He nips defending champ Riley by just five minutes, and finishes just 17 minutes ahead of Warner Vent. 1978 - Dick Mackey of Wasilla noses out Swenson in a wild dash down Front Street in Nome. The one-second victory is the closest ever. There is finish line confusion about who won. Swenson's sled crosses first.
Judges rule that in a dog race the first dog wins.
Nelson's dog handler, James Brandon, races n Nelson's honor. The race marks a string of near-misses for Peters. Following his championship, he finishes fifth, fourth, third and second in consecutive races. Twenty-five mushers scratch, an Iditarod record. Jeff King manages a 24th place finish in his rookie run.