For all you die-hard slalom enthusiasts in the Northeast (and perhaps even the Northwest) here's a way for us to continue racing all season. The New York Times today has an article about the BMW Club's ice racing autocross series in New Hampshire. (Gary; what are you doing spending the winter in Florida?!) All you need is a large lake frozen to a two foot depth and some guys and gals who love racing (well, we've got those!). The second sentence in the article sums it up nicely: "If you spin your car 360 degrees on a dry track, your life will flash before your eyes. Do a 360 on a lrge frozen lake, and you just count the ice-fishing huts whizzing by until you slide to a stop." In addition to the normal penalty for taking out a cone, it seems the frozen orange pylons are prone to shattering when hit! Apparently the big benefit to be gained from this, in addition to fun, is that you have to do everything ins slo-mo, so you can really think about and study all your inputs, from acceleration to braking to turns.

Maybe next year? ;-)
Warren
(See the "Driving" column in the "Escapes" section (F).

Submitted by warren.hansen@… on Sat, 03/01/2003 - 12:12

I guess my tongue wasn't planted as firmly in cheek as I thought! No, I would be unlikely to bring the E-Type through snow and salt to race on the ice. But it does sound like lot of fun! Since I don't have a beater anymore it will just have to remain a midwinter fantasy! If we ever get to it, however, it seems studded snow tires are the way to go.

Regards,
Warren
(Just trying to outwait winter!)

Submitted by dthompson@gbc.ca on Thu, 02/27/2003 - 22:06

Greetings from the land of 20 below zero!

I can tell you from experience that these events are a ton of fun. I can also tell you that my mother and father ice raced XK 120's in the 1950's; it was very popular back then and it still has a major following in Quebec.

However, a couple of things to "worry" about. It is true that you don't get up to say.... Lime Rock speeds out there, but with a good set of snow tires you can move along pretty quick. You have very littel control over the car. Basically it is massive oversteer or understeer everywhere. You drive with the throttle, every corner is a full slide. If the track is plowed, then there are snowbanks and... you can damage your car on a snowbank (at 20 below a snowbank is like concrete). You can also do major damage by hitting other competitors; around here ice racing cars are usually "bangers". The guys who drive them don't care much about bodywork.

Second problem: are you planning to bring the E-type? Are you planning to put snow tires on the E-type? And are you planning to drive through winter snow and SALT to get to the lake where it is being held? The alternative to the salt is to trailer to the event. My E-type spent its entire life in California, I'm not taking it out in the salt!

The X-type is a car I would take. With good snow tires and AWD it would be a blast on the ice. Still a high probability of bodywork damage though.

Daniel
2002 X-type
1968 E-type
1958 MkIX
1952 XK120