Ice Drifting 2026 (Jan 18-19)

This is what we wait all winter for.

Every year, once the lakes freeze and the studs come out, ice drifting becomes the thing we all look forward to most. The cold, the early mornings, loading cars in the dark — it’s all worth it the second tires hit the ice.

This last ice drift event delivered exactly that.

We rolled into the day with temps sitting around -5°C, which honestly felt pretty nice once things got going. A light dusting of snow helped clean the surface and the ice was solid, measuring roughly 11–13 inches depending on the area. Good conditions, good grip, and plenty of confidence to run hard while still respecting the ice.

We ended up running two large tracks for the day. The beginner track got lost to water, but the main layouts more than made up for it. Long corners, room to carry speed, and lots of chances to link things together.

We brought out two rental cars — the BMW E82 and the BRZ — and both saw a ton of seat time. The E82 was basically living on track all day and the driver couldn’t stop talking about how fun it was. The BRZ proved again why it’s such a solid, predictable platform on ice. The G37 was supposed to make an appearance with its fresh engine, but shop timing had other plans. It’s ready — just didn’t quite make it out this time.

As usual, half the fun was talking tires and stud setups. Different rear-drive stud packages, aggressive fronts, sealant experiments, and plenty of opinions flying around the pits. Some cars felt almost unspinable, others were right on the edge, and a few people found the limit the hard way with blown tires and broken studs. That’s ice drifting — test, learn, adjust, repeat.

As the day went on, the pace picked up. Tandems started forming, drivers got comfortable chasing, and the energy stayed high. A few minor casualties showed up — a lost side skirt, some battle scars — but nothing that slowed the day down. Everyone was smiling, everyone was having a good time, and that’s really the goal.

Huge thanks to everyone who came out, signed up, followed the rules, and helped make the event run smoothly. Ice drifting isn’t just about driving — it’s about hanging out, talking setups, and getting through winter together the right way.

And yeah… we’re already counting down to the next one.