Iron Dog leaders rest in Nome

The top 10 teams of racers in the Iron Dog snowmachine race reached Nome with a sigh of relief, as mechanical problems continue to plague much of the field.

As of Wednesday, Tyler Huntington and Chris Olds held on to their lead when they entered the mandated 46-hour layover in Nome. They will start heading to the Fairbanks finish followed by last year’s winners Todd Minnick and Nick Olstad. The all-female team from Willow, Tammy Barber and Jana Pevan, will be the ninth team out of Nome, respectable for a team of two rookies.

But the real story of the race is the rash of riders forced to scratch due to mechanical problems or injury. An additional six teams have dropped out in the last 24 hours, bringing the total of teams who won’t finish the race to 13 out of the 29 team field.

Included in today’s drop-outs include last year’s runners-up Tyler Aklestad and Tyson Johnson. The team was hampered with mechanical problems earlier in the race and forced to scratch in Galena.