Cool under pressure

WASILLA — When planning to race 90 miles an hour around a frozen oval hanging halfway off a snowmachine with no suspension, it’s important to think about ice.

Mike Estes, cofounder of Ice Racing Alaska, does just that. It is on his shoulders to make sure the ice is ready for race day.

“We pull most of the suspension out of the sleds to get the center of gravity as low as possible. So it’s important to have smooth ice. A few little bumps will upset your suspension, which upsets the handling characteristics of your sled,” Estes said.

As he worked on an oval on Lake Lucille for this weekend’s races with his red Ford snow plow, Estes explained the process, a true labor of love.

“Basically, it starts with a lot of scraping. Find the spot you think might be smooth underneath the snow, and begin your plowing” he said.

If the ice underneath is too choppy, he starts all over in a new spot.

“If there’s good ice underneath, it’s beautiful. But you’ve got to get the snow off,” he said. “It takes awhile, especially if you have a plow truck that doesn’t have the hydraulic down pressure many of the new ones do.”

Without this convenience, Estes’ first passes are rough with the chatter of his blade. He then goes around countless times to get it as smooth as possible.

After some manual polishing, he has to fill in the low spots. This is where his real art begins.

Estes augurs a hole away from the track and uses a pump to hose water into the low areas. This water then freezes into a glassy smooth track, or that’s the idea.

If he lays the water on too thick, it will freeze unevenly. If it snows while the water is still freezing, it turns into a slushy mess. If locals decided to drive on the track, he has to start the whole process over again.

“For some reason, people in snowmachines and cars seem to be drawn to your berms and your orange flagging around your track,” he said with a bit of contempt. “Here they come and want play in the water.”

“Generally, if you’re running on a Sunday, and the track needs flooding, you start the first thing 8:00 Monday morning,” Estes said.

Once race day comes, it’s obvious why Estes has to spend so much time preparing the track. The ovals are usually less than a half-mile long, which means each straight away is only a couple hundred of feet. In this short track, riders reach speeds of 90 miles an hour. Added to this is the physical exertion needed to keep the sled on the ice around the corners.

“When we corner, we’re off the sled. One leg is on the inside running board with your ass off the running board dragging on the ice. Your trying to hold the inside ski down, otherwise the inside ski wants to come off the ice,” said Estes.

Because the straights are so short, many riders choose to remain in this position throughout the race. The most important thing for snowmachiners new to the ice, according to Estes, is developing forearm strength.

Other than that, ice racing is very accessible to the average snowmachiner, said JC Collvins, owner of Valley Motorsports. Collvins owns two sleds outfitted for ice racing, and the three racers he sponsors are consistently among the top finishers.

“It’s cheap to do ice sleds,” said Collvins. “You slam the front and rear suspension, put on a fully studded track and some ice skis, and you’re ready to ride.”

“You don’t need to buy a new [sled],” Collvins continued. “I paid $700 for my old 700cc. I sunk another $1,500 into it, but it’s pretty bad ass. You don’t need to do that. You can take a stock, old sled and buy $400 worth of studs, and skis you can find for anywhere from $200 to $400. Handle bars are $40, and let’s go racing.”

Before making the investment, Collvins tells potential riders to come out and test his sleds. Bring your boots and helmet, he said, and run some laps to get a feel for it.

And there is potential return on investment, reminded Estes. Of the $50 entry fee for each race, 80 to 90 percent of which goes back to the winners, according to Estes.

Garrett Lyons knows the spoils of victory, winning the 0-1000cc semi-pro championship this year. Lyons said he races on the ice for the high speeds and endless traction.

“With 200 studs and 8-inch carbides in the skis, there’s no forgiveness. Where you turn, it goes,” said Lyons.

Collvins agrees that speed is the main draw for most racers.

“As far as going fast, ice is the way to go. It’s really steep. The sleds, they’re not forgiving. If you turn the handle bars that way, you’re going that way,” Collvins said.

At such high speeds and with no suspension, every imperfection in the ice is dangerous. With his real passion for racing, this is why Estes spends so much time on track prep.

“We don’t want to see people coming out here and wrecking their sleds every week and going home having to spend a lot of money to come back next week. We want fun, inexpensive, bring you’re family out kind of racing,” he said.

“I still got the bug to go racing,” said Estes, “but I just can’t seem to find the time.”

Contact Todd L. Disher at todd.disher@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.