In the dead of winter, dozens of all-terrain vehicles and motorbikes converge in the region to test their speed and agility on more than two miles of zigzagging, looping track.

What makes this circuit unlike any other in the area? This arena melts away come spring.

Feb. 1 brought just the right deep-freeze conditions to herald in the season’s first Moto On Ice races on Cedar Lake’s east side. Since 2011, Moto On Ice has held races every Sunday afternoon from January to March along the Cedar Lake Town Grounds lakefront – as long as conditions produce safe ice.

Mark Miller of Dyer rode his 2024 Raptor 700 R, an all-terrain vehicle, out on the lake for his first ice race.

“It’s an adrenaline rush,” Miller said. “There’s always risk with everything you do, right? 
This is pretty low risk for what the reward is. If you like going fast and having a good time, this is a good place to start.”

Miller modified his ATV with studded tires, insulated handle grips and more to handle the ice and cold. Many of the competitors race ATVs and motorbikes in the summer and outfit their vehicles for ice sports in the winter.

A Motorbike racer drives on the two-mile track on the ice Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (Anna Ortiz/for Post-Tribune)

“If you don’t see it in person, you won’t believe what this actually is,” said Moto On Ice President Tim Jenkins of Crown Point. “I mean, I can describe it to you all day long and the thought process is going to be, ‘Wait a minute, you’re riding a dirt bike on a lake?’ Yeah.”

Josh Govert, Moto On Ice’s risk management and safety lead, said plow teams cleared a quarter-mile oval track and 2-mile winding road course 150 feet from the shoreline.

“The road course constantly changes, Govert said. “Every year we design a new one. This one has a lot of zigzags. If you ask me, it kind of looks like a rooster from above.”

In the winter, Govert comes out to the lake to drill holes in the ice to measure the thickness. He said the races only happen if the inspection shows “safe ice” and favorable weather conditions. With shifting weather patterns, some milder winters have prevented races altogether.

A volunteer flashes a green flag to start the final race for Moto On Ice’s first event of the season Feb. 1, 2026. (Anna Ortiz/for Post-Tribune)

The current arena’s lake depth is mainly around 6 feet; however, closer to the middle of the lake, the depth gets to be around 13 feet, Govert said. The thickness of the ice can reach up to 20 inches in some areas.

“As far as I know, we’re the only club around for ice racing, unless you go about five hours north,” Govert said. “I believe we’re the only one in Indiana. We’ve had people come from California and Ohio. We have people that come down from all over. A lot of pride goes into what we do.”

Govert said Moto On Ice is an American Motorcyclist Association-sanctioned event that attracts AMA Hall of Fame racers, like Jeff Fredette, to compete. Despite this, Govert said Moto On Ice holds a hidden gem status, meaning that it’s something many people are still unaware of.

“It’s a unique event, and we’ve had races basically every week since 2011,” Govert said. “Every week that we race, I can’t tell you how many people that live in this town or around it say, ‘We didn’t even know this was going on. We had no idea.’ 
Every race day, I hear that at least 10 times, and I work the gate. There’s so many people that don’t know that it’s in their own backyard.”

Cedar Lake itself presents ideal conditions for ice racing. One will never find ice racing on a body of water such as Lake Michigan because of shelf ice, wind erosion and other dangerous conditions.

The first races were held on the south end of Cedar Lake; however, when John Lotton purchased the South Shore Golf Club, he withdrew Moto On Ice’s permission to use his property’s lakefront, organizers said. The races moved to their current location in front of The Museum at Lassen’s Resort and The Lighthouse Restaurant in 2021.

Dustin Boyd, of Crown Point, raced both circuits on his Yamaha Raptor. Boyd has been racing for 12 years on motorcycles and ATVs.

“We had some really fast guys out here today, so we had our fair share of back-and-forth competitiveness, but overall, you know, what was really outstanding is just how many people came out to watch,” Boyd said. “So I hope we get to race again next weekend, or the weekend after, and the ice stays with us. And I hope even more people come out and watch this.”

Holding a trophy on his 250 CC Quad ATV, Zack Tricka, 11, fist bumps his dad, Jim Tricka, after the races Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (Anna Ortiz/for Post-Tribune)

Holding a trophy on his 250 CC Quad ATV, Zack Tricka, 11, fist bumped his dad, Jim Tricka, after the races. He competed in the children’s division for the first time and won first place.

“It wasn’t very stressful, it was actually pretty fun,” Zack Tricka said. “It gets people out of the house and have some fun for a little bit in the winter.”

“I think the best thing that I see is that there’s a lot of families,” Jim Tricka said. “It’s very family-friendly. This particular event here is run by a great group of guys and gals. It’s good, clean fun, and for the most part, it’s pretty safe, too. They take a lot of precautions. 
It is an AMA-sanctioned event, so they have to meet certain criteria and rules. The ice has to be a certain thickness, and so there’s a lot of safety precautions that are put in place.”

Jenkins said Moto On Ice has been creating new learning opportunities to get new people into the sport. The group is currently waiving fees for children who participate in introductory classes at the race, where they can learn how to ride a motorbike with training wheels.

“We’ve had like 5- and 6-year-olds out there,” Jenkins said. “You know, all the way up until guys that are pushing their 70’s. We want everybody to be able to come out and be able to try and race.”

Since 2011, Moto On Ice has held races every Sunday afternoon from January to March along the Cedar Lake Town Grounds lakefront. Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, was the first race of this year’s season. (Anna Ortiz/for Post-Tribune)

Racer and Moto On Ice Treasurer Tim Farrell, of Chicago, said the group donates to other nonprofits, like Cedar Lake’s Boys & Girls Club. One of their most recent donations went to pay for local students’ overdrawn lunch accounts.

“I come from the motorcycle community, and one big thing you’ll find in common is that we work with a lot of charities,” Farrell said. “We are a nonprofit organization, ourselves. If there’s money left over after paying for the event, we donate it. Motorcyclists in general are a very giving group, and we all care about the community.”

Organizers also said they are in need of volunteers and those interested can reach out through Facebook Messenger to the Moto on Ice – Cedar Lake page.

The next race is planned to begin at noon Sunday, Feb. 8, on the lakefront of 7408 Constitution Ave. in Cedar Lake. It is $5 at the gate for spectators and $30 for those racing. Gates open at 8 a.m. and practice starts at 10 a.m. Following Sunday races will be held at the same location and time, depending on weather conditions.

Anna Ortiz is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/06/racing-circuit-carved-into-region-lake/