Despite a weather-enforced hiccup in preparations this past weekend, volunteers involved with the Minden Ice Races remain hopeful of launching its 2026 season as intended Jan. 24-25.
With temperatures climbing as high as 10C on Saturday, accompanied by rain, longtime local racer and helper Jim Carrell said work ground to a halt at the fairgrounds.
“We still have some ice in there, we didn’t lose any ice, but the weather really held us up. We should be making ice around the clock at this time of year, but you can’t when it’s raining,” Carrell said. “It’s not the first time that’s happened to us.”
With unseasonably warm weather limiting the ice racing season in Minden in recent years, Carrell said organizers are committed to launching later this month. “We certainly intend to try for Jan. 24/25,” he said. Work transforming the track, taken on annually by the Minden Kinsmen, began in late November.
The races are celebrating 50 years in Minden in 2026. Carrell said the event was first held on frozen swampland, moving to the fairgrounds in the late 1970s. He noted the fairgrounds is one of the few dryland tracks still open in Canada, hosting official competition on behalf of the Canadian Automobile Sport Clubs (CASC).
The season typically spans six weekends, Carrell said, noting he’s been a fixture at the Minden races for more than 20 years.
“I’m very excited. I’m just so happy to get out on the track and go racing. We’re hoping for a busy season,” Carrell said, noting there’s usually 60 racers each weekend.
The races are open to anyone, with Carrell noting he spent about $2,500 all-in buying and preparing a 2009 Subaru Forester for the event. For rules on registration, visit casc. on.ca.
Carrell notes it’s pre-tech weekend Jan. 17 and 18, with CASC representatives on-hand all day Saturday and Sunday vetting vehicles for entry. Safety checks take approximately 30 minutes.
“It’s all done by appointment – they’re making sure all the plastic is off the car so that the track doesn’t get littered in the event of a collision. All cars need to have proper number boards, a rear-facing light bright enough to be seen through the snow dust, and working brake lights,” he said. “They’ll also be checking for working seatbelts, making sure batteries are properly secured and some other mechanical things.”
Elaine Willis, CASC ice racing director, said there’s a need for more volunteers to help with the upcoming season. CASC is looking for corner marshals and flaggers, grid crew and pit marshals, scrutineers and tech inspectors, timekeepers, stewards and administrators to help with registration.
She said no prior experience is necessary – just a willingness to help and learn on the job. For more information, contact iceracedir@gmail.com.
