In every corner of Minnesota, there are good stories waiting to be told of places that make our state great and people who in Walt Whitman’s words “contribute a verse” each day. MPR News sent longtime reporter Dan Gunderson on a mission to capture those stories as part of a new series called “Wander & Wonder: Exploring Minnesota’s unexpected places.”

Cars traveling at high speeds and glare ice might sound like a disaster in the making. But for dozens of drivers in Otter Tail County, it’s a recipe for winter fun. 

Some of the race cars idling on the ice of Bass Lake near Underwood are dented and dirty. 

Some are smartly painted and recently washed. But they are all here on a Sunday afternoon for the same reason, to go as fast as they can on a half-mile oval ice track.

“Fishing is bad right now, so we’re all out here playing,” said Dave Holmgren, leader of this group of about 50 drivers.

He wears a green vest with Mr. Official emblazoned on the back and a perpetual smile.

Ice racing has been happening for about 30 years here at Underwood, sponsored by the local Lions Club. Holmgren started ice racing in his 20s, some 45 years ago.

“Then I got my boy started into it,” he said, pointing to a burly, bearded guy who shares the good humor gene.

Jake Holmgren is 29 and has been ice racing since he was 15.

For him the attraction is about fun and socializing.

“Going in circles, passing cars, doing some doughnuts,” he said by way of explaining the draw of racing on sheer ice. “Then when you’re all said and done, pick up a nice hot dog and chips and a drink. It's just entertainment.”

The food shack raises money for charitable donations.

Dave Holmgren said the sport is growing in popularity. About 50 drivers show up on a typical Sunday, and more young drivers are coming out to race.

“We’re all out here having fun. We’re pretty decent guys,” he said with a laugh. “Pretty much everybody here is a volunteer. It’s kind of a whole community thing. It’s been that way for a long time.”

There are different classes of cars. Some sport studded tires that rip up the ice at 80 miles per hour. Cars with regular tires might hit top speeds of 30 mph.

“It probably ain’t the fastest thing with the rubber tires, but I tell you what, if you’ve got good patience, you’re at the right place at the right time, you can always wave to your buddy when you go by,” Dave Holmgren said. 

Some racers spend thousands on engines enhanced for speed. Others invest little in cars beyond tires. Tire technology has changed over the years to improve safety. 

“When we first started we had just plain tires and now we've got a track tire,” said Dave Holmgren. “That changed everything.”

There are relatively few crashes. Most involve a car sliding into the snow berm surrounding the track.

“There’s a little bit of paint swapping,” Dave Holmgren said, explaining the on-track jousting for position. “For the most part, everybody’s pretty good about it. Might get one occasionally who might be a little upset, but we all talk to one another.”

The ice racers encourage passengers during races. And kids as young as seven can race with their parents’ permission.

Kids like 14-year-old Claire Blaskowski drive cars with regular tires that top out at about 30 miles per hour. Claire has been racing for three years.

“My dad started doing it and I really liked sitting in the car with him and then I started doing the kids races,” she explained, adding that she just likes going fast.

She doesn’t yet have a driver’s license but she knows how to drive on ice and she doesn’t crash very often. 

“Sometimes,” she admitted. “It depends on how the ice is. It’s different every weekend.”

Her dad Chris Blaskowski drives in the fast studded tire class. He started racing here five years ago.

“We really enjoy it,” he said. “I didn’t think I’d be doing it this long but then my daughter started enjoying it so we keep coming.”

They make the two hour trip from St. Cloud every winter weekend when the ice is thick enough to race. 

He has no qualms about putting his daughter in a race car. 

“I actually think it’s a good experience for her to learn,” he said. “I think the more they can screw around, spin out, maybe even get hit, it’s just going to help them be better drivers when they get their license.”

Fifteen minutes before racing starts, drivers gather around Mr. Official.  

“Thanks for coming again,” he tells the group. “Now this is the third week, and we all know what happens in the third week. You animals eat some raw meat or some iron or something?"

This is his way of telling the drivers to rein in aggressive driving.

“We all need to enhance our calmness now, OK? We ain’t running for Daytona money,” he added, “so take it easy, so we can have some fun.”

This isn’t about the money. A driver who wins all the races in their class today might take home a whopping $15 in prize money, not enough to cover the cost of gas. 

Dave Holmgren said the goal is to raise money for charitable donations through the Lions Club.

He thinks too much prize money will take the fun out of ice racing.

There doesn’t seem to be any danger of that happening for drivers like Jake Holmgren.

“As soon as you get in a car, you're gonna be hooked into ice racing. It’s that simple.”

Collected from Minnesota Public Radio News. View original source here.