Landracing på Bikernet.com

Feb 22

GO FRY THE ICE IN SWEDEN– The need for speed could be a vintage drive on Daytona Beach shores, a blistering hellride on Bonneville’s salt, now there is a third choice icerace on a frozen lake!

For the fifth time Glenn Ocklund the founding father invited daredevils to the middle of Sweden in the small city of ORSA Dalarna. He and his volunteers of 100 had been preparing several courses since Christmas! By removing snow everyday the ice thickness increased to 80cm (30 inch) with snow left 40cm (15 inch).

The main courses 4 or 3 km, 1 km acceleration, 1 for timing and then you had a few left before the lake ends…. Glenn wants everyone to have fun so there is 40 different classes, from the slowest moped to jetscraming special construction, and well he did through in a Peterbilt truck too owned by a local kid! For motardbikes there was a 2km track around the lake, and even icespeedway and iceracing had their own courses. Those drivers are definitely daredevils with spikes like one hit and you are done.

Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and even German were heard in the depoarea on the ice. There is the same feeling as on Bonneville, if you need a spare tool or some bolts the cameradiere is total. Long distance was taken by W&W and driver Thomas Weigl. Last year as a rookie he overspiked, now he knew how to get a grip, top speed 173 km/H . That done with a Sportster 1987 with S&S 1460 kit. Storz delivered most of the caferacerlook.

Another brilliant team was the club Bengalos from Swedish west-coast. They took an old Triumph and build a dragbike with ‘60s look. Detailed as a showbike, still performing 150km/H, and five of the members had the chance to drive it! Good teambuilding during the long wintermonths.

Ola Sveen from Norway came with 20 over springer and handshift!!! 141 km/H with his out of the box S&S Panheadseries engine, Ola is a showman some screams could be heard from the 5000 spectators while he was snaking his way through ice and snow, BIG BALLS!

Still I feel like it´s more lika a rendezvous like the ol’ trappers who came down from the mountains of the wild west in USA and discussed what happened during the winter. BBQ on ice and to hear the mix of so many languages is a mindblower in the dark. My wife complained for several days that I was speaking english with her..

When an event like this turns 5, there is choices for the future. With more and more people with a professional view things have to have a good flow. Spectators want to look at jetengines and weird stuff that move and unfortunality brake and take time to clean after. And with a gigantic staff workin around the clock it take it´s toll. For me after 2 years I also notice that 80% is the same vehicles, more new riders, how to get them??
Whatever 295 km/H was the topspeed, and I got sick over and out!!