DENVER (KDVR) — Right off Interstate 70 in Colorado lies Georgetown Lake, which you see on your left when heading to the mountains. Take Exit 228, and you’ll find a quaint area commonly used for ice fishing — except for the five weekends out of the year when Coloradans turn the sheet of ice into a racetrack.
It’s called “ice racing,” and you can try it too. All you need is a valid driver’s license and a vehicle with four-wheel or all-wheel drive.
The tradition goes back to 1965
The origins of the racing group Our Gang 4 Wheelers, also known as Our Gang Ice Racing, dates back to 1965 when a group of guys decided to try and drive on a frozen pond above Central City, according to their website.
When one of them put chains on the tires, it started the group’s winter tradition.
Throughout the years (and many changes to the group’s name), races took place all across Colorado. From Crystal Lake to St. Mary’s Glacier to Twin Lakes, the group continued to expand its newfound sport until Our Gang 4 Wheelers was formed in 1977.
Now, 48 years later, the races take place every year on Georgetown Lake.
There are 78 regular season races, four championship events, a kid’s race and two “fun days” during five weekends in the winter.
However, a lot more goes into racing than just driving on ice.
How a frozen lake becomes a racecourse
As for how the group itself is allowed to drive cars across the frozen lake, Leesa Huffaker with Our Gang 4 Wheelers explains that anyone can rent the lake if it meets Georgetown’s policies.
For starters, there must be 12 to 13 inches of ice atop the lake before the races can occur. Sometimes, this doesn’t happen, according to Huffaker. In 2022, the entire season was canceled because the ice wasn’t thick enough.
But when the ice does meet the required thickness, the group shapes the track.
This type of ice racing isn’t the same style as wheel-to-wheel racing like NASCAR’s Daytona 500, either. Instead of contact racing, the group uses a “heads-up” style of racing, with two cars starting at two different points about 20 feet apart, said Huffaker. Both start simultaneously, and the first driver to reach their home base wins.
While there won’t be car collisions or pit stops for new wheels, there’s still plenty to watch.
The track is often shaped in different forms. The dog bone track (which, as the name suggests, is shaped like a dog bone) has been used since the races began, according to the website. The track has also been made into different shapes like a sock or peanut.
Also, unlike Daytona, the public can join in, meaning viewers can observe how recreational drivers fare on the track — and the recreational drivers can learn firsthand.
“It’s an adrenaline rush when you sit in one of the Jeeps with the cheater tires on and race,” said Huffaker.
Old and new hit the track
The tradition has been passed down through generations, which is how Huffaker joined the group. Her husband was a kid when he began working with Our Gang, and other founders’ families are still involved as well.
“A lot of the founding people have moved on to do other things, but there are still generations down that have come back and race and continue to race with us,” said Huffaker.
There are different types of races based on skill level, or which tires you have on your vehicle. But you can also join for a “fun day” where folks are invited to drive around on the ice. Registration is open on the Our Gang website for the weekend of Feb. 24 and the weekend of March 2.