Ice speedway: what is this sport? History, motorcycles championships

Extreme sports for real men - so often referred to as a sport, we want to present to you. This is a speedway on the ice. We invite the reader into the world of roaring motorcycles, good ice and fearless character.

Speedway - motorcycle racing on ice

Speedway (which takes place on ice) - a type of racing, which runs on an oval track, covered with ice. Sometimes the competition is held on the frozen lake. Athletes follow the track (length - 260 by 425 m) counterclockwise. The rules are almost the same as in the classic speedway.

These racing - not the most famous sport. Ice speedway - this is a dangerous and traumatic task. It happens that athletes receive wounds that are not compatible with life. Ice Speedway has been known since the thirties of the last century, but it has long been a hobby of ordinary riders. Only in 1960 he became a discipline, supervised by the International Federation of motosportivnoy. Since then, the world championship for the speedway on the ice.

A particular sport is always more common in countries with the most suitable conditions for it. Hence, ice speedway is popular in the states, which lie in the northern latitudes of Russia, Finland, Austria and Sweden. I must say that a number of major events held in Germany.

Features motorcycles

At first glance it seems that the technology for the speedway on the ice like a normal motorcycle racing. However, there are differences, and they are quite serious:

• Reinforced frame rigidity.
• speedway on ice for Tires fitted imposing metal studs allowing to establish engagement with the slippery surface.
• Tire width - 28 mm.
• On the front wheel necessarily 200 studs on the rear - 150.
• A longer wheelbase.
• An impressive area of ​​the rear wheel and the front part covered with special plastic covers - this is done to reduce the risk of injury to the athlete.
• Two speed gearbox.
• 2-valve engine.
• The fuel tank does not exceed 4 liters.
• Use a special fuel - methanol.

The volume of engines in vehicles involved in international competitions, - 500 cm ³. For less demanding championships - from 450 to 125 cm ³. As in the past, and at present is dominated by Java engines Czech manufacturer. Due to the good adhesion with ice blade 4-cylinder engine for the competition changed to a 2-cylinder.

races Rules

Competition regulations are generally not different from the classic speedway:

• In a race involving four riders - in a team or individually.
• Every athlete has to do 4 laps around the track. Thus, the maximum distance length - not more than 1, 7 km (425 m x 4).
• The winner - the one who was the first to reach the finish line.
• If in the championship, a series of races, the riders are awarded points: first place - 3, the second - 2, the third - 1, the fourth - 0. As the amount and detected victor.

Championships and winners

If we look at the standings of the competition's different, it can be noted with pride that the ice speedway - almost traditional Russian sport. See for yourself:

• World Cup 2000-2015 .: 15 times the winner turned out to our country and only 1 time - Sweden. Distinguished the following athletes: Daniel Ivanov, Dmitry Koltakov, Nikolai Krasnikov, Vitaly Homitsevich Kirill Drogalina Dmitry Bulankin.
• European Championship 2000-2015 .: over 15 wins for Russia and 1 victory over Austria. Triumph celebrated following domestic motorcycle racer Maxim Zakharov, Yuri Polikarpov, Dmitry Bulankin Vladimir Fadeev, Dmitry Homitsevich Andrew Shishegov Igor Saidullin, Yunir base Vasili Kosov, Basil Nesytyh Sergei Karachintsev.

The history of ice speedway

Unfortunately, history has not preserved the name of the person who left the first fearlessly on a motorcycle on the ice. We only know that allegedly happened in the 1920s. At the same time and held its first competition in this speedway. However, it is a long time existed only as entertainment for ordinary drivers. Only cinder speedway, popular at that time in Europe, changed the attitude to the ice - the latter identified as a separate kind of sports.

But the first known Soviet athlete, who went on the ice on a motorcycle. They were Sergey Buchin. The event occurred in January 1939 - it highlighted the newspaper 'Red sports'. And after a decade it has been organized competition on the speedway on the ice. It held the tenth in March 1940 at the Moscow Hippodrome. Event timed to the 18th Congress of the ACP (b).

In 1960 he played the Cup of Friendship of Peoples. The tournament was attended to only Soviet motorcycle racer, but also athletes from Sweden, Czechoslovakia and Finland. The first USSR championship racing on ice was carried out a little earlier - in 1959. And in 1966, under the auspices of the International Federation of motorsport staged the first world championship on a speedway on the ice. Since 1976, it has been held, and the like team competitions. There is also the practice of the European Individual Championship.

Ice speedway - a little-known, traumatic, but quite entertaining and interesting sport. What is distinctive, the vast majority of winning the championship here - for the Russians.