Motorcycle and quad racers will speed more than 100 km/h on outdoor ice ovals at three Central Alberta lakes as part of an extreme sport series.
The Second Gear Club will host races on Sundays, starting at 11 a.m. and finishing around 4:30 p.m.
Spectators will be able to see racers on motorbikes, sidecars, quads and utility vehicles zip along a quarter-mile oval.
Event co-ordinator Rhonda Pechout said the races are high-action so people won’t want to miss out on them.
“The top riders will get so low to the ice that they can almost touch their elbows,” said Pechout.
“It almost looks like they’re crashing.”
The races will take place at the Parkland Beach entrance at Gull Lake (oval-only race) on Jan. 29, Sylvan Lake on Feb. 5 (oval-only race), and Cow Lake for the Rocky Mountain House nationals on Feb. 12 (oval and sprint).
There’s also another race at Gull Lake on Feb. 19 for oval and sprint racers to achieve national points, as well as a similar race at Lac La Biche on March 4.
People are invited to park around the track and they can listen from their vehicle, if they wish, using the FM transmitter. Families hold tailgate barbecues, stretch out on their lawnchairs and enjoy the winter air. Cost is $5 per person and children 12 and under get in free.
“It’s crazy, but at Sylvan Lake last year, we had nearly 1,500 spectators,” said Pechout.
“It’s a family friendly event that’s affordable. They’ll really get to see what these machines can do.”
Pechout said they receive anywhere from 100 to 130 entries per race.
Top racers from across Canada, including those from the Kamloops, B.C., area, attend.
The Second Gear Club has added a new type of racing, called sprint ice racing, at three of the five events.
It’s on a separate track resembling a go-kart track.
“We normally only have one event at Gull Lake, so we really want to get the news out that there will be two events this year,” said Pechout.
For directions to Cow Lake, people can go online and Google Grandview Stage Resort for directions.
Cow Lake is approximately 1 km east. (15 minutes south of Rocky Mountain House). For Gull Lake, Google the Parkland Beach General Store and then drive past the store to the marina.
For more information on entering or the races, go online at www.secondgearclub.com or email at info@secondgearclub.com.
ltester@www.reddeeradvocate.com