Defending champions Tyler Huntington of Fairbanks and Chris Olds of Eagle River eeked out a tiny two-minute lead into Tanana Saturday morning over three-time champion Todd Palin of Wasilla and his new partner, 2008 winner Eric Quam of Palmer.
The third-place team of seven-time champion Scott Davis and his 22-year-old son Cory was 22 minutes farther back and facing a tough task to pass two fast teams in front of them.
Former race leaders Marc McKenna of Anchorage and Dusty Van Meter of Kasilof, meanwhile, were struggling to remain among the top-five after getting stuck in Yukon River overflow near Galena.
They managed to wrest their machines free and continue to the next checkpoint, but the ordeal cost them valuable time.
Saturday morning, they were on their way to Tanana in sixth place after leaving Ruby, the previous checkpoint, at 7:59 a.m.
Race officials are briefly holding the top drivers in Tanana to set up a 6 p.m. finish in Fairbanks.
About 300 miles of driving past the checkpoints of Manley, Nenana and North Pole remain before the Fairbanks finish line. Race officials are projecting a finish around sundown today on the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks.
The North Pole checkpoint is new this year, offering fans a good spot to watch as racers make their way north to the Chena River.
Because of a storm earlier this week, race officials postponed the restart in Nome on Thursday and ordered the race to be put under a yellow flag for 220 miles of the return leg to Unalakleet.
According to race officials, drivers faced snow drifts nearly seven feet deep between Nome and Elim while slowly proceeding under a yellow caution flat. Waist-deep overflow on Seward Peninsula creeks and river also slowed them.
Even though weather stalled the race on the coast, race director Kevin Kastner told the Fairbanks News-Miner he knew the pace would speed up once the racers left Unalakleet.
“The minute we turn those guys loose you can guarantee there will be a race going on,” he said.
Just 14 teams — less than half the starting field — remained in the race. The top rookie team of Aaron and brother Arnold Marks was running 12th — but at least were in familiar terrain. The Marks brothers are from Tanana.
The Iron Dog’s record purse of $202,500 is top loaded, with $50,000 going to the championship team and $35,000 to the runners-up.
Third place is worth $18,000, with fourth earning $12,000 and fifth getting $10,000.
Other prizes are awarded on top of that including up to $6,000 by snowmobile manufacturers if their riders finish first.
Reach reporter Mike Campbell at mcampbell@adn.com or 257-4329.
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