Iditarod Trail Invitational '20 Part 1

Early season Autocross 2010 PC Matthew Milenkovic?

I've been contemplating in my mind what I want to write for my race report. Of course, there's the typical approach of the start, all the stuff that happened along the way, and then the finish with some pretty pictures. And that may seem like the race report but it doesn't cover my journey. Not even close. I've been thinking about what it means to me to compete. What is my timeline? Where did I start? How did I get to where I am now?

My mind and conscience, how have they grown? How have they not? Racing up to this point in my life has, not to sound super dorky, been my life's work. Some folks look to art. Some to their profession. Some, even the way they live their life. My story has always been racing.

The sensation of speed as I remember it, came rather subconsciously. As a young child growing up on West 27th Avenue between Minnesota and Spenard, I would develop these complex tracks and cities that I would push my little hotwheels around on in the dirt. I would imagine the sensation of speed and drifting around corners.

Some of my favorite tv shows were Knight Rider, Transformers and MacGyver. I remember when my dad got his first serious remote control car, a 12th Scale Kyosho Plazma pan car. He had a beautiful Harley Davidson 1200cc Sportster that I absolutely loved to ride on the back with him. Hell, I used to fall asleep on it. Haha

One summer afternoon I was playing in the street with my friend Skippy, and he told me about BMX Racing. We used to race up and down the street and I was one of the faster kids, but I think what really hooked me was the rush of adrenaline from competing.

More BMX Racing. This is a better representation of what I was doing.

We raced behind the YMCA on what was actually a really nice track. I really like BMX racing and picked it up quickly. My dad built me up a sweet GT Mach 1 (from Paramount Cycles when it was on Northern Lights.)

I was 9 years old I think. 1989/1990. Yes, that's a sweet mullet.

I enjoyed BMX but the YMCA felt differently about the BMX crowd. I guess we were just a little too Bad Boy for them.

It didn't take long for me to pick up another competitive hobby. This time it was Remote Control cars. Some folks may think they are toys, but there is a legit, serious crowd and market for them.

It was R/C cars were I started to learn the intricacies of racing. Thousands of setup options are available on competitive style R/C cars. Roll centers, toe, bump steer, ride height, spring weight, anti-roll bars, electric motors, battery matching, tire compounds are all common words thrown around the world of R/C car racing. There were many different classes of racing, 4wd touring cars, Pan cars (Prototype bodied, light, quick and high grip) for indoor/outdoor racing and 2WD/4WD offroad classes! During the summer, I would play baseball (another story, another day) but as soon as the temperatures started to drop I would turn the heat up and charge the batteries on the R/C's!

Eventually the R/C club started to peter out. It's enjoyed a resurgence a various times in Anchorage. When I got into high school I started to follow motorsports. My friend who I met through a church youth group had a Honda XR100.

A Honda XR100 that I learned to ride around my friends house. We used to jump it into snow berms in the winter!

Ohhhhh man! My mind was blown!

My first opportunity to borrow money from the bank! 1995 Suzuki RM125

I really enjoyed riding dirt bikes. I pleaded with my father to let me get a motocross bike. He made some deals with me, I had to work for it. I learned how to perform the maintenance, upgrades and taking care of the other responsibilities that came with owning a motocross bike. I got my first job and the payments were made by me. I remember riding the bus to work, going to the bank to make a payment. I even did a couple of motocross races. They were really tough. I wasn't that strong when I was younger and continued to try and ride often to get better and stronger. Not long after, I was 16 years old. You know what that means, getting your license! I was already looking at pickup trucks to carry my dirt bike.

My dad helped me buy a 1992 Nissan Hardbody P/U for my first vehicle. Man, I used to look forward to washing my truck and bike. I was hooked. I loved driving. It gave me a sense of freedom, independence and need to explore. Not long after that, I absorbed my dad's 1988 GMC Sportside P/U. We lowered it, put some cool tires and wheels on it and a nice exhaust. I was so cool ;-P

Here's an example, mine was black and the exhaust exited in the rear.

The next part of my life is a bit of a blur. I was grappling with growing up, rebelling against anyone who knew better then I, and experiencing difficulties dealing with my feelings. I didn't take very good care of myself, emotionally and physically. I ended up getting a DUI, lost my job, got removed from my Associates program with only one semester left to finish. It was a dark moment in my life. I felt pretty lost. I felt like that wasn't what I wanted in my life. After some stellar parenting by my dad, I got a job at Young's Gear building driveshafts and doing bench repairs. I got back on track making by car payments. My dad continued to let me stay with him (like any good millennial right?) I doubled down on car racing. I found something that I wanted to be great at. Racing.

One of my best friends and I decided to build a race car. We had grand visions of road racing and ultimately racing the Fur Rondy Grand Prix (RIP.) I won't go into it as that's another story but I had found my calling. I had something in life to be passionate about again. It was all I ever thought about. I traveled to the 12 Hours of Sebring, Petit LeMans many times. I worked, daydreamed, raced and built cars. I always thought about how I could better my skills. I thought of ways to make the 1986 Mazda RX7 handle better. I thought about how I could adjust my 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution to get a little closer to what was at the time the quickest car up here, the Nissan GT-R. I spent two winters in Laguna Seca at Skip Barber learning the in's and out's of race car driving. It was there that I learned I was out of shape. I was trying to compete with younger, smaller versions of humans. I knew that if I wanted to go faster, I had to lose some weight.

There was a really adorable blonde that came into our lives. Palmer the Lab I didn't care for being outside, the darkness and snow. I had never really understood what it meant to go for a hike, or a bike ride on trails. But Palmer helped me discover my love for exploring again. Just like getting my license, or when my dad would let me ride my bike farther and farther from the house in 3rd grade, I felt a need to go farther and farther.

In 2011 I bought my first fat bike, nicknamed the HULK. A Green, 170mm spaced 9:ZERO:7. I started to look into racing fat bikes and one day stumbled over the Susitna 100 and the Iditarod Trail Invitational. Guys like Tim Berntson, Jeff Oatley, Kevin Breitenbach, Pete Basinger, Jay Petervary, John Lackey all seemed like rockstars to me! (Don't tell them I said that.) Like many others I watched in awe. I knew that I one day wanted to take this event on. And so I developed a plan.

Some of you may have seen or remember my emo Susitna 100 videos. They're rather comical to watch now. I finished in 8 something hours. The stretch from Rohn to Nikolai this year took over 20. Hahahaha

I decided to try the Iditasport 225 in 2015. Man that race really showed me a new world. Sleep deprivation, cold weather, general route finding, gear setups. Not long after that while in Boston to watch my then girlfriend Laura run the Boston Marathon, I sent off my application to participate in the 2016 Iditarod Trail Invitational.

I remember this day very well. It was a sunny day in downtown Boston.

What a year to sign up! John Lackey had just set the record to McGrath, faster than the dogs! The year prior Jeff Oatley hauled butt all the way to Nome in 10 days! It was a time of growth for the race for sure. Trackleaders website was really starting to catch on for all the different bikepacking events including the ITI. The professional "dot watchers" were born.

My first finish. 2016 PC ITI

Ooof. I was really cold and got some frostbite. My second finish in 2017. PC ITI

My third finish in 2018. PC Laura Fox

My fourth finish and fastest time. PC ITI

Just before we got on the plane 2020. PC Corrie Smith

So here we are now. I've had an incredible time getting here and I wouldn't change a damn thing. My dad, family and friends have always and continue to support me. I've met amazing people, seen amazing things and experienced parts of myself that I don't think I would've found had I not been daydreaming as a little kid on W. 27th Avenue. I feel like now I'm ready to give a race report.