kind of grip on the rocks. I have seen these guys do wheelies across the ice. This is one of the most impressive forms of racing to watch. I have never seen anything accelerate or corner as hard as these Jeeps with the bolts do. It is a must see!

For more information and a schedule contact "Our Gang Four Wheelers at: 303-331-2886

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