Here’s our second gallery of photos from Grippo’s Ice Breaker No Prep coverage and if you missed the first, or the cool video he shot, then use the link below to check that out too!
(Words, Photos, and Video by Joe Grippo) Well, Maple Grove Raceway has done it again. They pulled off another wintertime No-Prep race, this time with bracket racing. The Ice Breaker No Prep presented by Platinum Roofing was held a few weeks ago on a very cold February afternoon. This was the third No-Prep for the Grove and they seem to have a good thing going with these winter series races and hopefully they continue into the future. The addition of Platinum Roofing was a successful partnering, with Platinum owner and CEO Garrett Fein telling me he had a blast and hopes to get involved again. Garret and promoter Kyle Beswick are longtime friends and certainly put on a great day of drag racing action for a sizable, hardcore, chilly Maple Grove crowd.
All the previous Grove No Prep event classes were contested at the Ice Breaker No Prep, Big Tire, Small Tire, Stick Shift, Street. These groups were run heads up first to the finish, with an instant green start off the tree. Early morning participation may have kept some racers home, but each class had solid representation. The lightest turnout was Big Tire but local racer Chuck Schultz was the winner with his big-inch powered second-gen Camaro, shod with battle scars and cut of roof. It’s a nasty piece. Ross Okun rowed the gears to a victory in the Stick Shift class, which is appears to be one of the fasting growing categories at these deals. Long live the hand mixers!
The Street class was huge and after a mandatory street cruise, and several rounds later Joey Allen and Matthew Manton, Jr. split the purse with the sun dropping almost as fast as the February temperatures. Small Tire is traditionally the largest contingent of racers at the Grove No Preps, and the 2024 Ice Breaker was no different and again, at the end of the day the cash was split between Wesley Skinner and Tommy Kolankiewicz in their Fox Bodies.
The Ice Breaker race this time had a bracket racing class, called Daily Driver, complete with buybacks! To no one’s surprise, the bracket racers showed up big time, filling four lanes of the Maple Groves ample staging area! With a 15.00 second et cutoff for the 1/8th mile, most competitors left the real race cars at home and jumped in their daily driver or the tow rig. Even with the slower racing, the competition was nonetheless fierce. I saw several .00 lights and tight winning packages from the bracket racers chomping at the bit for a hit of the tree! Two veteran bracket racers waded through the tough field to the final, where Nikki Adams bested Martin Flegal to the win.
With the regular race season starting in a few weeks, the No Preps are on hold…for now. If you can’t wait for the next one the traveling circus known as No Prep Kings will be kicking off their season at Maple Grove Raceway, hit up the track website for more info and tickets. See you at the Drags!
https://www.maplegroveraceway.com/monthly-race-schedule/
https://www.platinumroofingandrenovations.com/
CLICK HERE IF YOU MISSED THE FIRST GALLERY OR THE VIDEO!
