Our Gang Ice Racing

We were able to go to Georgetown in person Thursday, February 20th to view the conditions.  Unfortunately, there is still a lot of snow in Georgetown.  

Long story short: Studs and Cheaters are on for Saturday, February 22nd (please see below for some additional information).  Bare Rubber, Rally Studs, Go for the Bronze and the Kid’s Race are CANCELLED for Sunday, February 23rd.

Here is more detail if you’re curious:

We did measure the ice and it is about 18” thick.  On top of the ice is about 3-4” of packed snow.  We identified locations for tracks that would work.  The shoreline and lake entrance have drifted snow ranging from 12” to 24” of snow, the average was right in the middle.  We were able to get assistance clearing out most of the entrance and the parking lots at the lake are cleared out, but are tight on space due to the piles of snow, so try to pull trucks/trailers in close together.

We believe most of the vehicles registered for Studs and Cheaters have enough clearance and will be able to navigate the entrance and race, so we will be holding those events.  We want to be really transparent about this and strongly suggest that if you have a low clearance vehicle (5” or less) you may not want to attend Saturday as it will be easy to get stopped and stuck.  We will assess the entrance the day of and look at tire changing options as carrying the tires down the bank or pulling a wagon will not be easy.  As of Thursday, the Competition Jeeps and vehicles with clearance can navigate the deeper snow and it is similar to occasions in the past where snow has been drifted to the shoreline.  We will still end the day at Luchas in Georgetown if you want to have dinner with Our Gang.

As for Sunday, we are cancelling all events scheduled including bare rubber, rally studs, the Go for the Bronze and the Kid’s Race.  We reviewed the vehicles pre-registered and Sunday’s registrants were primarily in cars with low clearance and/or had selective AWD systems which would make entering and navigating the ice difficult at best.  We also have a lot of drivers unfamiliar with off road driving and ice racing in general on Sundays, so we felt like it was going to be a rough day for organizers keeping the events moving and drivers would not have a fun ice racing experience.  Also, we felt like holding the Kid’s Race this weekend would not be a good experience for these new drivers.  

If you park overnight in Georgetown in the Clear Creek County lot, this is that situation:

The lot does have a lot of snow on it still, there are two paths plowed currently and would accommodate 4 trucks/trailers in its current state.  We may get additional assistance clearing paths in this lot on Friday from a plow, so this could improve more so.  That is the best we can provide information wise this morning.

Our Gang has a Board Meeting for the Officers on Tuesday, February 25th.  We will be discussing the rest of the season and if we are able to reschedule any events.  At this point we have enough ice to hold the final weekend February 28th, 29th and March 1st.  It will depend on the snow situation in Georgetown.

If you are pre-registered for bare rubber, rally studs, Go for the Bronze, we have cancelled your registration.  Online pre-registrations do not charge your credit or debit card until you actually check-in the day of the race.  We are not able to transfer or refund registrations for that reason because there is nothing charged yet.  If you are not down to race on Saturday based on the conditions, we understand!  Your registration will be marked as a “no show” and you will not be charged.

We want to thank the Town of Georgetown, in particular the administrative staff and the road/bridge crews who are doing the plowing.  They did a lot to help us try to get an event going this weekend.  

We often have a lot of new people on Fun Days, so we like to share some Do’s and Don’ts.  Most of our drivers have no issue controlling their vehicles and respecting the ice surface they are driving on.

1. Do drive at idle speed when you’re not racing on the course.  Anyone speeding, doing donuts, drifting, power sliding into staging or otherwise screwing around will be asked to leave.  We have a lot of people and vehicles and their safety comes first.
2. Do stay on our side of the lake (marked by cones on the West side) and don’t drive off on your own.  There are springs, ice fishing holes and other hazards around the ice, so it’s best to stay where we have the marked course and staging lines.
3. Do pay attention to what you are doing.  Don’t drive across tracks, park on the outside of a corner.  Drivers should never have a cell phone in their hand, we will ask you to leave if you can’t pay attention.
4. Do clean up after yourself.  If you hit a cone during your practice lap – complete your lap and then return and replace the cone in the ice.  If it is badly damaged, replace it with a new one form the center of the track.
5. Do be respectful of the other drivers.  Wait your turn in line, ask before cutting the line, take one lap and return to the end of the line and ask if you can ride before getting in someone’s passenger seat.
6. Do respect our track equipment.  Cones do take time and money to build.  Anyone who is purposely hitting cones, driving over cones instead of moving them or letting equipment blow away will be asked to leave.
7. Do wear your seatbelts all the time and Competition drivers and Pro Street studs drivers need to wear their helmets.