..... Ice Racing

[~ Timbrwolf]

. ....winter has been going pretty good this year...all things considered....we have gotten a decent amount of snow and tempatures have plummeted well below zero on a few ocassions.


...But still Chili and I have managed to endure this long frozen spell by planning some... interesting out activities...Last week we drove up deep into the Upper Peninsula to explore some of Mother Natures finer work....frozen waterfalls...and the folks who enjoy climbing them....Sunday we were off again...this time down state a bit ....This time we rendezvoused with some friends of ours, and we all went to enjoy an afternoon of Motorcycle Ice Racing...



..We actually got off to a good start this time...well for us anyway....up at 7:30 am.....coffee....more coffee....nice long HOT shower...dug out some "equipment" we would need later and loaded it in the back of Chili,s truck...then I shot over to McDonalds for some "breakfast type items"....to save us some time getting out the door....we ate...had still more coffee....finished loading her truck....and we were out the door by...11:am Sharp !


....It was a relatively short ride fifty miles south of us to our friends Scott and Lori,s.....they have a farm out in the woods, in the middle of no where, aptly named....The Finerty Full Moon Farm...we rolled into their place right around High Noon...loaded up there cooler and other goodies and we were off, heading even further south.


..It only took us about forty minutes to make our destination....a track way up in the woods that belongs to a group that loves the sport of Ice Motorcycling Racing. Pulling up...we paid our 10 dollars a piece to get in and slowly lumbered down this muddy dirt road, deeper into the woods.


...Coming round the bend we could plainly hear the revving of high pitched engines, as suddenly a large field, filled with pickup trucks towing trailers came into site. There were motorcycles parked everywhere, most had someone bent over them, feverishly working on them...something told me this was going to be a great day !





...we found a parking spot and exited the truck...there was a sense of excitement in the air..and we were quickly catching the fever, walking up to the front fence, where the crowd was gathered.





....mixing in with the crowd I could see a nice oval track out in the snow...the track it slef was made of Ice..and there was a small side road off at one end where yet another set of specially modified small cc bikes was getting ready to do battle...





...we stood and watched as they lined up...engines began to rev...anticipation built...twitchy throttle hands were nervously racking throttles..





....the flag slowly rose...and....they were OFF !!





....coming round the far bend I could tell this was going to be a great day to get some action shots..





....standing there in the crowd Scott and I watched as a tightly organized group of men ushered wave after wave of bikes onto the track and head long into battle...it was obvious that this event was well organized...suddenly my cell phone started playing the "custom ring" I have for Chili..I pulled it out of the case and it was blaring...I love the way you look at me !...I love the way you smack my ass !...I love the dirty things you do....when I have control of you ! ...I fumbled with it and pushed the talk button as quickly as possible...but not soon enough..as I said hello..I looked around...and all the people who only minutes before were enraptured in a really cool Ice Race...were now staring at me...I smiled..its for me..


....Chili told me to look over the track way over on the other side...did I see her waving ?....uhhhhhh...Yeah !. ...there ya are...I see ya !...Apparently while Scott and I were diggin on the races...her and Lori took it upon themselves to hop in the truck...drive to the other side...and find a nice little spot for us to set up for the day...she said Scott and I should come over...so we did.....along the way we checked out some of the radical machines that were waiting to do battle...





....ohhhhhhhh yeeeaaahhhhhh





....as I stopped along the way to take some piczzz...the owners were only to happy to talk about their machines....this guy told me that he buys his regular tires from the dealer...and has somebody install the steel racing studs in them for a little over a hundred dollars...he added that most racers do it themselves..





....Hows that for...going over to the Dark Side..





....came across this guy, just getting ready for the...Three Wheel Event...





....asked him and his partner to pose...and they were only to happy to...





...we finally made our way to the other side where Chili and Lori had picked out a spot...and they had done good...real good....by the time Scott and I got there...they already had the chairs out and set up...coolers out.....man...ya just gotta love wimmin who take care of their men....Scott and I dug out the Imitation...Smokey Joe jr...Chili and I bought, just for those kind of ocassions..filled it with charcoal...splashed on a generous amount of lighter fluid...and lit her up....we had bought some Ball Park hot dogs and jalapeno and cheddar sausages...but Scott and Lori had bought some ..Johnsonville .."Cajun Brats"...that insisted we try first...and all I gotta say is...if ya never had em...get em...they rock !





