STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Your car traveling at high speed on the ice sounds dangerous, but for dozens of drivers in central Minnesota, this is fun. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Gunderson talks about ice racing.
(SOUNDBITE OF RACE CAR ENGINES RUMBLING)
DAN GUNDERSON, BYLINE: Some of the race cars rumbling on the ice of Bass Lake are dented and dirty. Some are smartly painted and recently washed. But they're all here on a cold Sunday afternoon for the same reason - to go as fast as they can on a half-mile oval ice track.
DAVE HOLMGREN: We're all out here having fun. We're pretty decent guys. Pretty much everybody here is a volunteer. It's kind of a whole community thing. It's been that way for a long time.
GUNDERSON: This guy is the boss. He wears a green vest with Mr. Official emblazoned on the back.
D HOLMGREN: My name is Dave Holmgren. We've been at ice racing here for, oh, 30 years or so.
GUNDERSON: Thirty years of racing here on Bass Lake, but Dave started ice racing in his 20s, 45 years ago.
D HOLMGREN: Then I got my boy started into it.
JACOB HOLMGREN: My name is Jacob Holmgren, and I am 29. I've been at this for, I'd say, probably 15 years or better.
GUNDERSON: So what's the attraction?
J HOLMGREN: Oh, going in circles, passing cars, doing some doughnuts. Then when you're all said and done, we pick up a nice hot dog and chips and drink. And it's just entertainment.
GUNDERSON: Dave Holmgren says this is pretty simple. It's about a bunch of people who love playing on the ice.
D HOLMGREN: It's just a blast.
GUNDERSON: The ice racers do encourage passengers, and kids as young as 7 can race with parents' permission.
(SOUNDBITE OF RACE CAR ENGINE IDLING)
GUNDERSON: There are different classes of cars. Cars with studded tires can hit 80 miles an hour on the ice track. Cars with normal tires might run in the 30s.
D HOLMGREN: It probably ain't the fastest thing with the rubber tires. But I tell you what, you got good patience - you're at the right place at the right time - you can always wave to your buddy when you go by (laughter).
GUNDERSON: Fifteen minutes before racing starts, drivers gather around Mr. Official with the green vest.
D HOLMGREN: Thanks for coming again. Now, this is the third week, and we all know what happens in the third week. You animals eat some raw meat or some iron or something?
GUNDERSON: This is his way of telling the drivers to rein in aggressive driving.
D HOLMGREN: We all need to enhance our calmness now, OK? We ain't running for Daytona money, so take it easy. So we're going to have some fun.
GUNDERSON: This isn't about the money. A driver who wins all the races in their class today might take home a whopping $15 in prize money. There are relatively few crashes, and most involve a car sliding into the snow berm surrounding the track.
D HOLMGREN: There is some rubbing out here. There's a little bit of paint swapping. For the most part, everybody's pretty good about it (laughter). Might get one occasionally might be a little upset, but we're all good. We all talk to one another.
GUNDERSON: When the racing starts, Jacob Holmgren tracks me down. He's carrying a helmet. It fits. So I jump in the passenger seat of his beat-up station wagon. The car has a heater, and it works. He rolls into position among eight cars on the track.
J HOLMGREN: We'll see how we go (laughter). Hopefully we do good.
GUNDERSON: There's a lot of bouncing and swaying and sliding and noise.
(SOUNDBITE OF RACE CAR ENGINE REVVING)
GUNDERSON: The eight laps pass quickly at speeds of 50 to 60 miles per hour.
(SOUNDBITE OF RACE CAR ENGINE REVVING)
GUNDERSON: Jacob is pleased with his second-place finish.
J HOLMGREN: As soon as you get in a car, more or less, you're going to be hooked into ice racing. It's that simple.
GUNDERSON: Organizers say the sport is growing as more young drivers try the thrills and chills of racing on ice.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: All right.
GUNDERSON: For NPR News, I'm Dan Gunderson on Bass Lake.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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