2008 Western Alaska Sled Dog Races

Race Rules

Entries and Starting.

• The drawing for positions in the Western Alaska Championship Sled Dog Race will be held on the Thursday prior to the race in person or by proxy.  A late entrant arriving after the drawing but before the race must check in with the Race Marshal 90 minutes before the race to establish his/her starting position and to become familiar with the race rules.  The time, place and date of the drawing will be announced at least ten (10) days prior to the scheduled race.  A copy of the race rules will be distributed to all race entrants at the drawing and will be reviewed by all mushers.
• An entry fee of $200.00 must be paid prior to the mushers drawing for position or establishment of position with the Race Marshal in the event that the musher is a late entrant.  Payments are to be made to the Nushagak Classic/Western Alaska Championship Sled Dog Race (or Nush/WAC).
• The Nushagak Classic/Western Alaska Championship Sled Dog Racing Association is not responsible for any accidents, injuries, or damages to a driver, handler and/or team and equipment.  All mushers race at their own risk and must sign a release at the time of the drawing or prior to the race, if a late entrant. 
• Each musher must show proof that the dogs in their team have been vaccinated for rabies.  It is recommended that all dogs also have distemper and parvo vaccinations before traveling to Dillingham.  Note: please have rabies vaccination certificates available at the time of the drawing or prior to the race, if a late entrant. 
• Prize money places will be posted prior to the race unless there is a cancellation of the race.  If a cancellation occurs, proxy money will be distributed as follows: A. First Day/First Heat – ½ prize money plus full first day scheduled day money.  B. Second Day/ Second Heat – full prize money and full day money.
• The musher starting the race will be the only one allowed to drive the team. In the event that the musher becomes injured or sick, he/she may appoint someone to run their team; however he/she must submit a doctor’s or community health aide’s statement of injury or illness to the Race Marshal.
• No musher will be allowed to race if they are intoxicated.
• Teams will start out in two (2) minute intervals.  Mushers can have help out of the chute up to the first checkpoint.
• Each team must check in fifteen (15) minutes prior to their scheduled starting time.  Teams that have not checked in accordingly will start after the last team in the respective order in which they were originally scheduled to start.  NOTE: Even though there will be two minute intervals between teams starting out, a team will be allowed only one minute after its scheduled start time to leave the Start Line.  If the musher exceeds the additional one minute after his/her start time, the team must move to the last position, but with his/her time still running.
• All dogs will be marked at the beginning of the race.  A musher can drop a dog between race heats, but he/she cannot add any new dogs.  If a musher drops a dog one day, he/she may not use that same dog for any remaining heats of the race.  All dogs used in the third day of the race must have been used in the second day.  All dogs must finish each day/heat either in the line or in the sled.
• If the musher and his team do not finish the course one day, he/she cannot run the next day and will be scratched from the race.
• All sleds must be in good condition.  A brake and snow/ice hook are required.  The Race Marshal will inspect the sled at the start of the race.
• In the event of a tied heat time, starting positions between mushers will be determined by the flip of a coin.  The same scenario applies to day money in the event of a tied heat time.

ON THE TRAIL

• Unsafe or inhumane treatment of dogs is not permitted.  Whips may not be carried or used during the race.
• Removing trail markers is prohibited and grounds for disqualification.
• Passing another team.
• When a team is going to overtake another team, the rear team has the right of way and should call out “Trail.”  The musher in front MUST step on his/her brake, bring the team to a full stop, and pull his/her sled out of the way.  The stopped team may not continue until the advancing musher’s sled has passed the lead dog of the stopped team.
• When one team passes another, he/she has the right of way foreither five (5) full minutes or one mile.
• EXCEPTIONS
• If a musher passes another team, and becomes entangled, the trailing team may repass if the musher with the tangled team tells the trailing team to pass.  Otherwise, the passed team must wait for 30 seconds before repassing.
• A team that has been passed does not need to hold his/her team while a team that has passed repairs gear or unhooks and transfers a dog or dogs from one position to another position in the team before the distance and/or time interval in C 1 above have elapsed.  Loading a dog in the sled basket is the same as changing positions in the team. 
• In the final mile to the finish line it is permissible to run side by side with another team towards the finish line.
• A team will give the leading team an opportunity of gainingsome distance and at no time will he/she allow their leaders so close to the leading team so as to handicap their running in any way.
• While competing in the race, a driver is not permitted to have anyassistance in managing his/her team, with the following exceptions:
• Mushers can have help out of the starting chute and up to the first checkpoint. 
• Any racer who becomes separated from their team may use whatever means possible to recover their team.  In order for a lost team to continue the race if it has left the trail, it must return to the trail at the point of departure and complete the entire race route.  Should the team advance up the trail and later be recovered on the trail, the racer may continue the race without returning to the point where he became separated from their team.
• Trail Conditions:  The Race Marshal shall decide if the race will be cancelled for any reason.  The primary reason for cancellation will be due to trail conditions that are either dangerous to the safety of the musher or harmful for the dogs.  The Race Marshal shall make his/her decision to cancel or continue the race based on the Trail Marshal’s report given prior to each heat/day of the race.  The racecourse will be checked every day prior to the scheduled starting time by the Trail Marshal.  If the trail is blown in with snow or has drifted to the point that the trail is covered prior to the race, a snomachine with an appropriate drag device attached will run the entire course fifteen (15) minutes prior to the scheduled start of the race.
• All lathe (wooden sticks) markers will be placed on the left side of the outbound trail.  Any overlapping trail will be identified for the mushers by the Trail Marshal prior to the start of the race.  Mushers must follow the marked trail.

 

      FINISHING

• A musher will be considered to have crossed the finish line when his/her lead dog’s nose crosses the finish line.  At that point the official timekeeper will stop the time for that musher.
• All complaints must be filed with the Race Marshal within one half hour (30 minutes) of the musher crossing the finish line.  All checkpoint complaints must be turned in to the Race Marshal immediately after the race.  Complaints brought to the Race Marshal will be handled in the following manner:
• Race Marshal shall consult the person/musher for whom the complaint has been filed against and anyone else with information regarding the complaint.
• Race Marshal shall consult Judges after talking with both parties.
• Race Marshal shall report the consensus of the Officials’ decision as to whether or not the musher shall be disqualified.
• Race Judges shall be comprised of the following; Race Marshal, Trail Marshal, at least one Nush/WAC board member not previously selected to serve as Race or Trail Marshal and not competing.

 

 

Purse:

 

1st        $5,000
2nd        $4,000
3rd        $3,000
4th        $2,100
5th        $1,200
6th        $   900
7th        $   600
8th        $   400
9th        $   300
10th      $   225

 

Day Money:

Day 1

1st                    $200
2nd                   $150
3rd                    $100
4th                    $50
5th                    $25

Day 2

1st                    $250
2nd                   $200
3rd                    $150
4th                    $100
5th                    $50

Day 3

1st                    $300
2nd                   $250
3rd                    $200
4th                    $150
5th                    $100