Motive Takes Montana - F.A.T. Ice Race 2026

Motive Archive brought a Keen Project Safari 911 to the F.A.T Ice Race in Big Sky, Montana.

1,400 Miles to F.A.T Ice Race

Some trips are about the destination. This one was about everything that happened along the way. When Motive Archive received the opportunity to compete at the 2026 F.A.T. Ice Race in Big Sky, Montana, we knew simply transporting a car to the event wasn’t going to cut it. Instead, we started with a Keen Project Safari 911—a purpose-built, lifted air-cooled Porsche created to thrive beyond the pavement—and gave it a new identity with a Motive Archive livery designed by Glen Cordle. Then, rather than loading it into a trailer, we pointed it west and began a 1,400-plus-mile winter road trip to Montana, bringing our cameras along to document the entire journey.

Before heading into the mountains, we made our first major stop in Minnesota, where we linked up with our friends at 311RS for a proper test day. With studded tires fitted to the Safari, we headed onto a frozen lake to find out what the car could do on ice—and get a taste of the conditions waiting for us in Big Sky. From Minnesota, the journey continued west through the winter landscape until we reached Wall, South Dakota, our jumping-off point for a detour through the Badlands. Driving the Safari through one of the most dramatic landscapes of the trip gave us a chance to slow things down, explore some incredible roads, and capture the kind of moments that made driving the car across the country worthwhile.

Eventually, the Badlands disappeared in the mirrors and Montana came into view. Waiting at Moonlight Basin in Big Sky was F.A.T. Ice Race: two days of racing surrounded by an eclectic mix of cars, drivers, enthusiasts, and friends brought together by a shared enthusiasm for motorsport. We caught up with familiar faces, met plenty of new ones, and spent time with F.A.T. International founder Ferdi Porsche before finally putting the Safari to work on the ice. The trip ended better than we could have hoped: a class victory on Day 1 and second place on Day 2, along with a pair of trophies that somehow had to make the journey home with us.

But the results are only a small part of the story. From wrapping the car and testing on a frozen Minnesota lake to crossing the Badlands, arriving beneath the mountains of Big Sky, and finally competing on the ice, our team documented the experience from beginning to end. The result is a Motive Archive film about the cars, roads, people, unexpected moments, and friendships that turned a race weekend into something much bigger. This is the story of Motive Archive’s road to F.A.T. Ice Race—and we invite you to experience the entire journey in the full film below.