200/250 for Ice Racing (oval)

eeyore

Well-known member
I have been ice racing for a couple of years now and this past weekend saw the end to my current car (4 cyl, FWD, spectacular crash). I've long been a six fan and since I'm contemplating jumping to the RWD class I'm curious about using the small six. The engine rules are simple, the engine (type not actual displacement) must have been available in the car and must be stock appearing. The stock appearing is a little loose as all the competitive V8s are running headers and a Holley four barrel. So I would say I could get away with headers, maybe a 2 barrel adapted, but probably not an aluminum head or triple carbs. By the way I've been told the competitive V8's are making 400 HP. That is rather silly considering this is really jalopy racing, but you know how it goes. My thought is that with the light six up front I can run less ballast in the back, with a light car such as a Fairmont as apposed to the full size Caprices, Crown Vics, etc that dominate now. By the way this is a rubber on ice class, no studs, on a half mile oval. What do you guys think and what do you suggest??? Should I have asked the roundy-round forum? I was unsure.
 
Back in my off-road racing days I did an ice racing weekend every year up at Lake George. It was with a jeep CJ-5 and I ran terra tires with hardened bolts through the tread. Even then too much power and speed meant spinning out as you probably well know. I think the 200 would be just the thing! My Jeep ran the 258 six and we sixers dominated the event. Usually the fastest time of the day came from an I6. Run it stock and it should do fine!

Harry
 
Well, I don't know crap about Ice racing, but I would guess that a lot of HP isnt going to do you much good.

However, a "stock appearing" I6 is going to be at a huge HP difference as opposed to a similarly built stock appearing V8.

Are the classes broken up by # cyls, or do you have to compete against the 8's ?
 
The classes are 4 cyl fwd non-studded, 4 cyl fwd studded, 6 cyl fwd non-studded, and all rwd non-studded. As you can see the rear wheel drive cars are all lumped together and most run a ton of weight where the back seat used to be and some more in the trunk. I keep thinking that if these guys wern't running such heavy cars they wouldn't need as much weight in the back. So the six in that sense might work, but I not sure stock will be enough.

We run special non-studded ice tires mostly from "towel-city racing tire", but others are run as well. For referance my old car was a front drive 4cly non-stud and I'd hit 60 mph by the end of the straight and be hooked up about midway down the straight even without studs.
 
don't forget though, less weight over all will also mean less traction, the heavier cars will have more traction to turn in.

I do know that I6's do good on dirt and paved small ovals though.
 
Funky Cricket":2gqx2gvo said:
don't forget though, less weight over all will also mean less traction, the heavier cars will have more traction to turn in.

I do know that I6's do good on dirt and paved small ovals though.

Less weight means less inertia as well, thus a lesser need for traction to counteract it.
 
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