If there is strength in numbers, the Iron Dog snowmachine race was looking mighty strong Monday as a mob of drivers piled up in McGrath taking layovers of varying lengths.
As of 10 a.m., 37 of the 40 two-driver teams remaining in the race were bunched up in the town of 350 on the south bank of the Kuskokwim River, resting after an unusually smooth journey across the snow-covered Farewell Burn that in recent years has been pockmarked by long stretches of bare ground.
But as noon approached, drivers streamed back onto the Iditarod Trail, led by the Mat-Su duo of Tyler Aklestad and Tyson Johnson, who pulled out at 10:53 a.m. on their Ski-Doo machines. The often hard-luck team of Johnson and Aklestad has led this race before, but has regularly encountered mechanical problems or crashes. Often considered one of the fastest teams on the trail, the Team CC-sponsored duo has 14 DNFs (did not finish) between then.
Within about a half-hour, four other teams gave chase, headed for Nome, where the racers get to rest for a day:
• The surprising duo of Brad George and Robbie Schachle left eight minutes later in second place. A year ago, George teamed with his father, Andy George, to notch a fourth-place Iron Dog finish, his best.
• Todd Minnick and Nick Olstad of Wasilla, the longtime partners with five championships between them, were out at 11:11 a.m., just 10 minutes behind George and Schachle.
• Mike Morgan and Chris Olds powered out on Polaris Switchback sleds at 11:17 a.m.
• The young and bold Corey Davis, 27, a five-time X-Games medalist, and Canadian Ryan Simons returned to the trail at 11:34 a.m.