Wisconsin Ice Kart Series History and Future

by Roger McVitty

2-28-08

Note: Check out the video at the bottom of the page!

My brother Bob and I discovered ice racing karts in the winter of 1992, at the urging of a good friend. This was a rather crude affair, by some standards. These were yard karts, with studded tires. Many of the karts had no brakes, only a lever with some spikes used to assist the cornering. The flags were basically sticks with rags tied to the ends. There were very few rules, and a point system. They raced for bragging rights and the top three got their names put on a plaque in the bar. But mostly, you raced for fun. The races were held on Mill Pond, in front of the Fox Den, in Balsam Lake, WI.

After watching for about two minutes, the decision was made. We had to do it. So, the following year we got some karts and started "competing". In 2001, the folks at the Fox Den sort of got out of it. Not wanting to end it all, my new wife Kathy, the good friend and I went on a small road trip in hopes of finding a new place to race. A place was found, some phone calls were made, and racing started on Lake Wopogasset, in front of Leverty's Landing, a bar that has since burned down. Over the next couple of years it grew to the point where Kathy and I had to take ‘ownership' of it, due to possible legal situations, and the Wisconsin Ice Kart Series was born. Our goal was to provide a racing series for karts in the winter that is family friendly, safe, competitive, simple, and cheap as possible. Most of all we strive to have fun.

Following a couple of years of racing on Lake Wopogasset, we moved to Bone Lake, 11 miles north of Hwy 8 in front of Wilkins Bar and Resort near Luck, WI. We watched slow, but steady growth of the series, by combining some of the past rules with some of the present needs, adding and subtracting classes as necessary. We even ran open Winged Outlaw Karts for one season. The series started this year with four classes of karts, and we currently run three classes, a blue ohv engine kid’s class called Stock Lites, a Modified class for the adults, and Jr Winged Outlaws.

There have been some special races, including a few 50 lappers, some twin 25’s show for mid season, and we usually try to get at least one night race in per year. The track gets lit up with halogen lights powered by generators, and has that real Saturday night at the track atmosphere to it. The races have never been canceled due to cold weather. We took our show on the road one time, racing in Hayward, WI. The temp that day was –20! Track maintenance consists of believe it or not, water. When the track gets rough, we flood it with a pump, let it freeze and it’s like new the following week. Ideally, the track would receive this treatment every other week, but much like farming, there is a gamble with the weather. If it gets warm, the water won’t freeze. If it snows too much before the water freezes, it turns to slush and doesn’t freeze nice. Mother Nature has won her fair share of races.

Currently, WIKS is at a crossroads. Due to other racing interests and personal reasons, Kathy and I will no longer be running WIKS at the conclusion of the current racing season. I have taken the series as far as I can. It is time for new leadership and fresh ideas, so I will be handing the reigns over to someone else. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone that has raced with, supported and helped us over the past few years. None of this would have been possible without the drivers and volunteer help, and I thank them all.

-Roger McVitty

For more information, visit the WIKS website.

info@wingedoutlawsonline.com

© 2008 Nathalie Zweber