Husky News

Mid-distance racing takes center stage on the opposite sides of the Denali Highway this weekend with a pair of popular events on tap.

The Cantwell Classic is a 200-mile race that gets under way today, while the Copper Basin 300 is scheduled to start on Saturday in Glennallen.

Both events have attracted strong fields with many of the top mushers from the Iditarod and the Yukon Quest on the list of current entries.

Both races serve as qualifiers for the Iditarod and Yukon Quest.

The Cantwell Classic starts at 10 a.m. today and runs from the Cantwell Cafe to the MacLaren Lodge and back. A winner is expected to reach the finish line sometime late Saturday night.

A full field of 35 mushers is entered and there are five more waiting in the wings just in case someone doesn’t make it to the starting line.

Among those entered in the event are four-time Iditarod champion Martin Buser of Big Lake, three-time Yukon Quest champion Hans Gatt of Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, and former Quest champions Bill Cotter of Nenana and Ramy Brooks of Healy.

Other Interior mushers on the entry list are Lucy Tyrrell of Denali Park, Dale Curry of Fairbanks, Anne and Todd Capistrant of Healy, Aaron Burmeister of Nenana, Allen Miller of Nenana, Carol Blevins of Fairbanks, Clinton Warnke of Two Rivers, Judy and Devan Currier of Two Rivers, Jason Weitzel of Two Rivers, Tammi Rego of Two Rivers, Benedikt Beisch of Nenana, Jessie Royer of Fairbanks and Jennifer Kemper of Denali Park.

Mushers are competing for a $5,000 in prize money to be awarded at the pot luck finish banquet at noon, Sunday at the Cantwell School Gym.

This year’s honorary musher is Emmitt Peters of Ruby. He will be on hand at Sunday’s banquet to meet with race fans.

In addition to the 200-mile main event, there will be a 70-mile race for mushers age 14-17. The race starts at 10 a.m. Saturday with a winner expected at about 7 p.m.

For more information go to www.cantwellclassic.com.

Source: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner