Ice Speedway for Brit

British speedway rider James Mann will be one of the main contenders for the 2004/5 World Championship ICE Racing Series.

“Mad Dog” Mann won the 2003 Nitro Speedway class for nitromethane-fuelled, brakeless speedway bikes, which go from 0-60mph in under 3 seconds on an ice hockey rink. Mann was close to a second title in 2004 when he crashed, leaving him with broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder.

He’ll face the most successful speedway ice racer of all time, Charlie “The Edge” Venegas, who has six titles to name name, alongside Robert “Kid” Curry (three titles), and Ronny Kemp (two-time National champion).

Other classes promising action are the Xtreme Open Speedway Karts, Unlimited Outlaw Quads, and the new Flat Track Mad Dog class for four-stroke bikes up to 150cc. This class allows racers as young as 16 to fit studs to the tyres of their off-road bikes and go racing on ice.

The series runs at North American sports arenas from December 18, 2004 to April 10, 2005, so if you’re in the U.S., or planning a holiday, why not see the maddest motorcyclists in the world.

2004/2005 dates:

Dec 18, 2004: Everett Events Center, Everett, WA.

Jan 8, 2005: Xcel Energy Center, St Paul, MN

Jan 14, 2005: Budweiser Events Center, Loveland, CO.

Jan 28-29, 2005: Tucson Convention Center, Tucson, AZ.

Feb 4, 2005: The Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV.

Feb 18, 2005: Sarnia Entertainment and Sports Centre, Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.

Feb 19, 2005: The Corel Centre, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Feb 25, 2005: Sovereign Bank Arena, Trenton, NJ.

2005 Grand Finale: TBA.

If you’ve ever watched Ice Racing, tell us what it was like by following the link on the right of the page.