Trail continues to pound Iron Dog racers

It’s a field of relatively unknowns out in front of the Iron Dog snowmachine race, as trail conditions continue to take a beating on veterans and rookies alike.

As of this afternoon, seven teams have dropped out of the pro class field of 29. In addition, at least four teams have reported mechanical problems on the trail.

Race director Laura Bedard said, in a previous interview, the trail from the start in BigLake to PuntillaLake in the Alaska Range saw plenty of overflow due to the warmer temperatures. The trail around McGrath was described as having a lack of snow.

Among the many with mechanical problems are the local favorites Tyler Aklestad and Tyson Johnson. The duo finished second last year but fell to 20th place after reported difficulties with their Ski-Doo sleds.

Todd Minnick and Nick Olstad, last year’s champions, are third while at their layover in Unalakleet on Tuesday afternoon.

Tyler Huntington and Chris Olds are holding on to the top spot and on the trail from Unalakleet to Shaktoolik. They are followed by Doug Dixon and Stephen Spence, two racers with only one Iron Dog finish between them.

The two female racers from Willow, Tammy Barber and Jana Pevan, are currently holding in Galena in 16th place.

Watch Frontiersman.com for more Iron Dog updates.