The return trip: Racers depart for the finish at the crack of dawn
(Feb. 19, 2025) — As the clock winded down on wrench time in the Nome garage on Wednesday, racers planned to get their last night of rest before hitting the return trail back to Big Lake. The first racers will depart at 4:00 a.m. Thursday, with Team 20 Brad George and Robby Schachle holding onto a lead they have kept since Day 1.
Shifting into second place is Team 14’s Bryan Leslie and Casey Boylan, who gained an edge after Team 6 was handed a penalty for taking outside assistance during the race. Boylan and Leslie depart at 4:21.17 a.m., with Team 6’s Mike Morgan and Bradley Kishbaugh leaving less than a minute later.
“There was a lot of work happening today,” said Iron Dog Executive Director Mike Vasser. “Some of the top teams had a lot of work to do, I know 20 had a lot to do – a little over 30 minutes. I know 14 had almost 30 minutes. They basically rebuilt one of their sleds in 30 minutes.”
Team 8, he said, struggled for hours, trying to repair problems they were experiencing. Former Iron Dog champion Tyson Johnson, and race partner Tom Davis ended up calling it quits at about 9 p.m. Wednesday. That brings the race field down to 18 teams, from an original cast of 30 teams.
Other penalties and delays have cost teams valuable time this week. Team 3, Skyler Wells and Kenny Kleewein also received a time penalty for accepting outside assistance. Team 5 Kruz Kleewein and Zack Weisz were delayed with repairs they performed on the clock before even reaching Nome.
“They came into Kotzebue and worked on one of their sleds for almost 6 hours,” Vasser said. “They’re back on track now, and it looks like their sleds are clean, but that cost them some time.”
Other scratches included Team 2’s Andy Gocke and Ashley Wood, and Team 42’s Andy Swenson and Antone Contento.
“What I’ve been saying all along is that these are the greatest athletes in the world when you take the physical demands, the mental skills, the focus, the mechanical abilities and more,” Vasser said. “It’s like having a seven-skill ability to balance all of this while also racing.”
Take Team 42, for example, he said.
“We heard (Swenson) had crashed and he was hurt, but this was 100-plus miles out from Nome when it happened. He broke his left arm, duct-taped it up, and he rode all the way here. That’s as tough as it gets. Now he’s walking around here with a cast on his arm, and they are out of the race.”
Among some of this year’s young gun crews, Nome’s own Wilson Hoogendorn and Bubba McDaniel are holding their own. They were in and out of the garage in a respectable time, and currently stand in eighth place as the top rookie team.