Motorized Ice Racing

There is a sci-fi book (I don't remember the title, just that it was in the teenager section) where this sport is represented, along with hockey, archery and running, in some kind of great World Cup. The athletes are genetically modified and drugged to the gills and Russia is very well represented. The last one standing is the winner. Now, knowing the book is at least twenty years old, did ice motorcycle racing inspire the book or did the book inspire the inventors of ice motorcycle racing?

This isn´t anything new. They´ve been ice racing in Sweden since the internal combustion engine was invented.

I can't find a clip of it (mainly because I can't remember the name of the movie), but there was one older 007 movie where he dealt with someone on a motorcycle with studded snow/ice tyres by laying down a plank of wood that got picked up by the studs and so ruined the rider's day. It turns out that 007 motorcycle and/or ski chases are quite common...

CannyScot, it seems to me that was the Bond film with George Lazenby and Diana Rigg, as his wife. If so, that would have been On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Thanks!

Motorcycles are dangerous enough on dry pavement!

Yes, and dirt speedway bikes don't have studded tires. Many years ago (probably over three decades) this was regularly broadcast on Dutch television, but not recently. It's quite exciting to watch, but you have to be completely nuts to take part - that, or not mind losing the use of your extremities if (when!) you fall and get run over.

Sliding on a dirt track is much more controllable, if you can call a sliding vehicle in control. Once you lose control on ice, you seldom regain control of the slide as opposed to dirt which you can pull out of. Besides, I'd rather ride in the desert sun than the frozen tundra. Or at least I used to. Gounded and neutered from motorcycles these days.