Action: Swiss ice speedway Champex-Lac/VS
Thrilling ice spectacle on two wheels: On January 21 and 22, 2017, the first Swiss ice speedway with motorcycles whose tires are fitted with nails in three years will take place in Champex-Lac above Martigny/VS. After the official Swiss ice speedway championship, the highlight will be an internationally strong competition. Incredible 28 millimeters long are the total of 350 [...]
The total of 350 (!) nails that are screwed into the tire flanks of the 80-horsepower ice speedway motorcycles at the front and rear are an incredible 28 millimeters long. This makes it possible to achieve lean angles on the bare ice that MotoGP stars like Valentino Rossi or Tom Lüthi can only dream of. Even crazier: these ice rockets, powered by environmentally friendly methanol, have no brakes despite top speeds of up to 130 km/h! Falls are not entirely harmless in view of the menacing nail wheels; quite a few of the long-time ice speedway heroes - there are drivers with professional status in Scandinavia and Russia - wear marks caused by the nails on their bodies as souvenirs.
The first race runs start at 1 p.m. each day
On January 21 and 22, 2017 (postponement date depending on the condition of the ice is February 11 and 12), an ice speedway will be held for the first time in Champex-Lac near Orsières, just 15 minutes by car from Martigny/VS in the direction of the Great St. Bernard. Practice starts at 9 a.m., with the races starting at 1 p.m. on both days. For the Swiss championship, the favorites Simon Gartmann, Ronny Häring and Tomas Cavigelli will be at the start. Five-time and current Supermoto Swiss Champion Philippe Dupasquier will also be fighting for points in Champex, as will his colleagues Jarno Möri and Daniel Müller, who have also won several championship titles.
www.ice-speedway.ch
Photo: Archive
