# Ice Racing the B13!



## blownb310 (Jun 10, 2002)

Hi all, 
I thought you all might get a kick out of this pic taken last weekend on Lake Algonquin in Upstate, NY. I go ice racing during the winter with a club called the Adirondack Motor Enthusiaast Club [A.M.E.C.] I usually run my 'black '93 SE-R, but this week I decided to give my competition a break and run my '91 XE with 200,000 miles on it's GA16DE. Don't let the high miles fool you, this thing runs very well. It came in second place, behind a Saab 900 Turbo [that I had no problem beating last week with the SE-R







]. I run in the Street Legal class, where you can run your street car with studded winter tires [no specially made ice racing tires allowed]. We run on custom designed snow-plowed road courses usually 1 to 1.5 miles per lap. Depending on the length of the straightaway, I have obtained 80+ mph on many occasions. I am amazed at the awesome photography. The photographer's name is Bernard Racelis. Thanks Bernard!


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## B11sleeper (Oct 15, 2003)

fun!


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## sno (Oct 4, 2002)

that's tight :thumbup:


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## Felonious Cat Stalker (May 1, 2002)

Another great shot. If we ever get the B11 street legal, I have to make my way down there.


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## dave_f (Dec 11, 2002)

Just curious, what are you running for tires?
I went up to Pittsfield MA two years ago, but registration was full by the time I got there. I have been contemplating going again next year
-dave

here some pictures of Tim Mather's sentra on ice


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## blownb310 (Jun 10, 2002)

dave_f said:


> Just curious, what are you running for tires?
> I went up to Pittsfield MA two years ago, but registration was full by the time I got there. I have been contemplating going again next year
> -dave


Dave,
Thanks for the link to Tims B13 pics. Tim is a first class guy and ran his car at our A.M.E.C. "Studs on Ice" Trials last Feb. I'm not too sure that the Pittsfield deal is still operational. A.M.E.C. has just completed it's third Studs on Ice trial event two weeks ago. http://www.icerace.com/Studs-on-ice.htm 

The Street Legal class allows any winter tire with street studs protruding no more than 1/16th inch. Studless Hakka Q's and Blizzaks work pretty well too. I use Gislaved Nordfrost 3's. They are not widely known or advertised, but they are available through Saab and Volvo dealers. I wanted the 175/70R14 size, but waited intil mid-Nov. to order them, and had to settle for 185/65R14's. I love them. Only the Hakka 2's can rival them in this class.


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## blownb310 (Jun 10, 2002)

Greetings ice fans,

I have added a second SE-R to my fleet this winter to use as a winter car and aslo to rent out to a fellow ice racer this season. I am currently doing some mantainance on he car, clutch, axle boots, front crank seal, oil pressure switch, belts, etc. It's pretty much ready to go. It was 8 deg. here last night, and I hope this weather continues to build good ice for us this winter. :thumbup:


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## dave_f (Dec 11, 2002)

I am picking up my blizzaks this week, I am planning on making it up to the studs on ice event in febuary. It will be my first time at an ice event. i'm considering putting the supension back to stock for the winter (E springs and struts with no sway bars) what are you guys running for a setup?
-dave


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## HATEnFATE (Dec 24, 2002)

I got a free set of hakka 10's. put em on the Spec-v. GREAT winter tire.
I almost studded my F/S winterforces but decided against it. I wish we had racing like that here in IA. I'd be all over it with my SE-R's or even my Spec-v. Maybe i'll have to travel sometime.


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## RallyBob (Nov 29, 2005)

dave_f said:


> i'm considering putting the supension back to stock for the winter (E springs and struts with no sway bars) what are you guys running for a setup?
> -dave


Tim (Mather) and me always ran our Sentra's on ice with no bars front or rear. We were both running 300/200 springs, me with AGX's and Tim with custom long-travel Leda's. That's about it. The ice can get rutted up after a while so you don't want a low-rider, and without sway bars the suspension works better in the rough stuff (it maintains tire contact better).

Guess I should add that we ran the stiffer springs because with studs there will be some body roll due to enhanced grip. With non-studded tires or street studs you can run softer springs.

