Last Friday, Claude Hutchings was still hopeful about Sunday’s AMEC
car ice racing event slated to take place on Canadarago Lake. However,
considering recent warm weather he had concerns that the event might be
put on ice for the fourth year in a row.
“As of right now, it’s still a go if we’ve got 12 inches,” said
Hutchings, AMEC president. “It’s been cold again. I’m praying for ice.”
For the last three years, the Adirondack Motor Enthusiasts Club
(AMEC) has tried to hold the races on Canadarago Lake, but poor ice
conditions have prevented racing. “The last time we had a race on
Canadarago Lake was in 1999,” he said.
This year, Hutchings is hopeful. “The ice was nine inches thick
three weeks ago. We just might make it if this weather holds out,” said
Hutchings..
He planned to check the ice this past weekend, he said, a job he’s
been doing for the last 15 years. “I usually go myself. I’ve got a
cordless drill with a bit that’s 18 inches long,” that he said he will
use to determine the thickness of the ice.
Races are held during the winter months at various lakes throughout the Adirondack region.
Approximately 60 cars and drivers are expected to participate if the ice measures 12 inches or more, Hutchings said.
This marks the 40th year of races sponsored by AMEC, which celebrates its 52nd anniversary this year.
Three out of five races scheduled for the last five weeks had to be
canceled due to poor ice conditions. The Jan. 22 races at Lake
Algonquin and the Jan. 29 races at Caroga Lake were the only two events
not canceled so far.
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