....and so the day just kept getting better n better...the spot Chili and Lori picked out was..."Track Side"...so we had excellent seats to just sit and watch the bikes Zooommmm by....and do some serious tailgating !





....yeh...get that grille going !




...Chili was chowing down !




...now....that's what Im talken bout !!





...and in the mean time...wave after wave of bikes..were just tearin up the track !





...after a while I wandered on up to the top of the track, and picked myself out a nice little spot where I could get em....coming..





....and going !




...and these guys were dead serious about winning..they do four times around the track...before the checkered flag would come out..




...and that's pretty much how the day went...wave after wave of these bikes just tearing up the track..











....then came the...Three Wheelers...these guys were pretty cool too...they were'nt quite as fast as the two wheel bikes...but they were just as Hell bent on winning....now I don't know if I could get into the two wheel battle...but with the right partner...I think these three wheel babies would be a blast !!





...it was very cool ..watching them slide side ways around them curves...all caught up in the frenzy of winning...the Ice was definitely flying !








....same as the two wheel bikes...they had to make four times around the track, before one of em could claim victory..they sort of reminded me of the chariots ya see in those old Roman Empire movies..





...and then....out came the quads...these guys look like they would be alot fun also...they really tore up the track...





...and they were really doing battle...especially in the curves...




....Yeah...might hafta get me one of these..





....then they took a pause...and a couplea pickups with plows on em cleared all the slushed out ice on the track...they are coming out about every five races in the beginning..but by late afternoon seemed like they should come out every two races...ya see by Northern Michigan standards..it was a pretty mild day...sunny and low fortys....Scott said its usually colder out when they hold these races...





....then.....out came the..."little guys" !


...they guys were about six or seven years old...and they were awesome !





...they were'nt nearly as fast as the big guys...but they were good....and it was great watching em zoom round that track...better then I could ever do !





.....most of them were just riding around the track...and gla to just be there...moving kind of slow motion...at least compared to the bigger bikes...but this one little guy was hell bent on racing...and he was in first place ...that is until he blew his engine !




...and then it was the big guys turn again....it was kind of hard in the beginning ...getting the quality shots I wanted...ya see I bought this digital camera about 5 years ago...it was a close out...and one of its weaknesses is that it takes a while to "wake up"...and it dose'nt really do.."action shots"...all that well...I had a lot of pics that I tossed that were...bare race track...cuz by the time I took the shot...they were already passed and gone !


...but I finally ...got in the zone...I maxed out my little fixed 80 mm lens...got my timing down...and started getting some great shotzzzz





...I also figured out that these guys were going their fastest...right out of the gate...and into the curves for the first lap...so I started concentrating on getting most of my shots ...at the beginning of each race..




...and my strategy definitely paid off...these guys would come around the first bend...hell bent on getting out front of the pack !





...I only saw three wipe outs all day...two happened across the other side of the track...and this one happened right in front of me...none of them were too serious...and all the racers got right back up and back in the race if they could...this guy was definitely more concerned about ..if any of them spiked tired were baring down on him...






...and that's how it went for most of the afternoon....some kick azz bikes in a frenzied battle...followed by some quads...tearing up the track...








...it was getting late in the afternoon...and a lot of folks had packed up and called it a day...I got these last few shots in before we joined them...








...now a lot of times professional photographers..."the guys who are lucky enough to get paid for these kinds of things"...will shoot all day..just to get that one..."money shot"....other times they will get three or four right off the bat....


...well...I don't get paid..yet...and I did get a lot of cool shots through out the day....but here is my...money shot..




...like I said...we had a blast...and I think  just by looking at this photo,s....thats obvious...we will definitely do this again.....good friends...good food....GREAT races.....Hell of a Day !!!

[~ Timbrwolf]

...last picture wouldnt post...dont know why...


....here it is...

[Strider]

Are those shots MAGAZINE QUALITY or what?!?!?! 

[Hook#3287]

Great story!

[Black Dog]

Another 'National Geographic' quality story and pic's, from Brother Timbr... 

Black Dog