HTH, 
Bob


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## rx7racr (Jan 25, 2004)

RallyBob said:


> Tim (Mather) and me always ran our Sentra's on ice with no bars front or rear. We were both running 300/200 springs, me with AGX's and Tim with custom long-travel Leda's. That's about it. The ice can get rutted up after a while so you don't want a low-rider, and without sway bars the suspension works better in the rough stuff (it maintains tire contact better).
> 
> Guess I should add that we ran the stiffer springs because with studs there will be some body roll due to enhanced grip. With non-studded tires or street studs you can run softer springs.
> 
> ...


I run a locked diff and no front sway bar for ice sprints/enduros with full bolt tires. It seems to work quite well...


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## dave_f (Dec 11, 2002)

good thing i kept all my original parts... I have the entire strut assembly intact, so it should only take a few hours to swap it out. They should gain me an extra few inches of wheel travel and the E springs are the stiffest OEM springs for the B13. see you guys there
-dave




RallyBob said:


> Tim (Mather) and me always ran our Sentra's on ice with no bars front or rear. We were both running 300/200 springs, me with AGX's and Tim with custom long-travel Leda's. That's about it. The ice can get rutted up after a while so you don't want a low-rider, and without sway bars the suspension works better in the rough stuff (it maintains tire contact better).
> 
> Guess I should add that we ran the stiffer springs because with studs there will be some body roll due to enhanced grip. With non-studded tires or street studs you can run softer springs.
> 
> ...


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## blownb310 (Jun 10, 2002)

Bob,
Great to hear from you.  

Dave, 
What's this now, the E model B13 springs are the stiffest? I didn't know that. I would have thought the E model springs would be the softest because the E models are the lightest B13s. Tell me more!


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## dave_f (Dec 11, 2002)

The B13 E had the stiffest springs becasue they did not come facotry equiped with sway bars. It was a cost savings on Nissan's part. They are only slightly stiffer.
-dave





blownb310 said:


> Bob,
> Great to hear from you.
> 
> Dave,
> What's this now, the E model B13 springs are the stiffest? I didn't know that. I would have thought the E model springs would be the softest because the E models are the lightest B13s. Tell me more!


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## blownb310 (Jun 10, 2002)

dave_f said:


> The B13 E had the stiffest springs becasue they did not come facotry equiped with sway bars. It was a cost savings on Nissan's part. They are only slightly stiffer.
> -dave


 Interesting thanks!


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## StevenLK (Jul 15, 2002)

haha looks like funn


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## dave_f (Dec 11, 2002)

I heard this years "studs on ice" was canceld... did anyone else hear this?
-dave


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## blownb310 (Jun 10, 2002)

dave_f said:


> I heard this years "studs on ice" was canceld... did anyone else hear this?
> -dave


 Dave,

It is true. Here's a cut and paste copy of a post on the subject on our A.M.E.C. message board:

"_I know this will come as a surprise to you all, but after discussing it at Saturday night's A.M.E.C. monthly elections dinner and meeting, A.M.E.C. has decided so skip this year's Studs on Ice event and concentrate it's energies in the first ever Historic Ice Races scheduled for February 24th and 25th. 

All is not lost however, as all Studs on Ice participants with cars that conform to any of A.M.E.C.'s regular weekly wheel to wheel classes can always come out and join us there. Several of you already plan to do so and we welcome you. Alex Kuhner, Peter Monin, Otis Dimitters, Alex Kozik, Chet Burton, and others are ready to run in SLU-4 this season. So there's no reason you can't still have some fun on the ice this winter. We'll see you on the ice!_"


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## rx7racr (Jan 25, 2004)

You can always check out NMIRA 

www.chaosmotorsports.com/ice


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## blownb310 (Jun 10, 2002)

rx7racr said:


> You can always check out NMIRA
> 
> www.chaosmotorsports.com/ice


 Yes, but I am not aware that they do an ice trial event. They do 3 and 6 hr. enduro races. The closest thing to an ice trial is A.M.E.C. Street Legal class ice racing. Virtually no car prep needed, a very strict no-contact rules for drivers, and no junk is allowed to race. You will see many late model cars out there running wheel to wheel without a scratch. These two are not late model, but they are appropriate for these forums anyway.


