Ice Racing
Officially Ice Racing (Motorsport on Ice)
MOTORSPORT on FROZEN LAKE / OVAL — variants: (1) ICE SPEEDWAY: 500cc methanol-powered motorcycles with 28mm STEEL SPIKES on tires, no brakes, 4 riders per race on oval FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP; (2) STUDDED CAR ICE RACING (Andros Trophy in France, USA IIRA); (3) DRAG RACING on ice. Popular RUSSIA, SWEDEN, FINLAND, SWITZERLAND, USA, CANADA — winter-only.
Quick facts
Category
Motor Sports
Type
Individual
Players
1–4
Duration
~4 min
Where played
outdoor
Field / court
Frozen lake / prepared ice oval / studded ice course
Country of origin
🇸🇪 Sweden
Estimated origin
Ice speedway motorcycle racing emerged in Sweden mid-1920s; official FIM Ice Racing World Championship since 1966 (individual) + 1979 (Team); Andros Trophy (France, ice car racing) launched 1990.
Olympic
No
Popularity
niche
How it works
Objective
Cross finish line first; season championship for cumulative points.
Rules
Basic rules
ICE SPEEDWAY: 4 RIDERS per heat on OVAL; NO BRAKES; TURN LEFT ONLY — lean bike ~60° into corner, spikes grip snow-ice
Signature no-brake left-turn only.
ICE SPEEDWAY spikes: STEEL 28mm max length, up to 500 spikes per rear tire — dramatic grip
Signature 500 rear spikes.
ICE SPEEDWAY GP: series of 4-rider heats; points 3-2-1-0 by finish; final for top scorers
Standard speedway format.
ANDROS TROPHY (car): 4WD studded rally cars race on ice ovals; night events; celebrity guest drivers
Signature Andros Trophy format.
SAFETY: air fences, straw bales, medical on-site; injuries from spike-cuts common
Standard safety measures.
SEASON: DECEMBER-MARCH only (natural + artificial ice)
Signature winter-only season.
Scoring
Speedway 3-2-1-0 per heat; season cumulative for FIM World Ice Speedway Championship. Andros Trophy uses time + points across weekend rounds.
Win condition · Highest season points wins world championship (Speedway) or Andros Trophy (car).
Playing area
Called
Frozen lake / prepared ice oval / studded ice course
Dimensions
Ice speedway oval: 260-425 m; car ice racing: 1-3 km circuits
Equipment
ICE SPEEDWAY BIKE: 500cc methanol, single-cylinder, NO BRAKES, extended forks + special frame geometry
Signature no-brake ice bike.
28MM STEEL SPIKES: front tire 90-120 spikes; rear tire 200-500 spikes (each ~28mm long) — provides insane grip
Signature 28mm tire spikes.
ICE-RACING CAR (Andros Trophy): 4WD studded tires, silhouette body over specialty chassis
Signature ice car.
Full leather + helmet + neck brace + gloves (both disciplines)
Standard safety gear.
Terminology
- Spikes
- 28mm steel studs bolted through tire tread for grip.
- Heat
- Single 4-rider race in ice speedway.
- Andros Trophy
- Marquee French ice-car championship, celebrity drivers.
- Left-turn only
- Ice speedway ovals raced anti-clockwise; no braking allowed.
Major competitions
FIM Ice Speedway Gladiators World Championship
annual · Europe (Russia, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Kazakhstan) · since 1966
Andros Trophy
annual (Dec-Feb) · France (Alps + Andorra) · since 1990
US IIRA Championships
annual · USA (upper Midwest) · since 1970
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM)
Founded 1904 · Mies, Switzerland
Andros Trophy (SODIA France)
Founded 1990 · France
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Nikolay Krasnikov (RU, 6× FIM Ice Speedway World Champion)
- Daniil Ivanov (RU, multi-time Ice Speedway champion)
- Franky Zorn (AT, Ice Speedway top rider)
- Alain Prost (FR, has raced Andros Trophy)
- Yvan Muller (FR, Andros Trophy champion)
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Ice racing— Wikipedia
- FIM Ice Speedway— FIM