The class of the Tustumena 200 field of mushers and teams rose to the top with four former champions chasing Dave Turner to the finish line at Freddie’s Roadhouse in the Caribou Hills on Sunday.
Turner wins T-200 (Broadcast on KSLD 1140AM and www.radiokenai.com)…
Dave Turner, of Fairbanks, out-races the field for the 2019 T-200 title posting a total running time of 15 hours and 15 minutes and a victory margin of 27 minutes over second-place, and four-time champion Cym Smith (15:42).
Turner held the lead over Cym Smith, 2018 champion Nikolas Petit, and past champions Lance Mackey and Mitch Seavey for nearly the entire running race. Turner, 10th out of the start chute, took early control leading into the first checkpoint at McNeil Canyon School in Homer. Turner lead the pack to the halfway point on the return trip to Freddie’s Roadhouse and lead the lead group into the Centennial Lake checkpoint. Following a mandatory four-hour layover and the start adjustment to the mushers’ cumulative time, Turner was first out of the Centennial Lake checkpoint at 10:12 a.m. Sunday and first to the finish at Freddie’s Roadhouse completing the final 46-mile leg in 3 hours and 41 minutes.
Turner posted the fastest run from the start line to the first checkpoint in Homer.
Turner on Caribou Hills course…
Turner lead by nearly nine miles on Sunday out of the final checkpoint and Cym CSmith cut the lead to nearly three miles about 20 miles from the finish. Seven miles from the finish, Turner averaged 12 mph and increase his lead back to five miles.
Dave turner finished third in 2018 and third in 2017 and now joins the list of champions for the Tustumena 200 Sled Dog Race.
T-100 Sled Dog Race Results
Eli Campbell’s team out-ran the field in the Tustumena 100 event on Saturday, then Eli served as pit -crew for Dave Turner on Sunday. Campbell completed the T-100 in eight hours and twelve minutes; a winning margin of 59 minutes.
Teams Record A Sweep For Racing Kennel
Racing Chaos Kennels records a sweep as the home kennel for both Dave Turner and Eli Campbell.
