Alaska Cross Country Racing hosts youth event for Iron Dog ceremonial finish

WASILLA — Alaska Cross Country Racing hosted a youth snowmachine race in conjunction with the 2022 Iron Dog Pro-Class ceremonial finish at the Menard Sports Center Saturday, Feb. 26.

Twenty youth racers participated in the 200cc Invitational event, entertaining the crowd in the hours leading up to the first wave of Iron Dog racers crossing the ceremonial finish line at the Menard Center after getting their official end time in Big Lake.

“It was awesome. It was fantastic,” event organizer, Tim Gossett said.

According to Gossett, this new event featured at the Iron Dog’s new venue for the ceremonial start and finish resulted from their ever-growing collaboration. He said ACCR’s annual Scary Tree 50 race was such a big hit that the Iron Dog asked them to be a part of their ceremonial finish celebrations to retain the crowd as they waited for the Pro-Class racers to return.

The Scary Tree 50 is a youth snowmachine race that runs from Big Lake to the Scary Tree 25-mile marker on the Yentna/Susitna river confluence before looping back to Big Lake after a short layover for food and rest.

Kids ranging in age from 6 to 12 ride in teams of two with the company of an adult escort during the 2022 Scary Tree 50 event. Gossett said that several Iron Dog veterans have participated as chaperones in past events and this year’s event will be no exception.

Registration for the 2022 Scary Tree race closed on Wednesday, March 2. Check-in starts at 8 a.m. March 12 with the race launching at 10 a.m.

For more information about Alaska Cross Country Racing and upcoming events, call 907-841-2338 or visit facebook.com/alaskacrosscountryracing.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com