Iron Dog 2015 (Day 7 Update)

First to leave Nome, and first to claim the checkered flag in Fairbanks was the ever-impressive duo of Team 20, Eric Quam and Scott Faeo.  Over 2,031 miles of one of the most intense and brutally challenging races of the Iron Dog, Team 20 never let up.   Scott Davis was quoted earlier in the race saying "When we left Nome, we really thought we would be able to put time on them (Team 20).  We had a little incident out on the ice that kind of took the wind out of our sails, and now we are just trying to maintain a decent speed and let the chips fall where they may." Aaron Bartel continued "We kind of got an unlucky break when Scott hit an ice-ledge that he didn't see out in the blizzard.  If you take that out of the equation, it would be a little bit of a different race right now and we'd be a little more excited about it.  I think right now we are just trying to get to the finish line.  We are pretty beat up and bruised, and we are ready to get to Fairbanks." Not being able to chip away at a few minute deficit over Team 20, it appeared that a bit of physical exhaustion coupled with a bit of mental exhaustion made for an anticlimactic second place finish for Davis and Bartel.  With over a week worth of racing, parts changes, crashes, burns, close calls, high speeds, low snow conditions, open water, and everything else taken into account, only 46 minutes (and $15,000 dollars) separated the first and second place teams.  Faeo/Quam will receive a $50,000 first place prize, where Davis/Bartel will receive a second place prize of $35,000.

Team 6, Andy and Brad George ran into a bit of equipment trouble near Galena where Brad George talks about damaging the track on his Skidoo at high speeds.  "It ripped the whole left side along the lugs.  I was doing about 100 when my rail tip went through it and it ripped about 15-20 lugs out." Andy George continued to add "We didn't know if we were going to stay here (in Galena) or go onto Ruby, but we gotta fix the sled, so obviously we are staying here."  When asked how bad the damage was to his son Brad's machine, he says "A couple of (bogey) wheels, a cross-shaft, and we haven't decided if we are going to swap the track or not.  We don't have parts here but we are going to have to start scrounging."

Slightly edging out the George's for a 3rd place finish, claiming their $20,000 prize, McKenna/Hill of Team 17 arrived in Fairbanks just 14 minutes of Andy and Brad, who crossed in 4th, earning $15,000 for their efforts. Losing just one position from leaving Nome, the rookie team of Brett Lapham and Cody Barber arrived at the finish line just 1 hour and 50 minutes behind the leaders, warranting the last cash payout of the race, a $10,000 check.