Ice racing tentatively back this Saturday
Ice racing made its return to Kahnawake last year, and the winter racers are hoping to continue in 2026, ice conditions permitting. File photo
Winter speedsters are watching the weather report with trepidation this week, hoping for cold enough conditions to allow them to get behind the wheel of their ice racers for their first races of the year.
That’s because a mild front of weather, along with ships still going through the Seaway until very recently, caused conditions to be deemed too unsafe to race on their original start date last Saturday.
With colder temperatures to finish the week, including overnight temperatures on Friday night going down to -17 C, Kahnawake Ice Racing commissioner Bryar Lawrence announced on Facebook that racing would be on this Saturday, January 17, with the green flag scheduled to be waved at 11 a.m.
“That’s perfect for a good sheet of ice for race day,” said Kiefer Diabo, one of the racers who will be taking part in the season opener, held by the Kahnawake Marina.
The entry fee for racers is $50, adult spectators will need to spend $10 to attend, and kids get in free.
Ice racing returned to Kahnawake last year, with the first race in late January held as the Brandon White Memorial Ice Race, in honour of the local NASCAR driver who passed away of cancer at age 45 in 2020.
That had been the first race since two cars fell through the ice in March 2023, with all occupants escaping unharmed. The season was not held at all in 2024 as mild temperatures prevented thick enough ice from forming – the standard is 15 or so inches in each corner of the oval track, although it is not an exact science.
Diabo, who has been helping out with track maintenance, said that it has not been too difficult to keep things clear so far, to give the ice a good chance to thicken before Saturday.
“I’m hoping for a good first event. Everyone seems pretty excited to get things rolling,” said Diabo.
That includes many non-locals, who bring their cars to compete on the frozen surface.
That will also include Diabo, who will be behind the wheel racing for the first time in nine years, although he has not been away from the sport totally.
“I have always kept coming back to watch and give a helping hand whenever I could,” he said.
Diabo said he stepped away from racing while he dealt with personal issues.
“I had to step away from some things I enjoyed doing to clear my mind,” he said.
His friend, Bryan Martin, wanted to help Diabo get back into ice racing, so he generously donated him one of his two cars so they could race alongside each other.
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“I took the opportunity because I missed it,” said Diabo.
What he missed most was the action on track, he said. “The thrill of going fast and the competitiveness of it.”
If the weather cooperates, he and many others will be able to experience that thrill for themselves this weekend.
