Sweden might be most famous for it's flat packed furniture, boxy cars and freezing winters, but every year for the last ten years it has hosted a rather special event.
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Due to the well below freezing winter temperatures the lakes freeze over completely, the ice is so thick you can drive a truck on it. Now, believe me Sweden has a lot of lakes, some are small, others extremely large. So if you were to plow a path across one of these lakes wouldn't that be the perfect place to test the top speed of your vehicle...
Anders Söderlunds Porsche 997 Turbo SMR, end trap speed was 289 kmh with a 280 kmh average speed over 1 km.
The top speed event Speedweekend is held at Årsunda where there is a lake large enough to make a road of ice long enough for a vehicle to accelerate to over 300 kmh and back to zero. 2 strips were plowed this year. A 5 km long strip and a shorter strip approx 2.5 km used mainly by motorcycles and some other weird and wonderful vehicles. There was also a landing strip for light aircraft, a rally stage with left and right hand curves, an oval circuit for Ice Speedway and even a circuit for Hovercraft racing!
There were several thousand spectators at the event mainly gathered at the start for the top speed event.
The Speed Weekend event is organised by Landracing.se
Landracing also organises the Swedish Street Race Championships for Drag Racing and other motorsports events such as the One Mile top speed event.
Record Speed Measurement
The speeds are measured thus: Using a 1 km speed trap, the speed into the "trap" and the speed out the "trap" is also measured. But most important for record winning is the average speed over the 1 km between the in and out.
It takes nerves of steel and extreme skill to hold any of these vehicles on a straight and narrow path at the speeds achieved. Although the lake is plowed and scraped many times over the surface is still not glass smooth. Plus its ice, which is not known for its grip. Both cars and motorcycles have in previous years been breaking the 300 kmh barrier.
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Ari Klemettinen's Anarchbusa, a tuned Suzuki Hayabusa, reached 280 kmh
Micke Karlssons Suzuki GSXR at the start line. Micke managed a max of 290 kmh 280 kmh average.
The Propster managed 148 kmh powered by a battery and a propeller!
Last minute adjustments to the Pulse Jet Snowmobile
All manner of contraptions are on display and ready to compete!
But who was fastest?
Fastest car at Speed Weekend 2018 was an Audi S6, with a top speed of 324 kmh and an average speed over 1 km of 314 kmh.
This unassuming Audi took the win for fastest outright car this year.
Fastest motorcycle was a Suzuki Hayabusa, with a top speed of 303 kmh and an average speed over 1 km of 299 kmh.
Pawel Ratajczak with his amazingly fast Hayabusa
Pawel travels from Poland to Sweden several times a year to compete with his Suzuki Hayabusa in drag race and top speed events. At Speed Weekend in 2016 he averaged 314 kmh. Making him the only motocycle rider in the Landracing 300 kmh on ice club.
Hydrogen Peroxide Drag Sled, the Main Event!
This year the Rocketboys, led by Kurt Anderson, a group of American rocket powered drag race enthusiasts planned to break the 400 kmh barrier. That's 248.5 miles per hour! Not only that but at the same time Kurt planned to break all of the standing start and top speed records on both snow and ice. Using a custom built Rocket Sled called the Arctic Arrow, powered by a hydrogen peroxide rocket engine.
The Arctic Arrow is towed about 1km out on to the ice, for safety reasons.
Arctic Arrow prepping for a launch!
Unfortunately due to a technical difficulty the Arrow did not achieve a launch on Saturday until the event had closed for the day, so photo opportunities of it running were all gone. The run was short and the Arrow didn't stay straight and true to it's name, it span on the ice after drifting slightly to the right and hitting a snow bank. Luckily all the safety gear worked and Kurt was able to exit the Arrow unscathed after crashing at over 200 kmh.
The previous day Kurt had made a test run resulting in an entry speed of 275 kmh, exit speed was 260 kmh.
Kurt has posted a 360 video of the run on his Facebook page, link below:
https://www.facebook.com/Kurt.with.a.K/videos/10211702677466661/
Rally and Speedway:
There was more fun to be had than just going fast in a straight line with all manner of vehicles competing in an Ice Rally and an oval track built to showcase Ice Speedway.
Tommi Makinen edition Mitubishi EVO exciting the rally circuit.
Young Speedway star showing how its done!
Other Sights and sounds...
There's cool, then there's this guy :)
Cross Cart used for the Ice Rally, decides to try for a top speed run also.
Homemade Hot Rod lines up to try the Top Speed event
Replica Super 7 light weight with motorcycle
Fur hats are the must have fashion accessory at Ice Races
A great day out for speed freaks everywhere!
The weekend was a great success inspite of the failure of the Rocketboys record attempt. The sights and sounds here are so varied, you can spend many hours looking at the amazing vehicles both on the strip as well as on display in the pits.
The event grows every year, with increasing types of events to participate in and spectate. Next year in February 2019 the Rocketboys plan to return to Sweden and finish what they have started, I'll be there to watch for sure, will you?
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