By Jessica Edwards

A favorable exchange rate means Canadians may compete in record numbers in Saturday’s 39th annual Alcan 200 snow machine road race.

Organizer Karen Hess said she knew of five racers coming from Haines Junction this year, and hoped the exchange rate would boost participation overall. "We had 38 racers last year. I anticipate more this year, hopefully around 45. I’d love to have more than that."

Hess said Lane Martin might be the only racer from Haines, although organizers won’t know all the details of "who" and "how many" until after Friday night’s Calcutta auction, held at the Fogcutter Bar.

She said in addition to the $325 entry fee, the expense of preparing a machine to race, including back-up parts, kept locals from entering. The Chilkat Snowburners are considering reviving incentives they have used in the past, such as "a locals race within the race," to entice more local racers in future years.

Final registration begins 5:30 on Friday, Jan. 18, after which racers will be auctioned off to the public in the Calcutta Auction. Whoever buys a racer is paid a percentage of the pooled money for that class if the racer wins the class, Hess said. The racer gets 25 percent of the pool and the bidder gets 75 percent.

Money from the auction supplements purse money for the event, which comes from sponsorships, a raffle, a side auction, poster sales and a game feed. Prize money goes to the top three finishers in each of six machine classes, as well as to the fastest female racer ($700), and the oldest sled to finish the race ($500). The top three finishers overall are guaranteed at least $1,000, $750 and $500, respectively.

The race begins Saturday morning at 10 a.m. Racers start two-by-two at 42 Mile Haines Highway and drive their hardest to Dezadeash Lake. That section of highway is closed for the race. Arrival times are clocked at Dezadeash, and each racer has a thirty-minute mandatory pit time before they return to 42 Mile. Scheduled gas breaks at miles 75 and 104 are also mandatory.

"The stronger machine is not always biggest," said Hess, adding that seven racers were forced to scratch last year after breaking down.

Craig Hill of Fairbanks, Alcan 200 winner the past two years, will race again this year. His average speed last year was 120.08 miles per hour, breaking his 2006 record average of 119.69 mph.

Race results will be announced at a banquet Saturday night at the Elks Lodge, which is open to the public.

Because the race is staggered and based on speed averages, race results, tallied up to the minute before the banquet, are often a surprise. Race observers should be at Dalton Cache by 9:45 a.m. Alaska time to catch the start of the race; the fastest sleds typically return to 42 Mile around 12:30 p.m.