ice lakes?

[DanJR1]

where in europe or russia are there big frozen lakes?

[Woolley]

In relation to what? I suspect this would be better in another forum, but just wondering which. Are you looking generally, or specifically for ones used for racing or other events?

[DanJR1]

ones which are very big and flat which you could run different machines up to stupid speeds

[johnh875]

You mean like land speed record attempts? I don't know that frozen lakes would necessarily have a smooth enough surface for high speeds - you may be thinking of the salt lakes in the US and Australia that have been used extensively. Off the top of my head, the land speed records set in the UK or Europe prior to the move to salt lakes were done on beaches or highways.

[DanJR1]

i know there is loads in north america and canada, but im not sure where they are in Europe and the surrouding area? any help any one?

[blueflagger]

Finland has the 1000 Lakes rally and I know Sweden does rallies across frozen lakes. If the lake is big enough for a a few turns on a rally course, it's big enoungh for an ice race. But note that global warming is having quite a negative effect on the ice racing season here in North America.

[blueflagger]

Ice is not very good for running your car up to stupid speeds but with properly designed tires and studs and good ice conditions, a sporty-type car can reach 130 mph.

[DanJR1]

whats the ice lake situation like in canada?

[blueflagger]

It depends on where in Canada. It's a big place.

Seriously though, lake ice has several different conditions, some are better for racing than others. If it was snowing as temperatures got cold enough for the lakes to freeze, the ice will be filled with tiny air pockets and be easier for the tire studs to dig into and gain traction. However, this ice is chewed up quickly by the studs and will cause rutting.

No snow or wind as the temperatures drop create solid, smooth ice. Any snow that falls after that can usually be plowed away. The surface will be more slippery and slower to race on. Your car will slide a lot more, which can be an advantage under the right circumstances.

As the season pushes towards spring, the melting/freezing cycle of the snow on the surface will change the ice conditions as will the warming ground and ambient air temperature. Never race on less than 18 inches of solid ice or 24 inches of "airy" ice. If you have a lot of cars, aim for more ice. Oh, and if you hold an event on a lake that is used a lot for fishing, remember that the weight of vehicles on the ice will cause a tiny bit more water to burble up through the fishing holes. We once had to put a race on hold to get all the spectators to move their cars off the ice so the ice would float better.

After all that, there is the flow of water to consider. Springs or feeder streams make for water movement even in deep winter. Ice will be thinner in certain areas so try to get maps from the local authorities before attempting your event.

Also remember these lakes hold kindly, tasty fishies so tread lightly and don't spill any oil, fuel or antifreeze.

[Dave_G]

For the first winter in recent years we were unable to hold any ice time trials on Lake Champlain this winter. We were almost there a couple of weeks ago and then we got another big thaw.

[blueflagger]

Originally Posted by Dave_G

For the first winter in recent years we were unable to hold any ice time trials on Lake Champlain this winter. We were almost there a couple of weeks ago and then we got another big thaw.

We had to move two races further north and cancel a couple or races and icekhanas (time trials). That's been happening a lot more in the last few years.