bearqst
Mar 22, 2006, 09:44 PM
Thought you all might enjoy an Alaskan Racing story.... :D MOre photos at http://nomenugget.net/20060316/local.html
By Diana Haecker
In what some riders characterized as the most grueling race to Golovin ever, a few riders got injured while most returned home to Nome after having braved blistering winds and whiteout conditions in the 200-mile race from Nome to Golovin and back.
439
Photo by Diana Haecker
WATCH OUT, HERE COME THE WINNERS— Mike Morgan, start number 46, and Quinn Schaeffer, number 14, approached the Nome-Golovin snowmachine race finish line almost simultanuously, winning the B class and C class, respectively.
A number of wrecks were strewn all along the trail and three snowmachiners sustained injuries severe enough that they had to be flown in to Nome for medical attention, according to race officials. "Unfortunately, three riders were flown into town from the Topkok area after crashing and suffering injuries. Brad Reich from Kotzebue broke a collarbone, and Roy Bradley from Elim was suffering from a injured neck. One other unidentified rider has a damaged knee," said Nate Perkins.
440
Photo by Kyle Ponsford
AIRBORNE— B class winner Mike Morgan and C class winner Quinn Schaeffer completed the Nome-Golovin race at nearly the same time with Morgan receiving the top overall finisher award and Schaeffer placing first in the C class.
East winds gusting up to 38 mph caused white-out conditions at times, delaying the start for two hours. While it wasn't that cold, the National Weather Service reported 16° F, the wind crept into one's clothing and chilled every part of skin that wasn't protected by numerous layers of cloth.
The race start of this 37th Nome to Golovin snowmachine race had been set for noon, but Race Marshal Laben Iyatunguk kept an eye on the weather and reports from further down the coast until he deemed it safe enough to send the riders out at 2 p.m.
More than 40 snowmachiners from Kotzebue, Anchorage, Koyuk, Elim, White Mountain and Gambell joined the 30 Nomeites racing for a pot of money and the glory of mastering a tricky trail.
Mike Morgan, winner of the B class and overall winner with the fastest time of two hours, 43 minutes and 41 seconds, said the trail had whiteout conditions at times and was very rough. "I had a little mishap between Safety and Solomon," he said gulping down a Gatorade at the finish line. "I hit a bump on the trail and my machine flipped over." Luckily, Morgan didn't get hurt. He climbed back on the machine and gunned it again. Last year, he was one of the unfortunate Polaris Fusion riders who ran out of gas. "I ran out of gas two miles before the White Mountain pit station and had to scratch," the 20-year-old UAF civil engineering student said.
This year, no snowmachiner had such bad luck and race officials reported no fuel issues.
442
"Mike Morgan's time of 2 hous 43 minutes and 41seconds was the fastest overall time of all classes, earning him an additional bonus of $5,000. This is the first time in the race history the overall winner came from the "B" or smaller displacement class," said Nate Perkins. "This reflects the fact the course was rough, as the lighter smaller sleds were able to produce equal or better speeds in the bumps as the bigger sleds. Also note that all of the top 3 money places in the "B" class had faster times overall than all of the "C" class riders. Again, this reflects the ability of these smaller sleds to run faster in the rough than the bigger "C" class sleds due to trail conditions."
Morgan's snowmachine, just as many others, had stickers on the hood commemorating last year's winner and rookie of the year Lindsey Reader. Reader was killed in a four-wheeler accident last year. The racers commemorated Lindsey Reader also by bestowing him with the honorary bib number one. Lindsey's brother Nicholas accepted the bib at the sign-up banquet last week and wore it at the start and finish line of the race.
Quinn Schaeffer, 30, crossed the finish line within split seconds of Mike Morgan, winning the C class. After he peeled the black insulation tape off his face, he said, "I'm glad I made it back!" He also reported a rough and choppy trail through ground storm conditions. This marks the eighth Nome to Golovin race run of Quinn Schaeffer.
While most spectators decided to stay in their cars parked along the Nome Council Highway, a few hardy souls made it down to the finish at the sea ice. As each rider blasted in, hordes of kids and supporters swarmed around the new arrival, patting shoulders and asking how it went.
