The World’s Fastest Ice
Speed! It’s all about the speed! Or is it? Maybe for many, but not for me. I don’t find it particularly interesting to see a car very quickly disappearing into the distance on a long straight. But what I really admire here is the variety of vehicles taking part in the Speed Weekend in Sandviken’s Hedåsbadet.
I visited Speed Weekend for the first time two years ago. In the past, the event was based in Årsunda but was recently moved to the other side of the same lake, to Sandviken. The formula stays the same. Anyone can try to break the speed record on ice with any kind of machinery. Cars or motorcycles. Ultralight wind-powered vehicles or deafening flame-throwing monsters—everything is welcomed. Not only the source of power differs, but also the means of holding the vehicle on the ground. Studded tires are obviously the most popular, but skids or saw blades are not ruled out either.
Winter events for classic cars are becoming more and more popular. The F.A.T Ice Race in Zell am See makes all Porsche enthusiast hearts beat faster, and The ICE in St. Moritz captivates its audience with a breathtaking view of multimillion-dollar classic cars and outfits worn by the participants, which are hardly worth any less. Speedweekend is also about cars and ice, but with all the posh elements removed, pure enjoyment and passion for machines come to the front of the class.
This year’s best score belongs to Konny Isaksson in the Toyota Supra. The average speed this combo achieved was 345.72 Km/h. Unfortunately, the charge of the veteran of the event and record holder, Vidar Jodahl from Buldre Racing Team, was halted by mechanical problems of his 1500 bhp BMW M3.
In the motorbike category, Paweł Ratajczak, who was holding the speed record for many years, came second to Carl Olsen, who achieved the average speed of 291.26 Km/h on his Suzuki Gsx 750R Turbo.
The team that year after year delivers the best show is Brooklyn Choppers Garage. I was impatiently waiting for their runs. Jet engines are most commonly associated with great speeds, but their flame-propelled sleds are much better at creating noise than velocity. One thing is for certain: no one can remain unmoved by their creations. Unfortunately, I was disappointed to see only a few of their runs.
Nothing can be more different to the scrapyard-build machines described before, than a new KIA EV. But I think it's worthy of recognition that KIA Sweden decided to show the potential of EV6 GT in such an event and break the speed record for EV on ice. 247.88 km/h average speed is more than satisfactory for stock family car.
Drivers queuing at the start line were not the only ones to experience speed and emotions. Many thrilling attractions awaited the visitors of the event too. I couldn’t resist driving a go-cart with studded tires on ice. Other options included a short flight in a helicopter, a ride in a hovercraft, and taking the passenger seat in a taxi speeding sideways on a racing track built on the lake.
The combination of record-breaking speeds and home-made machinery gives the Speedweekend a unique character. Complement it with picturesque winter landscapes and the happy faces of the drivers, and a recipe for a weekend to remember is ready.
