Our Gang 4 Wheelers has been hosting ice race events for many years in Colorado. Many friends and families have made Georgetown Lake their winter home. We have a relaxed atmosphere and we have fun finding the balance between control and speed. We have our roots in 4Wheeling and that is where our 4Wheel Drive only rule and proliferation of older Jeeps stems from. Ice racing is constantly evolving and the enthusiasm of our volunteers for new and different events has created the ice racing series you see today.
Our racing club runs 3 divisions. Divisions are based on the level your vehicle and tires are at. The basic level is the Street division where vehicles and tires are street legal and not set up or designed for ice racing. The next level up is the Pro Street division. Vehicles in this class are street legal, but they have tires that are designed for ice racing. The top level is the Competition Division. These are purpose built ice racing rigs that are usually not street legal. The tires are radical and specifically made for ice racing.
Street Division holds a race for both street legal bare rubber and studded tires. Pro Street Division holds a race for winter rally tires and ice-specific studded tires. And the Competition Division holds a race for bare rubber, studded tires, and also has a third tire class, affectionately known as Cheaters. Cheater tires are worn out radial tires with 1 1/2″ sharpened bolts in the tread.
A lot of families, couples and friends share the same vehicles, so most of the time, the tire classes are split by women and men. This allows us to have up to 2 women and 2 men per vehicle competing.
So, this means Our Gang holds 14 races every race weekend:
- Women’s Street Bare Rubber
- Men’s Street Bare Rubber
- Women’s Pro Street Bare Rubber
- Men’s Pro Street Bare Rubber
- Women’s Competition Bare Rubber
- Men’s Competition Bare Rubber
- Street Studs
- Women’s Pro Street Studs
- Men’s Pro Street Studs
- Pro Street Rally
- Women’s Competition Studs
- Men’s Competition Studs
- Women’s Competition Cheaters
- Men’s Competition Cheaters
You can run any division/class you choose if your vehicle meets the basic rules and safety standards. Most drivers choose to start in the Street division because it is the easiest path to ice race. Your vehicle doesn’t need any modifications and you are required to race on the tires you drive to the event on. Please see the rule book for more tire specifications.
The process to race is fairly simple. You must register online prior to the weekend of the event (by 5pm on Thursday). We recommend being at the lake as early as possible to get through the check in lines before the driver’s meeting. Our Gang starts operations at 7:30 am and Check In closes at 8:30 am. The first step is to get a Tech inspection. An Our Gang Member will check your vehicle and tires to make sure you’re in compliance with our rules and you can race safely. Most Street participants easily pass this inspection in less than 5 minutes. (Once you’ve had an inspection for the season, you WILL NOT need another formal inspection). Then you take your tech sticker to the Check In trailer. You’ll need to fill out a waiver here. (Once you’ve filled out a waiver for the season, you WILL NOT have to fill out another one.) Registration will then take your waiver and provide a driver’s number for staging. You will need to attend the Driver’s Meeting to hear rules, which tracks will be run and any other important announcements for the day. Our Vice President presents the Driver’s Meeting. Afterwards, the races will start.
The order of classes will be announced at the Driver’s Meeting. We move from one class to another as they finish, so pay attention for the start of your class. Drivers are paired randomly by a computer generated bracket. Each pair goes on track and races heads up for the chance to advance. Vehicles start on opposite sides of the track in start gates. You need to pay attention to the Center Ice Official who will line you up in the start gates. Once you are ready, Center Ice will place the flag on the ice, when it lifts, GO! The object is to navigate the course and return to your start gate before your opponent. You cannot hit pylons or cut the course or you will be disqualified. Course workers are placed around the course to watch pylons and determine the winner of each heat. If you win your heat, you will advance. We keep running the bracket until we have we have an over-all winner.
The top 5 in every class will receive prizes and points that accumulate in divisions throughout the season. Top top point earner and the runner-up in each class will be recognized at the end of the year banquet.
Ice racing is not intimidating. We have drivers from all levels. There is common knowledge about driving on ice that floats around. The first is to get practice and learn how your vehicle handles the best. The next is to control the throttle; ice is unforgiving when it comes to too much speed. The next is to get out of your warm vehicle and talk to other drivers. Ask questions, watch what others do that works. We are a friendly bunch, but usually new people have to make themselves available. If you’re interested in helping flag the races ask an Our Gang Member and they will train you. We always appreciate help!
Our Gang also hosts a variety of other events. We have the Sunday Fun Day Track, a Kid’s Race, a 2 Lap Championship race for each division, and a Championship Banquet. All of our participants are welcome to attend these as well. There is more information about these events here on our website. We hope to see you out on the ice this season!