Alaska State Championship
Sled Dog Races Results
KENAI-SOLDOTNA
1962
Mushers
Name
1. Dr. Roland Lombard, Weyland, Mass,
g. George Attla, Huslia
% Orville Lake, Anchorage
4. Clyde Bastian, Anchorage
5. Gareth Wright, Soldotna
6. Bob Barclay, Anchorage
7. Joe Brandon, Anchor Point
g. Dick Kopaack, Big Lake
9. Bud Smith, Big Lake
Chuck Raymond, Kasdlof
Clayton Patronivieh. Eagle River
1st Heat
March 3
0:59.46
1:00.18
1:00.52
1:05.64
1:05.05
1:10.01
1:11.11
1:11.08
1:19.08
1:17.10
Scratched
2nd Heat.
March 4
0:58,40
i :00. *•.:
1:01.50
1:11.31
1:12.45
1:09.14
1:09.55
1:11.20
1:06.30
Scratched
Total
Time
I ;-58.26
2:01.00
2.02.42
2:17.25
2:17.50
2:19.16
2:21.06
2:22.28
2:26.38
CHAMPIONS ALL—Gareth Wright of Soldotna, Alaska; George
Attla of Ifa-dia, Alaska, and I>r. Lombard of Weyland, Massa
chusetts, watch the posting of names at the drawing for positions
held last Friday on Channel 8 TV at Wildwood Station,
Sled Dog Pushers Split
$2,200 in Prize Money
Nit,6 ftnfcdung musriers si.ureu
*.■2,200 in jwfcs* money «t jScnai
Soldotna’s first annual Alaska
State Championship Sled Dog
Race hekt between the two cities
on March 3-4. The purse c-f $2,000
set for the event was over sub
scribed and- the additional $200
was distributed among all partici
pating drivers.
Dr. Roland Lombard of Wey
land, Mass., was top winner, plac
ing. first in both heats sand in
overall time. He received $100 in
day money Saturday, $150 in day
money Sunday and $750 overall
time as champion to take away a
total of $1,000 in prize money, all
of which he spent in buying one
of George Attla’s lead dogs. Lom
bard 'was sponsored by Kasco Dog
Food Co.
George Attla, of Huslsa, spon
sored by Weaver Bros. Trucking
Go., placed second for a total of
$500 in prize money. Attla re
ceived $50 in day money for the
first heat, $75 for the second
heat’s day money and $375 for
overall time,
Orville Lake, Anchorage, was
sponsored by Local 959 Teamsters
Union and M. B. Martin & Son,
Anchorage, and placed third for a
total of $300. This included day
money of $30 and $45 and overall
money of $225.
Clyde Bastian, sponsored by
Don’s Chemical Co., Anchorage,
did not place in day money but
came in fourth as to total elapsed
time and received $150.
Fourth-place winner of $20 in
«i*3> money for Afta firai. heat was
Garefch Wrisrht of Soldotna, spon
sored !by Wright Truck and Trac
tor Co. Second heat fourth-place
winner of $30 vaa Bud Smith,
Big Lake.
Wright came in fifth in total
judging for another $60, making
him a total of $80,
Smith, placing last in total
elapsed time received $20, making
him a total of $50. Smith served
as his own sponsor.
Bob Barclay, Anchorage mush
er ■sponsored by Harold’s Rent-A
Truck and Harold’s Trucking Co.,
both of Anchorage, was in sixth
place and received $50 in prize
money.
Joe Brandon, Anchor Point
musher, was sponsored by the
Cheeehako News. He placed sev
enth In total elapsed time and
received $40.
Sponsoring himself, Dick Kop
sack of Big Lake placed eighth
for a total of $30.
Chuck Raymond, of Kasilof.
co-sponsored by Mullins Electric
and George's Coffee Shop, both
of Kenai, completed the first heat
but scratched out of the second
heat.
Clayton Petronivich, Eagle Riv
er, was sponsored by Sabre Jet
Bar of that vicinity. Petronivich
had hard" luck on the trail after
making a good start. His dogs
got away from him and the team
was picked up and loaded into a
truck by his sponsors. Petronivich
was disqualified from the compe
tition.
BOB BARCLAY passes the halfway mark or the Kenai-Soldotna
trail in the Alaska State Championship race. Despite good dogs
and hard work, Bob r*u into trouble with a bad tangle and lost
so much time he dropped back to 8th place in overall time. How
ever, he’s a m usher to watch in next year’s race.
