Ice racing- Need tire help!
 

Hey guys,

Planning on going Ice racing down in Ashcroft this winter, in talking with the organizers it looks like I can actually run my side by side which will be ridiculously fun. I do, however, need studded DOT legal snow tires.

I'm having a hell of a time finding a set that would work... I'm also working with a a height restriction otherwise i'd just run a set of 31x10.50x15's that would work perfectly.

15" wheel

Minimum 9" wide tire

Maximum 28" height

Any recommendations? Having trouble finding something that will work. Pic just for fun;

https://i.imgur.com/jAexKyC.jpg

Was told by event staff that you only need studded in the novice group.............. BUT if the novice group (5 max) all agrees to use regular snow tires, then they will make an exception. That's what was posted on the VCMC facebook group anyway.

SO if you have 4 other novices going and everyone agrees to run regular snows instead of studded... you don't need to get studded ones.

I stopped pursuing it at that point because it was getting to be too much money between buying wheels / studded tires / paying the race fee and accommodations... but that's where I left off with it anyway.

Edit: Am also assuming this organizer knew what he was talking about... which perhaps I shouldn't lol

I think 320icar attends these events he might know more!

I think the primary issue is that side by side tires are not DOT legal, nor have a snowflake which there rulebook says they require.

Though why that matters on ice i don't understand.

EDIT: Oh my god some people don't have common sense. There's a max height requirement, which makes sense in something like a pickup truck or lifted jeep or something so it's not super tippy on the ice, however on a side by side it's just a steel roll cage that is slightly over height. I asked for an exception for overheight safety equipment, and was denied, but then reading the rule book I could just remove the rear roll cage and it would be totally legal. How does that make sense?!?!?!?!

Hahaha seriously? Funny man

I just recently built a track car and looked into ice racing... I was heavily into auto-x many years ago and have done nothing since... but I have to say, as an outsider looking in, the rules and attitude of the overseeing agencies is pretty standoffish... reminds me of these old 80's action movies where the new guy has to lick the old guys boots before they can be a part of the group... it's just a blanket "if you're new you can't do anything" statement and doesn't take into account driving history or age or personality etc.

Like track events some of them will be no new people allowed, or if you're new you HAVE to take an instructor with you... the ice racing ones have some requirements like CACC licensing, seems like there's not much room for n00bs to get involved and the assumption is that any n00bs are complete idiots until told otherwise.

I mean... I do get it... but I also feel like there could be a little less old boys club.

As a comparison, for example a dangerous as fuck track like Nurburgring... you can just roll up with a tapable card you bought 5 minutes earlier at the office and go do whatever you want pretty much... that's obviously the other extreme... but an accessibility that's somewhere in between the 2 would be nice.

100%!

They complain there's not enough support for such things, then can't use reason when necessary to bring new people into the sport.

.

I imagine the rulebooks were made long before anyone was trying to use a SxS for the events, I know the rally guys in the states are running into some odd sounding rules when trying to use them for stage rally.

>9" wide - is a 225 at 8.9" close enough? 225/70R15 is 27.4"x8.9", you've got two studdable options in that size:
https://www.1010tires.com/Tires/Kumho/CW11/2264083
https://www.1010tires.com/Tires/Sail...+WST1/S2000485

Anything wider or shorter I got zilch. If you can run a skinnier tire like a 205 (8.1") you've got loads of options so I guess the question is why do you have to have a 9+" wide tire and can you work around that at all?

I'm guessing it's so that people don't show up with tires off a stage rally car that look like these:

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/c.../PirelliJ3.jpg

Haha good point!

The width issue is compounding the height issue, the long and the short of it is the highest point on the vehicle needs to be less than the width. Height is 70", width is 64". I will take a bunch of preload out of the suspension, and run a wheel spacer, which should drop me very close to the width requirements, but if I take the stock 11" wide tires off and put 8" wide tires on, it'll make the machine skinnier.

Anyone know of someone that can make wheel adapters? I think the only way this works is if I go for a low profile tire, which isn't available in a 15" wheel. It would need to be a 4x136 to 5x114.3 adapter.

Wheelspacers.ca I think is the local place that does spacers, they can probably do adapters

Well that's too bad... They stopped answering me when I inquired about the rulebook allowing the car to compete without a rollcage, but not with a slightly overheight one, looks like I probably won't be able to make it work. Would have to have a set of aftermarket wheels with stupid offset (-10, compared to stock 33/50) and a 2" wheel spacer to even come close, plus a set of low profile winters. Not really sure if it's worth spending $1500 on wheels and spacers, and $1200 on tires to compete a couple times a year, especially when the wheels and tires would have literally no other possible use.

Ya I give up this is stupid. Read the rulebook again for one last try and discovered a windshield is not required as long as a full face helmet is worn. The way the windshield mounts to the rollbar there's a plastic cowl that sticks up about 2". If I remove it (it's a removable windshield for the summer) i'm under height.

Email to confirm I can do this, they say no you have to have a windshield even though the rulebook they need for their insurance says no windshield required.

But still can't race because it's 2" over height, and they have to follow the rules you see.

I'm out.