Knik 200 ends with sprint to finish

KNIK — Four-time Iditarod champion Lance Mackey won Sunday’s sprint to the finish line, but it was veteran musher Jake Berkowitz who claimed the 2012 Knik 200 Joe Redington Sr. Memorial Sled Dog Race.

At least for now.

While Mackey beat Berkowitz by about 20 yards into the race’s finish on Knik Lake, Berkowitz actually finished the course 6 minutes faster than the man who won four consecutive Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race titles from 2007-2010, Knik 200 race manager Robert Sexton said. That’s because Mackey was the No. 1 racer onto the lake at its start at 11 a.m., Saturday, while Berkowitz started ninth, at 11:16 a.m.

But inclement weather conditions along the trail hampered communication and timekeeping, Sexton said. In fact, race officials first reported on their Facebook page that Berkowitz won because Mackey was assessed a 3-minute race penalty for not signing out when he left the Skwentna checkpoint.

“Because it was such a close race, the time penalty is what made the difference,” the Facebook post reads.

Later, it was determined Mackey did not have a time penalty, but Berkowitz still won because he finished the race with a faster overall time.

“The first-place winner was determined by time run, not by who crossed the finish line first,” the post reads. “Jake was 6 minutes faster than Lance and that is why he was declared the winner. Lance did NOT receive a penalty.”

The confusion, Sexton said, was exacerbated by weather conditions that made it difficult to electronically track mushers and record their times along the race route from Big Lake to Skwentna and back, Sexton said.

“The trackers were pinging sometimes 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes (apart), so they’re not officially the time,” he said. “They come pretty close, but what happens is they ping off the satellite every 10 minutes, but because of certain weather conditions, it can take longer. Sometimes it can be up to 30 minutes off.”

The weather also made it difficult to communicate with the Skwentna checkpoint, he said.

“We couldn’t get a plane out there or anything,” he said. “The mushers were even having trouble finding a trail. It was a very successful race, overall, and we’re very proud of our mushers.”

The timing issue aside, this year’s Knik 200 was “an amazing race,” Sexton said.

“It was awesome,” he said. “It was a very, very good race and a close race. The crowd (at the finish) was just nuts.”

Veterans Ray Redington Jr. and DeeDee Jonrowe finished third and fourth respectively, while Knik 200 rookie Trent Herbst rounds out the top-5.

As of Monday evening, official overall times were still being calculated, Sexton said. While Berkowitz finished behind Mackey in the sprint to the finish line, the race’s official website lists Berkowitz finishing three minutes earlier than Mackey at 1:47 p.m., Sunday. The official times will be made available as soon as they’ve been verified, Sexton said.

“I’m as frustrated as a lot of people and I’m a little confused,” he said. The 3-minute penalty being the difference “was the first thing I was told, then we’re told there was some difference in some times on the other end. I just want to know what happened.”

As for the mushers, Sexton said both Mackey and Berkowitz have been “very, very good sports” about the time dispute and haven’t yet challenged the results.

“These guys are real good sports. Lance and Jake are top-notch athletic guys. They are very sportsmanlike and very professional,” he said.

When the results are verified, the top three placers will split an $8,000 pot — $4,000 for first place, $2,400 for second and $1,600 for third place.

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.