Three winter driving tips from an ice racing champion
The Weather Network's Connor O'Donovan sits down with Nitrocross racer Kevin Eriksson to get his tips on how to stay safe on the race track or the road home.
We Canadians are no strangers to winter driving conditions.
But sometimes — be it when that first snowfall of the season hits, when an “epic” snow storm comes to town, or when we might let our guards down later in the year — we can forget to adjust.
So, with Nitrocross races back in Calgary for a second year in 2024, we sat down with 2023 ice racing champion Kevin Ericksson to get his tips on how to stay safe on the race track or the road home.
Nitrocross Calgary champion Kevin Ericksson. (The Weather Network)
1. Know your racetrack
Ericksson says he always has his eyes on the road ahead.
Not all winter roads are created equally, he explains, and a fresh blanket of snow will offer a different driving experience than a snowfall that’s just a few hours old but has been packed down by traffic.
On the track, Ericsson says fresh snow can offer better traction than slush or hard ice. On snowy highways, this might mean driving in the lane less travelled, a recommendation agreed upon by the Government of Alberta’s highway operations team.
“To read the ice and snow, I think, is important,” Ericsson says. “To learn the different colours and shades of ice and snow is very important both in racing and on the road.”
2. Stay one step ahead of the competition
While it might seem like common sense to give your fellow drivers more space in treacherous travel conditions, anyone who’s driven on a busy highway in the winter knows not everyone agrees.
2023 Nitrocross ice racing champion Kevin Ericksson says learning the different colours and shades of ice and snow is very important both in racing and on the road. (Photo courtesy of Nitrocross)
Just like on a snowy racetrack vs. one made of dirt or asphalt, Eriksson says leaving slightly more room to anticipate unexpected manoeuvres can make the difference between hitting the finish line and hitting the side of the road.
“Some people think ahead, some people don’t,” Eriksson says.
“Just take it down a notch.”
Alberta Highway Operations recommends allowing at least three times the normal following distance.
(Graphic: The Weather Network)
3. Make sure your ride is race-ready
Hailing from Sweden, where winter tires are mandatory from December through March, Eriksson says “it’s obvious, you have to change” to winter tires when the temperature drops regardless of your driving environment.
While his race rig features a set of impressively studded tires worth thousands of dollars, he says he notices the same change in performance when switching to normal winter tires too.
“It’s night and day,” Eriksson says of winter tires, which are made of a softer compound that better clings to the road in colder conditions.
“Summer tires are harder in the compound, and they have fewer grooves in them that don’t clear the snow and ice in the same way. They can save that accident from happening.”
While inch-long metal studs like these might be overkill on the highway, proper winter tires can make a huge difference in performance over all-season tires off the track. (Connor O’Donovan/The Weather Network)
In fact, according to the Traffic Injury Research Institute, winter tires can reduce stopping distance by almost 50 per cent over all-season tires in cold and icy conditions.
And, if you need more encouragement, some insurance providers even provide a discount to drivers who use winter tires.
RELATED: Think twice if you're still debating on whether to use winter tires
Nitrocross Calgary is a wild winter war on wheels that plays out on a one-of-a-kind track made of snow, ice, and dirt. Travelling at speeds upwards of 100 km/h, drivers jockey for winter glory around hairpins, banked turns, and 100-foot jumps.
Nitrocross, which tours around North America and features the likes of famed athlete Travis Pastrana, came to Calgary for the first time in 2023 and returned in 2024. Organizers spent weeks preparing the track at Calgary’s GMC Stadium, grappling with above-average temperatures to pack down a big enough base layer of ice to run the races. In 2024, Calgary was the only ice race on the Nitrocross circuit.
