Ice Racing In Sweden
ICE RACING IN SWEDEN
BENGT BJORKLUND
ONE OF THE MOST THRILLING forms of motorcycle racing is ice racing. This phase of the sport was born in Sweden and is, at the moment, practiced in four European countries — Sweden, Norway, Finland and Soviet Russia. The latter nation has become increasingly active, and several matches between the four active countries finished with victories for the Russians last winter.
What is ice racing? Through the years it has encompassed many forms. At the very first, about 1920, enthusiasts began to prove their bikes in acceleration races on straightaways. As Swedish roads were very bad then, test trials were held in the wintertime, on ice. Initially, warm sand was frozen into the ice, and the riders competed on unspiked tires — as on a sand road. Later the clubs sanded out oval tracks on the ice, about 1000 meters long — but in some cases longer — and the riders took part in track racing on ice. Popular bikes were Harley-Davidson, Indian, Super-X, the Swedish V-twin Husqvarna, and British machines such as Norton, Raleigh and Ariel. Still the bikes had regular summertime tires.
Then some riders began to fit snow-type chains on their tires. The riding technique on the long flat tracks featured sliding, as in speedway or American flattrack type racing.
About 1930, there was a young rider named Torsten Sjoberg who owned a Douglas twin, one of the popular machines (600cc) for track racing. This rider and his two brothers were pioneers in the new era of ice racing. Previously some riders had tried to fit ice spikes instead of chains, both for track racing and speed trials, but these very short spikes were just to improve the rider’s sliding technique. Torsten Sjoberg fitted long (about one inch) spikes which gave the tires a good grip, better than the very best tire on summer roads. The technique employed — instead of sliding — a laid-over, precise, and traction-plus course through the hard bends. It was a thrilling style to watch, with the rider lying flat on the bike, his left leg scraping the ice.
As this new technique sent the riders faster through tighter corners, the clubs introduced small quarter-mile courses, like speedway tracks. Riders started, at first, one on each side of the track but, as they became more and more experienced, they took off three and three at a time. This is the usual set-up in Sweden today, but in the Soviet Union riders start four and four in their heats, with the same point system as in speedway racing.
ROAD RACING ON ICE
As many know, Sweden was a great road racing nation in the ’thirties. Husqvarna produced their famous V-twin motorcycles for grand prix races and had a very successful factory team with riders such as Gunnar Kelen, Ragnar Sunnqvist, and others.
In the wintertime, regular road racing was stopped by the hard weather in Sweden. But then came the idea of fitting spiked-type tires as used on the ice racing machines. Snow was shoveled away from the ice and tracks of 1000 to 2000 meters with both left and right hand corners were laid out. The mass start of 20 or 25 machines was a great spectacle, as one can imagine. Riding technique was similar to the sprint machine type, with very hard leaning in the corners, but as the tracks were faster and without such sharp turns, the style of the riders did not involve cornering with the knee on the ice.
Riders like Ragnar Sunnqvist took part, and he was one of the most successful. Events were arranged all over Sweden in the wintertime, and in Norway it was also a popular sport. Even as far north as Kiruna — over the Arctic Circle — road racing on ice became popular.
But the War came in 1939 and stopped all motorcycle sport. After the war, ice racing on quarter-mile tracks was the most popular, but some events of the longer road race type were held. One rider who took part in many such events was Sven “Furtan” Andersson, at first on Triumph, later on Norton Manx. A very successful special was also built up by Hans Henricsson, who fitted a JAP sprint engine into a Rudge frame.
The years from 1950-1955 were great ice racing years in Sweden. Events were held in January, February and March, usually three times a week, and sometimes oftener. In the busiest period, ice racing stars could make races Saturday evening, Sunday mid-day and Sunday night in three places, with a great crowd everywhere. Stars were Sune “Maximum” Carlson, Olle Nygren, Throd Larsson and some others.
Larsson, known as “The Ice King” rode an experimental machine, at first called STI after Stockholm’s Technical Institute, a school at which Husqvarna’s former chief engineer (a teacher there) prepared an old model of Husqvarna sprint engine into a new style. After that, some other firms spent money on the project and the name was changed to SRM — Swedish Racing Motor. SRM was a great one on ice, and ridden by Thord Larsson with a megaphone type exhaust it was also exciting to listen to, as 15,000 to 20,000 spectators per meet would testify.
Today Sweden has only about six or seven ice races through the winter, but many thousands still come to watch the riders, some of whom are also stars of the summertime speedway; Bjorn Knutsson was, for example, last winter’s champion. Ex-speedway champion Ove Fuldin has also tried ice but not with such good results.
WHAT BIKES?
How is the bike constructed that is in use on ice nowadays? It looks much like a speedway machine but is vastly different.
The frame is longer, it has a longer wheelbase than the speedway type, and the forks — very similar in appearance — have a longer travel. The bike leans over more than the speedway bike, too. Gearboxes are fitted on all ice machines and Norton or Rudge boxes were previously very popular, with two gears locked and two used. Sweden has now produced special two-gear boxes, however — very light and very easy to change for the ice.
The engines are 500cc alcohol-running JAP or ESO speedway types, though Russian riders run the Czech ESO engine exclusively. Compression is about 14 to 1 with a horsepower rating of between 40 and 50. As for spikes, there are more on the rear tire than the front — 280 rear and 180 front to be exact — each one 30 millimeters in length (about an inch and a quarter).
Bikes are fired up in the pits, brought to the line and go off from a standing, clutch start. Seldom does one see a high rear wheel start, though it is very easy to make one, as the spiked rear wheel grips strongly. Therefore one must have so much on the throttle that the rear wheel spins on the ice. It’s always a thrilling sight to watch the ice chips spray from the three riders’ wheels.
Into the first corner of the quarter-mile track you must try immediately for the lead. If you win the start, you have a very good possibility of winning the heat. It is not easy to overtake another rider during the four lap race, and very dangerous. The bikes have shields over the tires but, in fact, accidents happen and riders can be badly damaged by the spikes.
Into the turn you still have the throttle wide open, but lean the bike over hard. The first time you practice this technique you will naturally be very hesitant. But press down — nothing will happen if the ice is good and slick. When you have pressed the bike so far down that your left knee is on the ice, you have the right technique. Some hardy riders lay their leg straight back, so they can lean the bike even farther down . . .
When coming out of the corner, turn the throttle on full and let the bike lift up of its own accord; this brings you out on the short straight very fast and the next corner rushes toward you. So it goes — lap after lap — until four laps are completed.
Everyone understands that the start is very important, for the race can be won there, but overtaking is also a fact in ice racing. It is always spectacular to watch a rider going faster than every other in in such a heat, and fans cheer mightily when this happens.
Ice racing is not entirely for professionals, though. There is a very popular form of the sport for amateurs, held each winter on small lakes all over Scandinavia. Old bikes of every size, but usually smaller two-strokes up to 250cc, are fitted with spike-type tires and the amateurs greatly enjoy their private meetings.
This writer was invited to such a meeting and found that it is indeed a lot of fun, although it does take a bit of nerve to put your leg on the ice for the first time! •
