Winter Signals the Start of Ice Racing in Minden Ontario

The roar of engines break the winter silence as the seasonal tradition of ice racing revs up in Minden Ontario for the CASC-OR (Canadian Automobile Sports Clubs Ontario Region).

“Racing here in Minden has been done, believe it or not for over 40 years. When they first started ice racing, they actually did it on the lake. Now we can’t because of insurance reasons, so we’ve been building the track here”, says Heather Peckham-Hughes the ice race director for CASC-OR.

The 750 meter track now makes its home at the Minden Fair Grounds in the small community of Minden Ontario. Minden makes up a small slice of the picturesque Halliburton Highlands region.

The members of the Minden Kinsmen Club have been volunteering to build this track for the past 38 years. And each and every year the members of the Minden Kinsmen Club prepare the track for racing by “stamping the ground, freezing it, building the ice, and building the banks so that the series can carry on”, says Peckham-Hughes.

There are two main classes, each with its own sub class that drivers may compete in. The “Rubber to Ice” class lets you to race on any commercially available winter tire, while the “Street Studs” class allows you to stud your tires for better grip. Within each of these two classes there is a sub class called “Second Driver”. In this class, you must race with a second driver in the vehicle with you.

Dale Brinklow driving the number 71 car, and competing in class two with his front wheel drive vehicle is a second generation racer. His father used to race in this series, back when the racing was done on the lake. “The design [of the track] has not changed”, says Brinklow.

The winter race season for CASC-OR lasts for six weekends and has two rain dates scheduled in March to compensate for any races cancelled due to inclement weather.

Entrance fees for each weekend race event for both driver and car is $140. “That gives them on Saturday, a qualifier race and two points races, then on Sunday, two points races. So basically they get five chances on the ice”, says Peckham-Hughes.

Points are awarded on a per race basis with the winner of each race getting 25 points. The points are tallied up throughout the six weekends with the winner at the end of the season being the one with the most points.

Tasked with executing the race and ensuring all activities are performed in a safe manner is Len Arminio, The Clerk of the Course. His duties include ensuring all drivers and vehicles meet regulations before they are permitted to begin racing. Failing a pre-race inspection may exclude a driver and their vehicle from competition.

Arminio a retired Communications Professor at Loyalist College in Belleville has been in the racing circuit for 40 years. Arminio raced for 25 of those years as a driver of an old Volkswagen Beetle. He now exclusively volunteers his time helping to keep the tradition of automotive ice racing alive and well in Minden Ontario.