Do you like driving your Evo in the winter?
Do you like driving your Evo in the winter?
Do you like driving your Evo in the winter? Then you'll love this.
Each winter in the Adirondack mountains of New York, a club called AMEC (Adirondack Motor Enthusiasts Club), gathers as often as the frozen lakes will allow, to hold wheel to wheel ice racing events.
There are MANY classes, differentiated by tires used, and modifications to the car.
Perhaps you'll be interested in one of the studded classes, (amazing fun), but I'm writing with thoughts that if I didn't know this existed, I'd sure be psyched if somebody told me about it. So I'm telling you. There is a class for unstudded snow tires, in a relatively stock car. The simple class structure for unstudded tires is divided in two groups, 2wd and 4wd.
The club's web site can be found here: http://www.icerace.com
The 2011 rules can be found here: http://www.icerace.com/pdf/2011Rules.pdf (the class I describe is called SL4)
This is VERY affordable as dollar/seat time minute goes, at $50 for generally one practice session, and three 20(or so) minute races a day. It's the racing sale of the century.
"But Jeff, my car is sweet, and I'd like to keep it that way..." Me too. I just bought a 2005 with 30K miles, and I trust that I will only get in a collision if I will it to be. I have found this to be true in all 5 years I have been doing this. If you go into a corner faster than you feel comfortable, you are at risk. This same thing is true at a track day, or even on the way to the grocery store. If someone near you is clearly risky business, back off, get them later in a safe spot, and your car will come out fine. AMEC's street legal class has a strict policy on contact. If there is contact, you are called off (black flagged during that race), and then disqualified for that race, and the next race as well. The net affect is, NOBODY there wants contact, and all strive to avoid it. Another facet to this is the clunker-filter. If your car is dented, smashed, rusty, or generally possesses obvious hooptie qualities, you will not be allowed to run. The reasoning behind this is to encourage folks to feel comfortable bringing their nice cars out, and not having the impression that folks are going to push them around because they have nothing to lose. If you have any doubts about your car's elligibility, please sign up and post on their forums: http://bamecmessageboard.runboard.com/, and someone(s) will be quick to respond.
The courses are typically about 1-2 miles in length, plowed off the surface of a frozen lake in the Adirondacks, and roughed up by super-studded tired cars that run strategically before street legal cars, to provide traction that is excellent at first, diminishing by session end... I can't say enough about the fun & excitement factor here.
There were several Imrezas last year, including 2 STI's, an Impreza Outback, a TS, also a couple Evo VIII's as I recall, a GTX, an Audi 4000Quattro, etc.. --some really neat cars.
If you're reading this and you put your car up for the winter, ... almost any car will do, (*see hooptie clause above). Your winter car is FWD? RWD? There's a class for you too! Come party.
I hope some of you read this and join the joy. Selfishly, I'd love more cars to accompany!
Jeff
Each winter in the Adirondack mountains of New York, a club called AMEC (Adirondack Motor Enthusiasts Club), gathers as often as the frozen lakes will allow, to hold wheel to wheel ice racing events.
There are MANY classes, differentiated by tires used, and modifications to the car.
Perhaps you'll be interested in one of the studded classes, (amazing fun), but I'm writing with thoughts that if I didn't know this existed, I'd sure be psyched if somebody told me about it. So I'm telling you. There is a class for unstudded snow tires, in a relatively stock car. The simple class structure for unstudded tires is divided in two groups, 2wd and 4wd.
The club's web site can be found here: http://www.icerace.com
The 2011 rules can be found here: http://www.icerace.com/pdf/2011Rules.pdf (the class I describe is called SL4)
This is VERY affordable as dollar/seat time minute goes, at $50 for generally one practice session, and three 20(or so) minute races a day. It's the racing sale of the century.
"But Jeff, my car is sweet, and I'd like to keep it that way..." Me too. I just bought a 2005 with 30K miles, and I trust that I will only get in a collision if I will it to be. I have found this to be true in all 5 years I have been doing this. If you go into a corner faster than you feel comfortable, you are at risk. This same thing is true at a track day, or even on the way to the grocery store. If someone near you is clearly risky business, back off, get them later in a safe spot, and your car will come out fine. AMEC's street legal class has a strict policy on contact. If there is contact, you are called off (black flagged during that race), and then disqualified for that race, and the next race as well. The net affect is, NOBODY there wants contact, and all strive to avoid it. Another facet to this is the clunker-filter. If your car is dented, smashed, rusty, or generally possesses obvious hooptie qualities, you will not be allowed to run. The reasoning behind this is to encourage folks to feel comfortable bringing their nice cars out, and not having the impression that folks are going to push them around because they have nothing to lose. If you have any doubts about your car's elligibility, please sign up and post on their forums: http://bamecmessageboard.runboard.com/, and someone(s) will be quick to respond.
