Weather forces Upper Michigan Ice Racing Association to delay opening weekend again

GWINN, Mich. (WLUC) - The Upper Michigan Ice Racing Association (UMIRA) has delayed its opening weekend a second time.

The UMIRA posted on its Facebook group page Wednesday that weather conditions were not cold enough to create the amount of ice needed to race.

The group told TV6 Wednesday that it is making ice and plans to host races the weekend of Jan. 20 with races beginning at noon Saturday.

Last published: Jan 5, 2023 5:40:27 PM

The Upper Michigan Ice Racing Association is preparing to kick off its season after an unexpected delay.

The association planned to open this weekend but due to weather conditions, the opening day is postponed to next week. Meanwhile, they will use the week to finish the ice on the rink for opening day. Secretary for the association Jon Kay said they are looking forward to the season.

“The best part for me and for a lot of the club members and the people who put this on is the kids. That’s our favorite thing to watch the kids go around the track. We got about 30 to 40 kids in the little quad class,” Kay said. “It’s really cool to look over and see all the parents, all the family members and the grandparents on the snowbank watching these kids go around.”

The first race will kick off next Saturday, Jan. 14 at 11:30 a.m.