Iditarod Update #8 - Thursday Morning Race Resumes

Leaders Refreshed

Teams are wrapping up their mandatory 24-hour rest stops, and hitting the trail again, as the race heats up for real. The standings will begin to sort themselves out, but a new wrinkle may appear to bother race fans: solar flares are heading this way, threatening communications. For the mushers, it means spectacular Northern Lights.

Jim Lanier is out in front, having not taken his 24, apparently after the $3,000 in gold nuggets for the Halfway Award in Cripple. Trent Herbst is also past Ophir without taking his 24.

They may be in front, but they won’t be the leaders for long, for there is a freight train coming, of strong, fast teams who are well rested. The time-adjustment shook up the order, and in reality, these are the race leaders, as they will pass Martin and Rohn Buser in Ophir, and Lanier and Herbst wherever they take their 24.

Lance Mackey completed his 24 in McGrath about the same time as Mitch, so he is less than 3 hours out of first place. Race on!

Rookie German musher Silvia Furtwängler is the first team to scratch, in Nikolai, due to personal health concerns.

The Top Rookies are in Takotna, with Brent Sass and Josh Cadzow about an hour apart, then Anjanette Steer, Curt Perano, Ryne Olson and Mike Santos bunched together.

The back of the pack of Jan Steves, Bob Chlupach and Dan Seavey are resting in Nikolai.

UNOFFICIAL CURRENT STANDINGS as of 3:00am AKST/7:00am ET
(Based on tracker data and Official Standings):

(Highlighted Teams have completed mandatory 24-hour break)

On the Trail to Cripple
1. Jim Lanier (3)
2. Trent Herbst (16)

In Ophir
3. Martin Buser (41)
4. Rohn Buser (62)

On the Trail to Ophir
5. Mitch Seavey (35)
6. Aliy Zirkle (14)
7. Dallas Seavey (34)
8. John Baker (11)
9. Jeff King (10)
10. Sonny Lindner (59)
11. Aaron Burmeister (44)

In Takotna
12. Ray Redington Jr (2)
13. Paul Gebhardt (25)
14. Hugh Neff (27)
15. Gerry Willomitzer (23)
16. DeeDee Jonrowe (17)
17. Michelle Phillips (26)
18. Peter Kaiser (28)
19. Jake Berkowitz (29)
20. Rick Swenson (60)
21. Cim Smyth (8)
22. Sigrid Ekran (24)
23. Tom Thurston (5)
24. Brent Sass (50) {R}
25. Ramey Smyth (21)
26. Michael Williams, Jr (51)
27. Ken Anderson (39)
28. Josh Cadzow (55) {R}
29. Jodi Bailey (6)
30. Bruce Linton (36)
31. Wade Marrs (7)
32. Anjanette Steer (32) {R}
33. Curt Perano (61) {R}
34. Ryne Olson (46) {R}
35. Mike Santos (22) {R}
36. William Pinkham (4)
37. Ed Stielstra (45)
38. Scott Janssen (37)
39. Lachlan Clarke (66)
40. Karin Hendrickson (43)
41. Anna Berington, (33) {R}
42. Kristy Berington (31)
43. Michael Suprenant (13)

On the Trail to Takotna
44. Lance Mackey (18)
45. Kelley Griffin (20)

In McGrath
46. Nicolas Petit (9)
47. Colleen Robertia (42)
48. Ryan Redington (67)
49. Gerald Sousa (58)
50. Justin Savidis (38)
51. Braxton Peterson (63) {R}
52. Zoya DeNure (53)
53. Pat Moon (15) {R}
54. Matt Giblin (52)
55. Travis Cooper (19) {R}
56. Hank Debruin (48) {R}
57. Karen Ramstead (56)
58. Art Church, Jr (64)
59. Jaimee Kinzer (30) {R}
60. Kirk Barnum (47)

On the Trail to McGrath
61. Kelly Maixner (12)
62. Matt Failor (57) {R}

In Nikolai
63. Jan Steves (40) {R}
64. Bob Chlupach (49)
65. Dan Seavey (65)

Scratched
Silvia Furtwängler (54) {R}


Bib Numbers (X)
Rookie {R}