Defending champs disqualified from 2017 Iron Dog; Davis and Simons ride to win

WASILLA — Palmer’s Tyler Akelstad and Eagle River’s Tyson Johnson thought they were on the verge of a second straight Iron Dog title. Instead, the local riders found themselves disqualified from the race and amid a storm of controversy.

According to a press release issued early Saturday, Team 8 (Akelstad and Johnson) was disqualified for violating Rule 13.2. Iron Dog officials allege Akelstad and Johnson received outside assistance, which is against race rules. The rule in question, 13.2.1, states, “no other assistance of any kind including physical contact with the pit crew will be permitted.” Akelstad and Johnson were officially disqualified early Saturday morning in Tanana, a checkpoint about 300 miles away from the finish line in Fairbanks. Before the disqualification, Akelstad had held a healthy lead at the front of the pack. But the disqualification cleared the way Cory Davis and Ryan Simons to win the 2017 race. The victory is the first in the career for both Davis, of Soldotna, and Simons, of Camrose, Alberta, Canada.

Davis and Simons hit the finish line at 1:56 p.m. Saturday afternoon. Davis and Simons finished just ahead of Wasilla’s Chad Gueco and Kasilof’s Dusty VanMeter. Gueco and VanMeter were about a minute behind Davis and Simons, and finished as the runner-up.

All-Valley teams rounded out the top 5. Micah Huss, of Willow, and Ryan Sottosanti, of Wasilla, placed third. Klinton Vanwingerden and Kris Vanwingerden, both of Big Lake, finished fourth. Todd Minnick and Nick Olstad, both of Wasilla, placed fifth.