• More About
Sled Dog Races
(Continued from page 1)
red lantern to see hi.? way home.
His overall time was 2:25:38.
Other mothers completing the
two heats and their total times
included Boh Barclay, Anchorage,
2:19:15; Joe Brandon, Anchor
Point, *2:21:06, and Dick Kopsack,
Big Lake, 2:22:28.
Chuck Raymond, Kasilof, com
pleted the first heat in 1:17:10
but scratched from second heat
competition.
Clayton Patmrivieh, Big Lake,
lost his team after starting the
first heat and was disqualified.
Lombard has participated in
Alaskan racing events for the
past five years and has won every
major North American race ex
cept those at the Anchorage Fur
Rendezvous.
Tenth man out of the chute at
the start of the first heat, Lom
bard made the course in 59 min
utes and 46 seconds in spite of
losing several seconds when he
did a complete flip on a particu
larly icy stretch of trail. First
man out in the second heat, he
bested his own time of the previ
ous day and crossed the finish
line after 58 minutes and 40 sec
onds, bringing one dog home in
the basket.
Lombard, sponsored by Kasco
Dog Feed Co., received $100 in
day money on Saturday, $150 day
money Sunday and $750 for over
all time, for a total of $1,000. He
also received 50 pounds of dog
food.
Sunshine and moderately warm
weather made viewing the races
pleasant for the many onlookers.
Cars were parked bumper to
bumper along the highway at
strategic points of the trail and
at the starting and finish lines.
State troopers, Kenai police and
military police from. Wildwood
Station effectively prevented
traffic jams and kept the flow of
ears moving smoothly between,
the two cities.
Pat McCollum. Kenai Days
Queen; Barbara O'Rourke of Sol
dotna,' Queen of the Anchor Point
Sno-F estival, and Kathy Worth
ington. Kenai Days Princess, on a
Friday night television program
on Wildwood Station's Channel 8,
drew the names of mushers for
their starting positions in Satur
day's race. They were also in at
tendance at the prize money and
trophy presentation at the mash
ers’ banquet held Sunday night
at Riverside House, Soldotna.
AH events were given full radio
coverage on both days by KENI
of Anchorage. Movie camermen
from KENI also filmed the races
for later showing on television.
This coverage was sponsored by
the Soldotna branch of the Na
tional Bank of Alaska.
The $2,000 purse set for the
race was over subscribed and the
additional amount was divided be
tween the finishing tracers, all of
whom received some prize money.
Moose were plentiful along the
trail and the highway but oblig
ingly stayed out of the pathway
of the dogs. Several teams tan
gled at times when one team at
tempted to pass another and driv
ers lost valuable seconds in un
tangling the teams. The trail was
reported as “really tough” in
spots and several of the dogs
came in with bleeding feet.
The Anchor River Sled Dog and
Racing Association, headed by
Dick Iverson, president, supplied
racing officials and also conduct
ed the accompanying sweepstakes
event.
The entire race and added at
tractions were reported as being
even more successful than antici
pated and plans are already un
derway for a bigger and better
event next year.
LEASES TfRELANDS
HOMER—A 5.73-acre parcel of
tidelands, situated on the north
east side of Homer Spit, was
leased to G. W. Mitchell for the
annua! rental of $156, according
to Roscoe E, Bell, director of the
Division of Lands. The tidelands
lease auction was held at the fire
hall in Homer on Feb. 15. Mitchell
i$ a resident of Soldotna.
GARETH WRIGHT, who has won both the North American.
Championship (in 1950) and the World's Championship at An
chorage (3 times), had hard luck on the Alaska State Champion
ship and came in carrying two dogs in the sled to place fifth in
overall time.
T .ocal Kart Races Draw
Many Visitors to Area;
Reger Makes Best Time
Kenai Peninsula Championship Kart Races, sponsored March 3
and 4 by the Soldotna Moose Goesere, proved to be one of the most
popular attractions of the weekend featuring Alaska State Champion
ship Sled Dog Races. Held at the Soldotna Rodeo Grounds, the races
were attended by many visiting karting enthusiasts as well as local
spectators.
There were 29 entries, with 11 of them being from the Anchorage
area. Seven races ran in two beats of five laps each, plus time trials,
were included in the schedule.
