Some thought that short track racing on a plowed course would not be possible or safe. There were 18 different DN racers involved in a weekend event staged for the public and media on a metro lake in St Paul, MN that proved it can be safe and exciting. We even had one finals race after 5 laps that ended in a photo finish!
Thank you to Mark Kiefer and his entire organization for hosting such an incredible event. The huge crowds and media coverage was outstanding. The event ran over 40 races in 2 days of 5 laps each on a short track. Saturday winds were 6-10 MPH and required a push here and there. 4 racers were on the track at one time.
Sunday with west winds of 15-20 we used the N/S track and were flying all day long.
Getting a fast start with smooth gybes and tacks rewarded the racers especially those with sharp runners. Just a few spin outs and one over the wall experience for a local favorite did not amount to any serious damage.
The crowds on Saturday were estimated at a thousand with 45 degree sunshine. There were pony rides, refreshment stands, vendors, media tents, cameras in your faces all day, kites flying overhead and a circus atmosphere. Sunday started off cooler and the track was very fast. The finals featured JD and Sam Kiefer in the 5 lap Grand Finale in perfect winds. Sam gave it a valiant try in the Great Clips boat, but JD took home the win going away.
This new plowed track racing course worked well for all the racers. Fine tuning for future tracks will even improve the safety and fun.
This is a link to a photo album of various photographers.
http://picasaweb.google.com/mikedaboss/FireOnIceWinterCarnival2009?authk...
Mike
