With many of the major milestones of “The World’s Longest, Toughest Snowmobile Race” behind them, the remaining 15 teams on the Iron Dog trail turn their attentions towards the final 1,000 miles as the leave Nome and head south.
Ashley Wood and Hillarie Gossett are the only all-female team in the 2023 race, and they hope to become the first team of women to finish the Iron Dog since 2001.
The Iron Dog trail is rougher than normal this year, according to the racers. Plus, the University of Alaska Anchorage women’s and men’s basketball teams played their last home games and said so long to their seniors.
After some much-needed rest, those left standing in Iron Dog 2023 are out of McGrath and on their way to Ruby before heading towards the Western Alaska coast.
Day one and 300+ miles of trail are behind Iron Dog competitors as the top teams reached the McGrath checkpoint Friday evening led by Team 10, Mike Morgan and Chris Olds.
The Iron Dog is billed as “The world’s longest toughest snowmobile race” and the weather conditions lived up to the billing at the start of the 2023 race.
A total of 25 teams prepared for the start of the 2023 Iron Dog Pro Class on Tuesday morning at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center in Wasilla.
While the Iron Dog — tabbed "The World’s longest, toughest snowmobile race" — is highlighted by the Pro Class, the Expedition Class gives an opportunity for less competitive racers to still experience why the historic race has earned that title.
Though Steffen Booth, the race’s youngest-ever competitor at 16 years and 6 months old, may have stand out amongst the Iron Dog field, once the helmet is on and his thumb is on the throttle, he is where he belongs.
Team 39 of Cody Barber and Brett Lapham were the first team to make it to McGrath but it was Team 7 of Tyler Aklestad and Nick Olstad who had the fastest time. Of all the teams that made it to McGrath there was no major damage to any of the sleds just a few broken windshields and a couple of busted A-arms.
Many of the 29 pro class teams of two people competing in the 2022 Iron Dog know what they are getting into in the week ahead as veterans. However, 31 riders, more than half of the competitors, have yet to face the challenge that is dubbed ‘The World’s Longest, Toughest Snowmobile Race.’
The pro class tech inspection took place this morning for the Iron Dog 2022 race, one of the only times that all 29 pro teams and their snowmachines will be under the same roof.
Last year the “the world’s longest, toughest snowmobile race,” the Iron Dog started and finished in the middle of Big Lake. This year, the race will be starting and finishing at the Menard Sports Center.
Iron Dog Team 5, Brett Lapham and Zack Weisz have moved into first place at the Galena checkpoint with a course time of 12 hours 39 minutes and 45 seconds.
Iron Dog team no. 7, Tyler Aklestad and Nick Olstad lead the 2020 Pro Class Race at the Kotzebue checkpoint. In the recreational class race, Team no. 77’s Israel Hale made history becoming the first-ever amputee to finish and win the race.
For the second year in a row, Team No. 10, of Mike Morgan and Chris Olds, have claimed the Iron Dog title, arriving first in Fairbanks on Saturday. They’re the first back-to-back champions since Mark McKenna and Dusty VanMeter in 2013.
Sixteen Pro-Class teams left Nome Thursday morning and will have to navigate the tricky terrain of Alaska's unpredictable West Coast as they head south and east toward Fairbanks.
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