Driving the smallest team in the field, Jason Dunlap stormed to the first-day win in the 40th running of the ExxonMobile Open sled dog race at Tozier Track.
Dunlap and his nine dogs made the 16.8-mile run in 56 minutes, 30 seconds for a commanding lead over Egil Ellis and John Erhart going into Sunday's second heat.
Ellis, with a team of 13, and Erhart, with a team of 10, both clocked 57:02. Ken Chezik and his 12-dog team were one second behind in 57:03.
Racing continues at 10 a.m. Sunday with limited-class competition. The second heat of the open class goes off at 2 p.m.
The 15 open-class mushers are vying for a $24,000 purse.
ExxonMobile Open
Tozier Track
Friday's first heat
Open class (16.8 miles) -- 1) Jason Dunlap 56:30, 2) tie, Egil Ellis and John Erhart 57:02; 4) Ken Chezik 57:03; 5) Don Cousins 58:45; 6) Jack Berry 59:26; 7) Eddie Dayton 59:38; 8) Marvin Kokrine 1:00:03; 9) Mike Stephens 1:00:54; 10) Stewart Erhart 1:01:47; 11) Tory Rockafeller 1:02:43; 12) James Wheeler 1:03:24; 13) Emilie Entrikin 1:04:44; 14) Paula Ciniero 1:07:58; 15) John Hanson 1:13:50.
4 dogs, 6 miles (top 3) -- 1) Beverly Stevens 17:12, 2) Dawn Brown 17:27, 3) Mari Hoe-Raitto 17:52. 6 dogs, 8 miles (top 3) -- 1) Jennifer Sterling 23:37, 2) Kris Rasey 24:12, 3) Christian Taveau 24:30. 8 dogs, 10 miles (top 3) -- 1) Christian Taveau 27:41; 2) Kourosh Partow 27:42; 3) Dawn Brown 27:53.
Anchorage Daily News