Ice racing on Moosehead Lake enjoys following

Meghan Agrell Arctic shark — Last Saturday’s overall winner Mark Elliot of Greenville poses with his ice racing car Arctic Shark. Elliot finds the sport “a lot of fun. Oh, I love it.” Elliott described the concept behind his racecar, “I was working on the car drinking a six pack of LandShark, and thought, ‘boy that car would look pretty good with a shark fin on it.’ and I’m a huge Arctic Cat fan, and so it became the ‘Arctic Shark.’”

By Jason Agrell
Special to the Observer

Last Saturday morning in Greenville Junction, spectators and racers alike gathered on the ice in Moosehead Lake’s West Cove. The racecars, each painted with a number and the names of various sponsors, lined up in the designated “pit” area, adjacent to a large oval track that has been meticulously plowed and groomed. Many spectators gathered near the side of the track; some stood outside on the ice, while others preferred to watch from the comfort of their warm vehicles parked facing the track. This is West Cove Ice Racing.

The West Cove Ice Racing Association has been hosting these ice races for 16 years. Racing on a frozen lake is not exactly average, and there is a lot of planning that goes into the races: “you can race on 14 or 15 inches of ice, but as a rule we will not race until there are 20 inches, we have liability insurance, and we have to have the approval of the state fire marshal,” said association member, and former longtime president, Tom O’Neill.

The association does a number of fundraisers throughout the year to support the races, but the scope of their fundraising is not limited to the racing community. Each year West Cove Ice Racing buys a sponsorship at Big Squaw and donates the lift tickets they receive to local kids who otherwise might not be able to afford a day of skiing on the local mountain.

Racing takes place every Saturday at noon while there is sufficient ice, but got off to a late start this year due to an unusually warm winter — the Feb. 27th race being only the second of the season. That day’s lineup saw nine cars, competing in a four-cylinder and an “open chain” class.

Organizers say that this a relatively small number of racers compared to seasons in the past. At one time anywhere from 30 to 50 cars competed in various classes, including trucks, a “powderpuff” class, and a youth class. While a decline in both competitors and attendance have changed the nature and appearance of the races, a love for racing and a sense of community are still very palpable atop the frozen water.

“We had a pretty good turnout today, we don’t have that many cars, but we had more than last week” said current association president Billy LaPointe, “I’d love to see the association get bigger — we’re getting there, we went from nothing to almost 10 cars again — but we’re just out here for the fun. There’s no money in it, just bragging rights and three-dollar trophies.”

The Feb. 27 winners in the four-cylinder class were Mark Elliot (#6), Perry McKusick (#3), and Billy LaPointe (#7x), coming in first, second, and third place respectively. First, second, and third place winners in the “open chain” class, were Mark Elliot (#6), Billy LaPointe (#47), and Perry McKusick (#3).

Meghan Agrell
ICE SPEED — The West Cove Ice Racing Association has been hosting Saturday ice races for 16 years on Moosehead Lake. At one time anywhere from 30 to 50 cars competed in various classes, including trucks, a “powderpuff” class, and a youth class. While a decline in both competitors and attendance have changed the nature and appearance of the races, a love for racing and a sense of community are still very palpable atop the frozen water.