Ice speedway

Motorcycles on ice

Ice speedway is one of the most unusual sports on ice. Instead of blades there are motorcycles, instead of skates spiked tyres. Races take place on oval ice tracks, often on speed skating ovals or on specially built tracks. Riders always race anticlockwise, i.e. in left-hand bends.

The spikes

The most important technical feature is the spikes: long, sharp metal studs screwed into the tyres in large numbers. They dig into the ice and allow lean angles at which handlebars and knees almost touch the ice. Because riders only turn left, the left side of the tyre carries a particularly large number of spikes. Length and number are limited by the rules.

To stop the spikes causing serious injuries in crashes, the bikes have large mudguards over the wheels. Riders also wear reinforced leathers with knee and hip protection, on which they slide over the ice in the corners.

Technology: no brakes

Ice speedway bikes have no brakes. Riders slow down using the engine and by turning the rear wheel sideways. The motorcycles are light and, as in classic speedway, run on methanol. Instead of a complex gearbox, the bikes are designed for short, tight tracks. The start is decisive: whoever leads into the first corner has a big advantage, because overtaking on the narrow racing line is difficult.

The race format

A classic race, called a heat, is ridden by four riders over a few laps. Riders score points according to their finishing position. They collect points over a series of heats, and the best-placed riders meet in semi-finals and finals. National team competitions are also held.

The world championship is organised by the international motorcycling federation FIM and consists of several Grand Prix races in different countries. There is also a team world championship and European championships.

Strongholds

Ice speedway is popular mainly in Russia, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany and Austria. Russian riders dominated the sport for decades. Since 2022, Russian riders have been excluded from FIM competitions following the attack on Ukraine, which has shifted the balance of power.

In Germany, Inzell is one of the most traditional venues, where ice speedway was raced on the speed skating oval. In the Netherlands, races take place at the Thialf stadium in Heerenveen. There are also clubs with smaller tracks in Bavaria and Austria. Austrian riders such as Franz Zorn have achieved top placings at world championships.

Related races on ice

Besides ice speedway, there are other motorsports on ice. In Zell am See in Austria, the GP Ice Race revives a tradition dating back to the 1930s: cars and motorcycles race on an ice and snow track. In Scandinavia there are ice races on frozen lakes. Whether a lake can be driven on depends on the ice thickness – more on this in natural vs. artificial ice.

Watching and getting started

For spectators, ice speedway is a spectacle: loud, fast and with ice chips flying in the corners. Races take place in winter, usually between January and March. Anyone who wants to ride themselves needs motorsport experience and a licence. Some clubs offer training sessions in which beginners learn the special riding technique.