It’s probably every performance enthusiasts dream to race on ice. What could be more fun that sliding around on a frozen lake with like-minded crazy people with the same desire?! You’re right, nothing.
Vaughn Gittin, Jr, one of our favorite drift racers, recently had the chance to do exactly that, and race with the Adirondack Motor Enthusiast Club’s ice racing series on Warner’s Lake in East Berne, New York.
Gittin took his 2015 Mustang EcoBoost six-speed manual to see how the car would do against veteran ice racers, and to see how his drifting background would translate over to a different arena. “For sure drifting has translated and given me the car control to where I can do pretty well at this,” Gittin says.
Doing pretty well in Gittin’s eyes means he took 3rd place in his final heat. How can they call it a “heat” when racing on ice, though? Perhaps a discussion for another day. Anyway, we digress. Gittin improved every “heat,” finishing 8th in his class, then 5th, and then 3rd to round out the day. Most of the cars that race on the ice are all-wheel-drive, or front-wheel-drive imports like Subarus, Audis, Hondas, and even a Saab or two.
Gittin’s EcoBoost didn’t escape without a few cuts and bruises, though. It seems rubbin’ is racin’ in the great white north, as well. One you can see in the above video when another competitor came over to say, “Hi” to the veteran drift racer, leaving a mark on the rear bumper cover. Another “on ice incident” finished off the rear cover, but in racing, if your car doesn’t have some sort of “character” by the end, you aren’t trying hard enough.
If you’ve ever seen Gittin’s drifting exploits, you know he tries hard every lap.