In addition to the safety equipment required for racers, I soon learned that everybody wore cleated boots in order to have traction on the ice. I had brought my aggressive-soled, mud-and-snow boots, but I found them useless on the ice. One nasty fall convinced me not to stray too far from my car. Lesson learned; I’ll be better equipped next time. One at a time, drivers entered the track to make their qualifying runs, which consisted of a warm-up lap, three “hot” laps, and a cool-down lap. Finally, at noon, the racing began. The cars were grouped by class, with some drivers competing in multiple classes after a tire/wheel change. As with a closed-circuit road race or dirt track race, a flagger signaled the start of the race with a green flag, the last lap with a white flag, and the end of the race with a checkered flag. He stood in a tiny orange booth mounted on a trailer so that it could be removed from the ice after each day of racing. After the pace lap, the green flag fell, and the racers were off in a flurry of angry, unmuffled exhaust and ice shavings. While the cars were bunched up early in the race, only the lead car had clear visibility. As the faster drivers vied for position, the cars became spread out around the course. Everyone sought to run cleanly in accordance with the rules, though by nature, there can be minor unintentional contact from time to time. Still, ice racing is not intended to be a demolition derby, and drivers who don’t abide by the rules can be ejected from the race or suspended. Between heats, two snow plows circled the track, clearing it of the ice shreds that had accumulated due to the tire chains. As one fan explained, “Clearing the loose stuff helps a lot with visibility. Every time they race, they lose an inch or two of ice from the track surface. The chains just rip it up.” Judging by the amount of loose ice the plows cleared after each heat, I don’t doubt it. Although many of the drivers are seasoned veterans of the sport, the WCIRA welcomes newcomers. Compared to other forms of racing, the low expense of preparing a car for entry-level competition makes ice racing accessible to nearly anyone who wants to get started. For more information, see the West Cove Ice Racing page on Facebook. There, you can also access the WCIRA rulebook.
Enjoying the snow sculpting competition at Greenville High School.
Though many drivers are seasoned veterans, West Cove encourages newcomers.
The ice on Moosehead Lake typically reaches 30 inches of thickness.
Moosehead Lake in Greenville Junction, Maine, is the home of the West Cove Ice Racing Association. All photos courtesy West Cove Ice Racing Association
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