Some families go camping or hiking. Others ski or snowshoe.
The Jakabeks race their cars on ice.
Jessica Jakabek was nine when her father, Peter, joined the Winnipeg Sports Car Club’s ice racing circuit in 2014. She was 13 when her mom, Marlene, started.
The Clandeboye family’s weekends during the winter are spent with other thrill-seeking Manitobans who race around man-made tracks on iced-over lakes across the province.
Up to 15 vehicles will cruise around a one-kilometre track for 10 minutes. Each class — studded, street safe and drift — will race four times in a day.
This season, the circuit has stopped in Beausejour, Winnipeg, St. Adolphe and Winnipeg Beach every other weekend since January. Racers have accumulated points toward the championship race in Gimli, which goes March 8-9.
The Jakabeks have always made it a special outing.
“It was a family event,” Marlene said of the days when Peter raced alone. “At the time, we had a big RV, and I was bringing hot food, like slow cooker food. There was always about 20 of us at the race track; our friends and family would come and watch. So the kids would go, and we’d tag along, we’d be there for the whole day.
“And then when Peter and I raced… it was even more fun, like we had fun doing it and everybody had fun watching it.”
Jessica’s time behind the wheel was inevitable. Now 19, she’s taken her dad’s car for the season to join Marlene, who has made a return to the series for the first time in three years.
“I grew up around the track as a kid, and I always wanted to be in the race car. It was always my dream, I always thought about it, and then this year when we actually got the chance, I knew that I was doing it,” said Jessica, who is the youngest driver to race this season.
“And I know there’s not a lot of (female) ice race drivers, at least in this area it’s just me an my mom, so I think that’s pretty cool.”
Jessica, one of four rookies, has raced against her mom twice so far, and they will do so again in Gimli. Jessica is not as competitive as Marlene — she’s more focused on earning experience right now — but she doesn’t want to finish last.
“It’s been really good racing with my mom. I guess it’s pretty cool to see her in the rear-view mirror when you’re driving on the track, but, yeah, it’s a really good feeling,” she said.
Marlene has also enjoyed the shared experience with her daughter, but can’t help her motherly instinct kicking in at times. She said the most nerving part is the start of each race, when cars haven’t separated yet and there’s more opportunity for Jessica to take a few bumps.
“It’s been a lot of fun, although I’m nervous to have my kid on the ice. It is dangerous because you’re going as fast as you can go, and you’re going around those corners, and somebody can bump you, and you can be flying off the banks there and roll your car. I mean, we have cages and all that, we’re secure in there, but it’s been fun,” Marlene said.
“I was a little nervous about Jessica racing… but you know what, she seems to be a natural at it.”
Crashes are relatively rare in competition, though it’s common to see a few spinouts into snowbanks. Tracks are 60 feet wide on straightaways and up to 80 feet wide in the corners.
There is also some training involved. A Class 5 licence is required, then prospective competitors must complete a separate course tailored to race etiquette. There are also veteran drivers at each event available to mentor newcomers.
In the most competitive class, studded, drivers race on studded tires designed for traction on ice and can reach speeds up to 120 km/hr. The drift class is the most recreational level and where many novice drivers start, as they can race with their street cars.
Tim Gordienko, one of the most experienced drivers at 66 years old, has competed in every class but currently races in the street safe class, reaching speeds up to 80 km/hr. Gordienko has raced in the local series since 1982 and, along with his wife, Gloria, has become an important volunteer and an advocate for the niche sport.
“It’s very affordable racing,” said Gordienko, a Stonewall resident who has raced at the Lac La Biche Winter Festival of Speed in Alberta.
“It’s a very easy sport to get into. We’ll mentor you in. We have a number of veteran drivers that come back every year, and if you want to get involved, you call Winnipeg Sports Car Club and you come out to the event.”
Gordienko said the participation numbers have ebbed and flowed for years, but they always manage to put a few cars on the track. Frigid temperatures can also impact numbers.
The harsh weather days haven’t deterred Ryan Lysak of Woodlands, who is in his third season in the studded class and fourth season overall. A heavy diesel mechanic by trade, Lysak was hooked on the sport after helping his friend fix up a car on a race day.
“It’s just a different kind of racing when you’re on the ice. It’s not your typical racing line, you end up going sideways around the corners, you hit really high speeds. Pretty much when you’re racing out there, you’re redlining every gear and you go into the corners with some really good force,” Lysak said.
“The whole thing’s really good, and there’s some really good competitors out there that we have fun racing with. Good, tight racing, as well. So that’s always fun when you get to play around and chase someone down.”
Lysak’s hobby usually draws a few questions when he tells others about it.
“A lot of it is, ‘Are you a little crazy?’ And I usually respond, ‘Yes,’ but there’s a lot of safety involved in it and since I’ve started racing, I’ve gotten a lot of friends to come out and watch, and they always have a very good time,” he said.
“It’s high-speed entertainment at its finest, and there’s always a chance that someone’s going to go into the snowbank.”
Marlene has chased down plenty of cars, winning a race in 2019 and medalling at two others, while Jessica hopes to catch a few more before her inaugural season ends.
Perhaps there’s even a day when Peter will rejoin the circuit. It would make for yet another special day of ice racing for the Jakabeks.
“It’s been really good,” Jessica said. “Obviously, I’m not getting a lot of points or anything, but just the feeling of being behind the wheel, of being on the track with all of those guys, is a really good feeling, and I know this I something that I’m going to want to continue for a very long time.”
