(Words and photos by Jacob Marshall) – For us Midwestern gearheads it’s not often that we get to hear open headers and smell the sweet scent of race gas in the cold winter months. And even more peculiar to see nitrous kits, superchargers, and dragsters on a frozen lake, but that’s the beauty of the Merrill Ice Drags! Since 1965, the people of Merrill Wisconsin have been running their machines on an eighth mile track cut from the snow of a frozen lake. With vehicles varying from your standard Camaros and Novas, to full tilt dragsters and altereds, to a mid-
engine big block Mopar powered 1977 Honda Civic ( yes, really), the event is nothing short of epic. And the best part? A Bangshift photo monkey was there to cover it!
While shuffling across the snow covered lake, I had the opportunity to ask veteran racer Don Woller how to hook on a surface I could barely stand on. Don has been around the Merrill Ice Drags for a long time, and was piloting his Alky fed rail in an effort to smash the current mph record of 141.6 mph, his other attempts falling short by less than one mph at a heartbreaking 141.2 mph. He explained that it was the unmistakable studded tires, or “nailies” as they’re called, that help get the cars down the thick slab of frozen 660 faster than many cars can on asphalt. The tires themselves get covered with hardware screws that Don said can take almost 12 hours to put in place. And if you’re gawking at the rims on the back of his rail, we were too, they’re 22’s! But Don tells us that trial and error has shown thinner sidewalls are faster on the ice.
In the photos below you’ll find some radical rides, which include: a Nova with the driver’s seat over the rear axle, a center seat Gremlin, two Opels, an LS swap turbo Foxbody, and a multitude of others. We also have videos of some of these cars making passes! And even better, Bangshift was able to sweet talk one of these racers into letting us mount one of our cameras in his car for a full boogie pass down this frozen track! So brace yourself as you ride along in Scott Diels’ 555 cubic inch nitrous huffing Opel as he makes two wild passes!
(Editor’s note: We’ve got a couple days of great stuff to share from Jacob. The videos will be rolling a little later this week and there are more action photos coming tomorrow. The dude froze his nuggets off of this stuff and did a great job!)
Photo coverage of ice dragging!
What’s up – you forgot the video camera?
Read the words:
(Editor’s note: We’ve got a couple days of great stuff to share from Jacob. The videos will be rolling a little later this week and there are more action photos coming tomorrow. The dude froze his nuggets off of this stuff and did a great job!)
Great Pictures!
As a Swede, i fully approve this !
Awesome!!!
just don’t put your tongue on the roll bar…
That’s definitely making the most of what ya got.
Come to think of it – sitting in the staging lanes with your driving suit on wouldn’t be that bad, rather than sweltering in the heat in summer.
Looks FUN
Wild!
What is the date of this race.?? Would love to see in person
Hey Paul, see comment below…..
This is always a blast. Haven’t been there in years. There are alos several other similar events across WI this time of year.
Hey Im the owner of the Blue 65 Nova the Ice drags are every year in 2nd week in Jan and 4 weeks long. My car does 110 mph street car.
Its FOR SALE
email me if intetested
[email protected]
So glad you guys were able to make it up here! Wish we could’ve talked with all of you more!
We are the ONLY 1/8 mile AUTOMOBILE drag racing on ice event w/ a regular season in the world! Our track records are 5.431 ET & 141.6 MPH on ICE!
We start racing the 3rd Sat. in Jan. being a “Test & Tune” day, then the 4 Sat’s. thereafter. Then, IF there is enough ice yet, a “Dash for the Cash” bracket race on the 6th Sat.
Be sure to go to http://www.merrillicedrags.com for more info & also “Like” us on FB page Merrill Ice Drags!