Ice Racing - Registration and Classification

Registration

You MUST Pre-Register to run in a Boston Chapter Ice Racing event. Registration for each event is done at the site. Payment is accepted at Registration for each Ice Race.

Pre-Registration

• Pre-Registration saves the Coordinator a significant amount of time and greatly speeds up the events!
• Pre-Registration is not a commitment; if you do not attend any events it will not matter.
• Pre-Registration is now required of all participants.
• Please Pre-Register accurately and completely by noon the day prior to your first event; otherwise, you may be assessed an additional $20 fee.
• Please Pre-Register once each season for each driver-vehicle-tire combination.
• Please be sure to separately Pre-Register each driver-vehicle-tire combination.
• If you will be co-driving a vehicle, please state so and list all co-drivers in the Comment field of the Pre-Registration form.
• If you do not have internet access, e-mail (or if necessary call) the Coordinator to Pre-Register.
• You may now Pre-Register multiple driver-vehicle-tire combinations through one User Name. Generally, it is preferred that each person obtain their own User Name and Pre-Register themselves. However, you may Pre-Register for someone else by entering the appropriate name and information on the Pre-Registration form.
• Once the Coordinator has LOCKED your Pre-Registration, you will no longer be able to edit your information in the online system. Please e-mail any changes or updates to the Coordinator, prior to attending the next event.
• If you change your tires mid-season, you may e-mail that change to the Coordinator instead of submitting an additional Pre-Registration. If you change vehicles, you need to Pre-Register again.
• Please notify the Coordinator of any change to your tires by noon the day prior to your next event; otherwise, you may be assessed an additional $10 fee, even if your Class does not change.
• Once the Coordinator has ACCEPTED your Pre-Registration, your Car Number and proper Class will be available by logging in to your my Boston Chapter account and going to your Event Registration page. Click on “View Registrations” to see a list of all currently Pre-Registered entrants and to get your own Car Number and proper Class.
• It is recommended that you print your Car Number and Class in LARGE BOLD letters on a sheet of standard-sized paper (use the "landscape" orientation) and tape it to the inside of your rear windows.
• Plastic sheet protectors may be taped to the windows on multiple driver cars to quickly change Car Numbers.
• Pre-Registration is available online at the Boston Chapter web site.

Registration Fees

The following fees apply to each event. The entry fees are slighly higher for the Parker Spooner Memorial Race as it is a charitable fundraising event.

Payment is made at Registration on the day of the event.

Late Registration will be at the discretion of the Coordinator. There will be a $10 late fee for Late Registration.

Car Numbers

• Car Numbers will be assigned during Pre-Registration.
• We will accommodate special number requests when possible.
• You will keep the same Car Number(s) throughout the entire season.
• Each driver-vehicle-tire combination requires a separate Car Number.
• Your Class and Car Number must be displayed on the rear side windows or the doors of your vehicle.
• White shoe polish will be provided at the event for marking windows.
• Even better, pre-print your Class and Car Number as recommended in the Pre-Registration Section.
• Only one Car Number should be displayed at a time on multiple driver cars if at all possible.
• Plastic sheet protectors are available for multiple driver cars to quickly change their Car Numbers.

Multiple Entries per Driver

A maximum of two cars may be entered per participant per event. No participant may enter more than one vehicle in a particular Class at one event. A participant may drive different vehicles at different events within the same Class, and those performances will count towards one Season Memorial Trophy.

Multiple Driver Cars

There is no specific limit to the number of Drivers per vehicle; however, exceeding three Drivers per vehicle will only be allowed on a case-by-case basis and only with PRIOR APPROVAL by the Coordinator.

It is the Driver's responsibility to ensure that the Starter has the correct Car Number. Be sure to use the Staging Line for multiple driver cars (when appropriate, see the section on Run Groups on the Race Day Information page) to ensure that you finish your Runs with the rest of your Class.

Classing Notes

Your Class is determined by your vehicle and tires. You may NOT elect to compete in a higher Class unless your Class is "Bumped". In order for a vehicle to qualify for more than one Class at the same event, it MUST have all four tires changed between Classes.

If you intend to do ANYTHING that is not STRAIGHTFORWARD under the Rules, contact the Coordinator PRIOR to the event to determine how or if your plans will be allowed.

Ice Racing Classes

Ice Racing Classes are based on your vehicle and tire type.
Note the slight change to the definition of a Super Snow tire!
Note the change to the Studded Class and the Street Modified Class!
See the section on FTD Trophies on the Timing, Scoring, and Trophies page!

Vehicles

ALL vehicles must be street-legal based four-wheel vehicles. No snowmobiles, motorcycles, go karts, tube-frame cars, etc. Exceptions may be made in rare situations, but ONLY with approval PRIOR to the event.

Snow Tires

Over the years, the M+S rating has been abused by tire manufacturers to the point that it is no longer useful. Perhaps it differentiates winter capable All-Season tires from non-winter capable All-Season tires, but only perhaps. The Rubber Manufacturers Association realized this, and at the urging of Canada a new tire rating was born in 1999. This performance-based standard was in widespread use by 2001.