The courses are typically about 1-2 miles in length, plowed off the surface of a frozen lake in the Adirondacks, and roughed up by super-studded tired cars that run strategically before street legal cars, to provide traction that is excellent at first, diminishing by session end... I can't say enough about the fun & excitement factor here.
There were several Imrezas last year, including 2 STI's, an Impreza Outback, a TS, also a couple Evo VIII's as I recall, a GTX, an Audi 4000Quattro, etc.. --some really neat cars.
If you're reading this and you put your car up for the winter, ... almost any car will do, (*see hooptie clause above). Your winter car is FWD? RWD? There's a class for you too! Come party.
I hope some of you read this and join the joy. Selfishly, I'd love more cars to accompany!
Jeff
I would love to participate in something like this but IL doesn't offer anything! Uggggggh! I wanna have fun with my cah...especially since I have no second gear or reverse...
There are tons of ice racing in WI... from where you are, probably about 1 - 2 hours away.
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They don't do any non-wheel-to-wheel events in this club. They used to do a once/year "studs on ice" event where they ran it like a big autocross, but I haven't seen that happen for years. There's such a great deal of trust in the street legal classes that nobody wants to collide; that it just kind of works out that hardly anyone ever does. The only cases of damage I've seen have been when somebody makes a rash move that even they realize was not a good idea. A little caution and good judgement go a long way. That said, I certainly understand your concern. The Sports Car Club of Vermont (sccv.org), does ice time trials, (like a big autocross on the frozen lake), as soon as the lake is frozen enough to allow it, (safety first). The events are typically held in Colchester Vermont. Problem is, you'd drive something like 6 hours to get to one, 6 hours home, and for roughly an autocross worth of driving time... :-( I know some folks come up from NYC for the wheel to wheel stuff in the Adirondacks of NY, with some nice cars (such a sweet ROI), but we've never had anyone come from that far for a VT ice time trial.
That all said, I'm sure they'd love to have you! Visit www.sccv.org, and go to the forums, --> SCCV events to keep your finger on the pulse of when those events become available. The good news: their events are even cheaper
Jeff
Thanks for the interest!
Come find me in the Gray evo, and say hey. The first event of the season was last week, and AMEC will try to do this every weekend until the ice isn't up to the challenge.
Come find me in the Gray evo, and say hey. The first event of the season was last week, and AMEC will try to do this every weekend until the ice isn't up to the challenge.
Well, I'm definitely participating in the Feb 19-20 event as I will be in VT. I was just wondering about the class weight limit...the Evo weighs more than 3200. Also wondering what you do about ABS, pull the fuse or not?
Thanks.
BTW, I'll be in the electric blue Evo IX.
Thanks.
BTW, I'll be in the electric blue Evo IX.
I would def be all over this if I were in the area, and if I had my evo right now.
am I one of the only (future) evo owners who buys the evo to rally? i have no interest in lowering or dragging at all. Gravel and winter snow driving is my main reason on having an evo.
am I one of the only (future) evo owners who buys the evo to rally? i have no interest in lowering or dragging at all. Gravel and winter snow driving is my main reason on having an evo.
Jeff,
I think my buddy Pat in VT is going to join you. He just picked up a WW 2.3 stroker with carbon hood and trunk. We also sent him up studded snows.
He was talking about ice racing with the Evo.
I think my buddy Pat in VT is going to join you. He just picked up a WW 2.3 stroker with carbon hood and trunk. We also sent him up studded snows.
He was talking about ice racing with the Evo.
Awesome!
Glad to hear about the increase in interest.
I had to miss last weekend, and I'm going to have to miss this weekend too. Sometimes life gets in the way, (like these 2 times). Hopefully I don't miss any of the new evos to the crowd.
Weight limit: I've never seen anyone called on that, I think it's an old rule that is sort of out of touch w/ the federal airbag/smog/safety requirements, etc. that have caused cars to bloat a bit over the last few+ years. Two evos are regular participants, along with an 04 STI as well. You'd absolutely be welcome.
Please do keep an eye on the web site to make sure it's still happening, and exactly where, if you plan to make it up for the week.
Cheers,
Jeff
I had to miss last weekend, and I'm going to have to miss this weekend too. Sometimes life gets in the way, (like these 2 times). Hopefully I don't miss any of the new evos to the crowd.
Weight limit: I've never seen anyone called on that, I think it's an old rule that is sort of out of touch w/ the federal airbag/smog/safety requirements, etc. that have caused cars to bloat a bit over the last few+ years. Two evos are regular participants, along with an 04 STI as well. You'd absolutely be welcome.
Please do keep an eye on the web site to make sure it's still happening, and exactly where, if you plan to make it up for the week.
Cheers,
Jeff