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## dave_f (Dec 11, 2002)

I was considering attending the boston chapter BMW club ice race in NH... but it looks like some of their events have been canceld and postponed.
This will be my first time on the ice so I am a little leary about attending a wheel to wheel event. 
-dave


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## blownb310 (Jun 10, 2002)

That's completely understandable Dave. 

Don't worry Stan and the boys at BMWCCA will have events this year. Last year their first event wasn't until mid February, but they had a few more after that to make a good season. Everyone is writing off January at this point.


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## rx7racr (Jan 25, 2004)

blownb310 said:


> Yes, but I am not aware that they do an ice trial event. They do 3 and 6 hr. enduro races. The closest thing to an ice trial is A.M.E.C. Street Legal class ice racing. Virtually no car prep needed, a very strict no-contact rules for drivers, and no junk is allowed to race. You will see many late model cars out there running wheel to wheel without a scratch. These two are not late model, but they are appropriate for these forums anyway.


wasn't sure exactly what you were looking for - but NMIRA is LOTS of fun. I've run many of their sprint and enduro races and it's always a BLAST!! But yes - there tends to be a bit of contact, and cars certainly end up looking like "junk."

As far as I know, for Ice Trials, hooking up with Stan Jackson's crew at Newfound Lake is probably your best bet. They've always been very friendly and welcoming (though you get VERY limited seat time at their events).

I think there are some guys in VT that do ice trials too, but I'm not sure, and I've not yet had any personal experience with AMEC - though I know they're regarded as the "big" ice racing club in the northeast - and I'd love to see one of their events some time!!

Either way - PRAY FOR COLD!!!!


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## blownb310 (Jun 10, 2002)

rx7racr said:


> I think there are some guys in VT that do ice trials too, but I'm not sure.


 Yes that is correct. Their website is located *here*. 

Cheers,

Mike


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## dave_f (Dec 11, 2002)

sorry to resurrect and old thread, but... are you guys planning on racing this season?
-dave


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## blownb310 (Jun 10, 2002)

dave_f said:


> sorry to resurrect and old thread, but... are you guys planning on racing this season?
> -dave


Thanks Dave, there's nothing wrong with bumping this thread at all. It's the perfect time of year for it. There is a reported 8" to 10" of ice on Algonquin Lake as of yesterday. So we won't quite have the 12" we need by Sunday. So our January 3rd opener is cancelled, but we hope/expect to get started the next weekend on the 10th. It's always best to log onto Adirondack Motor Enthusiast Club on Friday night or Saturday morning to see the decision whether we're racing or not on Sunday.

Mike

P.S. No one ever really expects to get a race on in the first weekend of January anyway. That only happens about once every 15 to 20 years. But we always "schedule" one anyway, just in case.


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## dave_f (Dec 11, 2002)

thanks mike, I'll check out the amec formum. Are they planning any time trial events in 2010?
-dave





blownb310 said:


> Thanks Dave, there's nothing wrong with bumping this thread at all. It's the perfect time of year for it. There is a reported 8" to 10" of ice on Algonquin Lake as of yesterday. So we won't quite have the 12" we need by Sunday. So our January 3rd opener is cancelled, but we hope/expect to get started the next weekend on the 10th. It's always best to log onto Adirondack Motor Enthusiast Club on Friday night or Saturday morning to see the decision whether we're racing or not on Sunday.
> 
> Mike
> 
> P.S. No one ever really expects to get a race on in the first weekend of January anyway. That only happens about once every 15 to 20 years. But we always "schedule" one anyway, just in case.


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## blownb310 (Jun 10, 2002)

dave_f said:


> thanks mike, I'll check out the amec forum. Are they planning any time trial events in 2010?
> -dave


No, the club's members don't want to give up a day of their wheel to wheel for it any more. But I am hoping that the Sports Car Club of Vermont will have a TT event on ice this year. Link is *HERE*.

What would you be driving if there is one?

Mike


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