To achieve the new standard, a tire must attain a traction index greater than or equal to 110 (the unknown reference tire having an index of 100) on a packed snow surface. The new rating is portrayed by the appearance of the Severe Snow Symbol on the sidewall, which is a Snowflake on a Mountain.

Despite the high level of capability suggested by the term severe, it is evident that the new standard simply distinguishes Snow tires from All-Season tires. Therefore, we now have a straightforward method of determining which tires are Snow tires.

Keep in mind that many Snow tires without this symbol will remain in dealer inventory for several years. Such tires will still be classified as Snow tires.

Super Snow Tires

Any snow tire whose MAXIMUM Speed Rating for THAT PARTICULAR model is an R Speed Rating or lower, will be considered a Super Snow tire. Almost all of these tires will be Q Speed Rated. At the Coordinator’s discretion, tires that pre-date the existence of Ice tires (generally considered to have begun with the Blizzak), lack a Speed Rating, are truck tires, or for other reasons fall outside of this classification system may be exempted from, or into, the Super Snow Classification.

The ability to differentiate Snow tires from Ice tires has become practically impossible. The list of Ice tires that had been assembled was pretty good; however, it had gotten to the point where essentially every new snow tire at least suggested ice performance. Therefore, it was decided that it was time to pinpoint a more specific defining characteristic.

Going back in time a bit, the original tradeoff between Summer tires, All-Season tires, and Snow tires was the dry pavement performance versus the wet and snow performance. Today, All-Season tires are cannibalizing the Summer tire market. Meanwhile, the snow tire market has fractured based on dry pavement performance – how much dry performance are you willing to sacrifice in order to gain snow and ice abilities? The Speed Rating of snow tires is a relatively easy way to recognize this sacrifice. Tires that retain a high Speed Rating can’t utilize the softer, spongier rubber compounds that make tires such as the Blizzak so good. Tradeoffs are where tire Classing for Ice Racing started; and now, tradeoffs are more definitively the determining factor again.

In order to recognize this new era, we will now use the designation “Super Snow” tire and have devised a new Speed Rating methodology to differentiate such tires. Most standard Snow tires have a Speed Rating of S (112mph) or higher, while most of the old Ice tires had a Speed Rating of Q (99mph). One former Ice tire had a Speed Rating of R, which designates a maximum design speed of 106 mph. Check out the bottom section of this webpage for details on where to look on your tire for its Speed Rating: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=35

Note that tire manufacturers occasionally build smaller sizes of a particular model with a lower Speed Rating than the larger size tires. This choice is made to reduce costs, not improve ice and snow traction. In these cases, the MAXIMUM Speed Rating for THAT PARTICULAR model is the determining factor, not the Speed Rating for a particular size of that particular model tire. For example, the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 2 is available in both Q and T Speed Ratings: http://www.nokiantyres.com/wintertyres_en Note that the only sizes with the Q Speed Rating are the smaller, less expensive sizes. The T Speed Rating makes the Hakkapeliitta 2 a regular Snow tire.

Because the methodology for differentiating which tires are Super Snow tires is more definitive, it is hoped that you will find it easier to make this determination regarding new tires yourself. You will also find that Tire Rack has separated their snow tires into categories that are very similar to our system. The “Studless Ice and Snow” categories appear to match our Super Snow Classification. However, be certain to check each tire individually before assuming that Tire Rack’s categories match our Classification exactly (for example, Tire Rack clearly erred in regard to the Pirelli Scorpion Ice & Snow). Most of our old Ice tires remain in the Super Snow category, but a few have moved down into the Snow tire category (For example, the Blizzak LM series, the Michelin Pilot Alpin, and the Nokian Hakkapeliitta 2). http://www.tirerack.com/tires/types/snows.jsp

Street Legal Studded Tires

Street Legal Studs MUST be standard size, as recommended by the tire manufacturer. We will be checking stud lengths as necessary at the events.

Oversize Street Studded Tires

There is no limit on the size of oversize street studs in the Street Modified Class; so long as they are street studs not rally studs or some other type of studs. Note that studs that are too oversize will simply pull out of the tire. Future regulation mandating a limit of one or two oversize is possible.

Altered Tires

Any tire that has been altered or modified in any way, including, but not limited to aftermarket siping, shall be considered on a case-by-case basis. Generally, such alteration or modification shall bump the tire to the Street Modified Class, but occasionally only to the Super Snow tire Classes, depending on the extent of the alteration or modification.

Class Bumping

If a Class does not have at least three participants, that Class will be bumped up for that event as follows: A to B, B to C, C to S, E to F, F to G, G to S, X to Y, Y to Z, Z to S, S to SM, and SM to M.

More Information

• Ice Racing Home Page
• Timing, Scoring, and Trophies
• Race Day Information
• Directions to Newfound Lake