Team 11, made up of 'first dude' Todd Palin and Eric Quam finished Alaska's 2000 mile Iron Dog Snow Machine Race in second place last night.
It was down to the wire for this race that had started last Sunday, and the final couple hours proved to be very exciting, as The Palin/Quam team was in first place heading to the turn around at North Pole Alaska. They were in great position to win (Todd is a four time champoin of this grueling race) when tragedy struck and Palin's Snow Machine stopped moving. (We were tacking the racers via GPS on-line) He had had an accident and Quam was forced to turn around and go back to check on his partner.
This setback allowed the second place team of Tyler Huntington and Chris Olds, who had been virtually on their heels, to move into the lead. This is the order they ended up finishing in, with Team 7 (Huntington, Olds) taking home the first place trophy for the second year in a row.
It was a thrilling, down to the wire ending for such a long marathon of a race. This years contest was especially grueling as they racers had to combat a viscous life threatening storm, several accidents and sub -50 below temps as they raced across the ice and snow.
“I think these guys are the toughest men on the planet,” Said Governor Sarah Palin, “Girly men don’t ride the Iron Dog.”
Congratulations to all who finished, but a special shout out to Todd and his partner for finishing in the money and in second place!
Governor Palin was interviewed just before the finish here.
more in depth report:
ReplyDelete“Todd Palin and Eric Quam have a valiant finish in the Iron Dog. Even after Todd’s snow machine broke down in the last leg when he was in first place, he used his substantial abilities and experience to make repairs to his machine. This was done in the heat of the race, with no “pit crew” to help and in frigid weather conditions. Despite the odds, he managed a repair and finished a close second in the race. This is even more astounding when you consider that 30 teams started and about 2/3 of the teams scratched long before the finish.
Perhaps the most amazing story is what happened in Nome. Weather was so bad that the race was held up and looked it it could not continue. Finally, Todd’s team was one of two that were chosen to lead out from Nome and scout the trail and clear the way for the others. It was an easy choice with Todd’s vast Iron Dog experience, and 4 1st place wins. He is also considered one of the toughest guys around and who you would want to have if you were in trouble.
So, Todd set aside his competitiveness and “took one for the teams”! His brave act will be remembered for many years to come and this may be one of the most celebrated acts in the history of the Iron Dog.
We must also note Todd’s wife Sarah was there supporting him all the way. She was there will him in Nome when the weather hit. Her encouraging words to him were an obvious help, not only to him, but all the teams. Her statement, “The Iron Dog is not for girly men”, gave them all a new strength!
If she decides to run for President, she and her husband will be a formidable campaigning team. Their pioneering spirit will no doubt lift this nation. She may even be counted among the greatest presidents of this country, when all is said and done.”