Riders ready for Iron Dog

Feb. 11, 2007

By MATT TUNSETH/ Frontiersman

WASILLA - Snowmachine riders made a few final tweaks and adjustments to their racing sleds Saturday afternoon in preparation for today's start of the 2007 Tesoro Iron Dog Snowmobile Race, a grueling, high-speed race from Big Lake to Nome and on to Fairbanks.

At 1,971 miles, the Iron Dog is the world's longest cross-country snowmachine race, pitting two-man teams against other riders and - more importantly - Mother Nature.

&#8220The weather really dictates the race,” said Wasilla's Todd Palin, who along with partner Scott Davis of Soldotna finished second last year.

Palin's wife, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, will be the official race starter this year.

In the 2006 event, Davis and Palin finished just one second behind Andy George of Wasilla and Dwayne Drake of Fairbanks in the closest finish in the race's history. Both teams are back again for this year's event, and will likely be among the favorites in a deep, 28-team field.

&#8220The competition is stiff,” Drake said.

Saturday afternoon was the final race inspection at the Mult-Use Sports Complex in Wasilla. In addition to getting checked out by race officials, riders also met with fans and discussed last-minute strategy.

&#8220There's always last-minute stuff,” Drake said. &#8220Last night we took our whole sled apart and put it back together.”

Just the act of taking the machines apart and putting them back together is useful training for the Iron Dog, which is the ultimate test of both riding ability and mechanical ingenuity. That's because no sled can stand up undamaged to the rigors of the course, which winds its way across the rugged Alaska backcountry - with racers often riding at speeds topping 100 miles per hour.

Riders said Saturday that the team aspect of the race is an often-overlooked component that is the real key to success.

&#8220It's huge,” said Davis, who has run the Iron Dog 20 times.

Since riders end up spending a week out on the trail together, Davis said it's key to have a good working and personal relationship with their partner.

&#8220You end up living pretty much together for a couple months leading up to the race. You spend a lot of time preparing and spending time with their family,” he said. &#8220It's a team, a partnership.”

The trail and weather can take a hefty toll on the high-powered machines, and that means racers must constantly be making mechanical adjustments mid-race. Partners who work well together under the cold, stressful conditions often do best in the race.

&#8220You're only as good as your partner,” George said

Teams will begin leaving from Big Lake today at two-minute intervals. On Wednesday, racers will stop in Nome for the halfway banquet and layover, then leave for Fairbanks, where the race concludes.

This year's race features 15 riders who call the Valley home, including Palin, George, John Faeo (the all-time leading race-winner with seven titles) and Nick Olstad, who won in 2005 with partner Marc McKenna of Anchorage.

Also racing this year are the team of Mark Niver of Wasilla and Ron Zugg of Palmer; Wade and Jamie Bailey of Wasilla; Randy Hunter and David Branholm of Big Lake; Todd Minnick of Wasilla (riding with Faeo); Korey Cronquist of Wasilla (riding with three-time winner Dusty VanMeter of Soldotna); David Spain of Willow (riding with former Willow resident Josh Pool of Louisiana); Frank Harris of Big Lake (riding with Daniel Thibault of Anchorage); and Shane Barber of Willow, who is riding with Nome's Evan Booth.

Racers weren't ready to offer any predictions Saturday afternoon, though most said they believe this year's race will again be highly competitive, with a number of teams having a chance to bring home a title.

&#8220We'll find out in a week,” Todd Palin said.

Although the competition for the

Iron Dog executive director Laura Bedard - herself a former Iron Dog competitor - said she's excited about this year's race, with a large, deep pool of competitors.

&#8220The race entries are up 43 percent from last year,” she said.

Bedard thanked the Valley community for its support of the race, which is now in its 23rd year of competition.

&#8220We've had so much good support from the Valley,” she said.

In addition to large corporate sponsors like Tesoro, more than 400 volunteers are needed to put on the race, which is billed as &#8220the toughest in the

world.”

&#8220We couldn't do it without them,” Bedard said.

There are a couple new features in this year's race that organizers are hoping will make it more fan-friendly. In addition to a revamped web site (www.irondog.org), the race will this year offer real-time tracking via global positioning devices that will be carried along with the sleds. Fans of the race can now simply visit the Web site to find out exactly where their favorite riders are at.

&#8220They can actually see the speed of the snowmobile,” Bedard said.

The official race start is 11 a.m. today on Big Lake and is open to the public. There will be vendor booths and Iron Dog merchandise available.

Contact Matt Tunseth at

352-2265.