In the end, all riders were accounted for at the finish.
The annual Rookie award went to Matt Spernak from Anchorage.
By Diana Haecker
In what some riders characterized as the most grueling race to Golovin ever, a few riders got injured while most returned home to Nome after having braved blistering winds and whiteout conditions in the 200-mile race from Nome to Golovin and back.
439
Photo by Diana Haecker
WATCH OUT, HERE COME THE WINNERS— Mike Morgan, start number 46, and Quinn Schaeffer, number 14, approached the Nome-Golovin snowmachine race finish line almost simultanuously, winning the B class and C class, respectively.
A number of wrecks were strewn all along the trail and three snowmachiners sustained injuries severe enough that they had to be flown in to Nome for medical attention, according to race officials. "Unfortunately, three riders were flown into town from the Topkok area after crashing and suffering injuries. Brad Reich from Kotzebue broke a collarbone, and Roy Bradley from Elim was suffering from a injured neck. One other unidentified rider has a damaged knee," said Nate Perkins.
440
Photo by Kyle Ponsford
AIRBORNE— B class winner Mike Morgan and C class winner Quinn Schaeffer completed the Nome-Golovin race at nearly the same time with Morgan receiving the top overall finisher award and Schaeffer placing first in the C class.
East winds gusting up to 38 mph caused white-out conditions at times, delaying the start for two hours. While it wasn't that cold, the National Weather Service reported 16° F, the wind crept into one's clothing and chilled every part of skin that wasn't protected by numerous layers of cloth.
The race start of this 37th Nome to Golovin snowmachine race had been set for noon, but Race Marshal Laben Iyatunguk kept an eye on the weather and reports from further down the coast until he deemed it safe enough to send the riders out at 2 p.m.
More than 40 snowmachiners from Kotzebue, Anchorage, Koyuk, Elim, White Mountain and Gambell joined the 30 Nomeites racing for a pot of money and the glory of mastering a tricky trail.
Mike Morgan, winner of the B class and overall winner with the fastest time of two hours, 43 minutes and 41 seconds, said the trail had whiteout conditions at times and was very rough. "I had a little mishap between Safety and Solomon," he said gulping down a Gatorade at the finish line. "I hit a bump on the trail and my machine flipped over." Luckily, Morgan didn't get hurt. He climbed back on the machine and gunned it again. Last year, he was one of the unfortunate Polaris Fusion riders who ran out of gas. "I ran out of gas two miles before the White Mountain pit station and had to scratch," the 20-year-old UAF civil engineering student said.
This year, no snowmachiner had such bad luck and race officials reported no fuel issues.
442
"Mike Morgan's time of 2 hous 43 minutes and 41seconds was the fastest overall time of all classes, earning him an additional bonus of $5,000. This is the first time in the race history the overall winner came from the "B" or smaller displacement class," said Nate Perkins. "This reflects the fact the course was rough, as the lighter smaller sleds were able to produce equal or better speeds in the bumps as the bigger sleds. Also note that all of the top 3 money places in the "B" class had faster times overall than all of the "C" class riders. Again, this reflects the ability of these smaller sleds to run faster in the rough than the bigger "C" class sleds due to trail conditions."
Morgan's snowmachine, just as many others, had stickers on the hood commemorating last year's winner and rookie of the year Lindsey Reader. Reader was killed in a four-wheeler accident last year. The racers commemorated Lindsey Reader also by bestowing him with the honorary bib number one. Lindsey's brother Nicholas accepted the bib at the sign-up banquet last week and wore it at the start and finish line of the race.
Quinn Schaeffer, 30, crossed the finish line within split seconds of Mike Morgan, winning the C class. After he peeled the black insulation tape off his face, he said, "I'm glad I made it back!" He also reported a rough and choppy trail through ground storm conditions. This marks the eighth Nome to Golovin race run of Quinn Schaeffer.
While most spectators decided to stay in their cars parked along the Nome Council Highway, a few hardy souls made it down to the finish at the sea ice. As each rider blasted in, hordes of kids and supporters swarmed around the new arrival, patting shoulders and asking how it went.
In the end, all riders were accounted for at the finish.
The annual Rookie award went to Matt Spernak from Anchorage.