 |
| Martin sharing a smile & autograph with young fans in Aniak during a K300 race. |
Martin Buser was the first musher to depart Willow Lake and
the first person to depart Finger Lake. The trail conditions are ideal for his
team that likes to run fast. Buser had his fastest Iditarod race in 2002 and
the record for 9 years until Kotzebue musher John Baker became the fastest race
record holder with 8d18h46m39s in 2011. One
can only assume he wants his record back! As Buser told a reporter, he is going
to either look like a genius or an idiot for this unconventional move and we
won’t know until later up the trail.
As of now, Buser is ½ way to Rohn and no one else has even checked
into Rainy. Currently the second place team, about 25 miles back, is the Buser
B team led by Matt Failor. One has to wonder about the thoughts running through
Rohn’s mind as he is back tending to the kennel. Rohn had a tough time at the
K300 this year and elected to sit this Iditarod out and let his father run a
super team (filled with young and excited girls according to wife Kathy
Chapoton). Lest you worry about the puppy team, that is being run by Buser Dog
handler James Volek. Those pups are wresting in Skwenta having averaged 11.76 mph
on the way to the checkpoint.
1 comment:
Crazy Buser was about 20 hrs from start to Rohn. Obviously he is now resting there as well he should. But is he taking his 24? Who knows? From a historical perspective, here are some other fast times into Rohn (all with rests along the way):
2002 Buser 33 hrs
2011 Baker 31 hrs
2011 Buser 28 hrs, (into Nome 18th)
2010 Mackey 30 hrs
Post a Comment