Unfortunately, it’s that time of year again. We use the term unfortunately, because the vast majority of the country is presently inundated with snow and brutal mid-winter temperatures, rather than 80-degree summer days at the pool. But for the brave souls in Merrill, Wisconsin that compete in the annual

Image credit: Merrill Ice Drags

rite of passage that is the Merrill Ice Drags, its the perfect time of year.

Last winter, we featured some of the insane ice racing machines that have hit the slick and narrow in Merrill and other locales around the United States and Canada, and with the new year right around the corner, it’s almost time for a new season – albeit a very short one – for the intriguing Merrill Ice Drags.

The 2012 schedule for the ice drags begins with a test & tune session on January 7, followed by races every Saturday in Saturday and into early February, concluding on February 11 while the weather – and therefore the thickness of the ice on Lake Alexander – is still safe and conducive to competition.

The track record on the Lake Alexander course at the Council Grounds State Park is an impressive 5.431 and 141.6 miles per hour. While that may not seem overly impressive to fans of traditional drag racing where a supercharged altered could run well into the four’s, we’re talking about 660 feet of solid ice here.

There are fourteen different classes of cars that compete on the ice that ranges from 10-20 inches in thickness, including five index classes and a number of open categories for Altereds, Dragsters, Doorslammers, and street tire-equipped racers. And just how quick can a two-wheel drive, street tire car make it down the eighth mile of ice, you ask? How about 16 seconds at 53.36 MPH.