WSCC Ice Racing FAQ

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If you want to get involved and have questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to our club members on our WSCC forum or by emailing ice@wscc.mb.ca

Winnipeg Sports Car Club Ice Racing – What is it?

This action packed winter motorsport has 2 key components – the Fire on Ice Racing series and the Ice 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 competitive ice racing group has 2 separate classes - "Studded" & "Street Safe". The studded class utilizes custom club built studded tires and the street safe class utilizes standard DOT winter tires. 

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 register online for an event and show up with your car to start drifting or racing 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.

The cost for Ice Drift on Saturday is $60 for the afternoon and $75 for the Sunday race day (discount of $25 is applied if registered for both days).

The cost for entering the Fire on Ice racing (either Studded or Street Safe class) is $125 which covers both Saturday afternoon practice and Sunday race day.

Club membership is required to participate and entrants have the option of a $75 annual club membership or a $15 temporary daily membership. 

Sanctioned regulations dictate all track participants utilize a minimum Snell "M" rated helmet (motorcycle) however the WSCC club provides helmet rentals for $25 a day.

All newcomers are required to attend the Ice Race Rookie School ($40) that occurs on Saturday morning prior to the afternoon track day and Sunday race day.

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 Drift Class is maybe the front plastic spoiler will sometimes not like plowing into a snowbank when you get it wrong trying to perfect that awesome 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. If your looking for more speed and g-force, an experienced Ice Drifter can run custom studded studded tires like the Black Rocket race tires or similar bolted tires.

For the Fire on Ice Racing Series the Street Safe Class utilizes standard non-studded DOT winter tires and the Studded Class 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 start door-to-door ice racing?

The new Street Safe Race Class could not be easier to join. You basically need a small cheap car with a good pair of winter tires on its drive wheels along with a rear facing fog light and race numbers on the door. Personal safety equipment includes a helmet and a pair of fire resistant coveralls. A WCMA Ice Race license (available on Saturday mornings) is also required.

All the requirements and details are in the 2024 WSCC Ice Race Rules/Regulations document which can be found on our club ice racing website: https://www.wscc.mb.ca/ice-racing/

Are passengers allowed?

Yes! For the Ice Drift Class and the Street Safe Class a single passenger is both allowed and encouraged. Team up with a buddy and go door-to-door racing or drifting with your buddy in the passenger seat.

How do I step it up a notch?

Joining the 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 along with the ice race license.

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.

What’s a typical race weekend look like?

Aside from the final race weekend held in Gimli (which is a special double header race weekend) the typical race weekends will include a Saturday morning Rookie Orientation & Licensing School (from 10am till noon) followed by an afternoon of practice and ice drifting. In the afternoon all the cars will be assigned into specific groups (based on skill levels and approximate lap times) and alternate throughout the afternoon with each track session lasting approximately 10-15 minutes. You can typically expect 6-8 sessions per group depending on number of groups.

On Sunday there is a brief morning practice session followed by a lunch break and at 12 Noon the racing begins! The 2 groups of Fire and Ice Race Classes along with 2 groups of Ice Drift cars will alternate throughout the afternoon until approximately 4:30pm. The racing generates lots of spectators and the action is typically broadcasted locally at the track on a FM radio station.

If you are showing up with a car to either race or drift, come early and pull in and find a place to park in the pit parking lot and then check-in with the Race Registrar. (typically at or near one of the enclosed race trailers).

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). You need to create an account on MSR to register (free). 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 typically be posted at least 14 days before the event date and direct links to the registration will also be posted on our club forum (under Ice Announcements) as well as on other social media sites.

 

If you still have questions.... don’t hesitate to reach out to our club members on our WSCC forum or by emailing ice@wscc.mb.ca