Time trial events were all won
by members of the local karting
group. Harry Reger chalked up
the fastest elapsed time with
identical scores of 7.18-0 in each
of the two 4-mile heats run Sun
day. Paul Reger, with 7.18, placed
second. Fastest track time fox ,8
iVtik was 1.18 w or. by Bill Gibbs.
Fastest time in women’s time
trials, over an .8-mile track, was
won hi 1.34 by Maxine Reger on
Saturday. This was considerably
faster than time recorded for
many of the men competitors.
Guest drivers were Robert
Brooks, Fort Richardson, who got
second place in B Standard classi
fication; Dwayne Urquhart of
Elmendorf Air Force Base, who
ran three races and placed second
in both the A 'Standard arid B
Super races; Robert Lonnie, An
chorage, third place A Standard;
Robert Lourie, Jr., driving an A
Standard and placing first in the
children’s races; Dave Lonsdale,
Anchorage, A Super, third place;
Alan Patton, Elmendorf, third
place in children's event.
Also entered but not placing
were Clay Caron, Elmendorf, A
Super; John Mims and Rchard
Patton, both of Elmendorf and
both in A Super competition, Don
ald Wood and Donald Wood, Jr.,
Elmendorf, both in A Standard.
Trophies kept at home were
won by Harry Reger, first in
class B Super: Paul Reger, first
in A Standard; Charlotte Ischi,
driving an A Standard, first in
Powder Puff Derby; Bill Ischi,
first in A Super; Bill Gibbs, first
ip B Super; Glen Buehta, second
in B Super; Gary Gibbs, driving
a Bushing job, second in chil
dren’s race; Montana (’Tana)
Johnson, with an A Standard,
second in Powder Puff, and Isa
belle. Knapp with an A Super,
third in Powder Puff.
Although no general 1 competi
tion is planned for the immediate
future, local karters will continue
Sunday afternoon racing on the
rodeo grounds track until spring
breakup begins. 'Die public is in
vited to attend and there is no
admission charge,
DID YOU KNOW?
The United States and Russia
are separated by only 2 Ms males
of water between Little Diomede
Island (USA) and Big Diomede
(Russia), which are in the Bering
Strait,
The Kenai Peninsula city of
Seward lies at the head, of Res
Mushers Buffet
Held Friday Night
Many races were ran and re
ran at the Soltsotna -home of
‘‘Red” and Beula Grange Friday
evening foil owing the drawing for
position at Wildwood Station for
the Kenai-Soldotna sied dog
races.
Mushers were given a buffet
dinner prepared by Beula and
“Red's” mother, Mrs. Bessie
Grange. The cooks reportedly did
a wonderful job and the dinner
was enjoyed by all.
Those attending' from out of
town included Merle K. Smith,
president of Cordova Airlines,
and Mrs. Smith; Dr. Roland Lom
bard, in usher from VVevland,
Mass., who is a lover of Alaska
and says he may move uip here;
Orville Lake of Anchorage, mas
ter of ceremonies of the mushers
at large; George Attla from Hus
Ha, first-place winner of Anchor
age Fur Rendezvous; and mush
ers Bob Smith from Big Lake,
Bob Barclay and Clyde Bastian,
both of Anchorage, and Chuck
Raymond, Kasilof,
Gareth Wtright, Soldotna’s own
musher and layout man for the
trail, was present, There was con
siderable speculation, and good
natured “ribbing” as to the out
come of a possible probe under
way by Orville Lake as to why
some conditions existed on the
trail layout.
Other out-of-town guests in
cluded Ty Clark and Charles
Gray, both of station KENI, An
chorage; Mr. and Mrs. Monty
Coleman, Kenai; Doc Pease of
Lake Louise, Mr. and Mrs. W. A.
Steinhauer, Kenai; Eddie Budrue,
Dr. Lombard's handler, and Andy
Anderson, Orville Lake’s handler.
Local guests included Mrs,
Gareth Wright, Dick and Joan
Hall, Jack Johnson, State Patrol
man and Mrs, Wayne Haggerty,
Joyce Carver, Ted and Amy
Grainge, Jody and Shari Grange,
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Griffin,
Barbara O’Rourke, Pat McCul
lough and Judy Bird.
surrection Bay, so named by ths<
Russian explorer, Alexander Bar*
anof, who arrived there on a
Sunday in 1792.
In 1778, English Captain James
Cook explored the west coast of
Alaska as far north as Icy Cape,
south of Point Barrow, in search
of a northern passage to the At
lantic.