Nic Petit became the first musher to claim four consecutive victories in the Copper Basin 300 sled dog race when he crossed the Glennallen finish line just before noon Monday.
Driving a team of 10 energetic dogs, the Girdwood man reached the finish line at the Old Paths Baptist Church at 11:51 a.m.
He beat second-place Joar Leifseth Ulsom by 39 minutes and third-place Gunnar Johnson by 48 minutes.
Ulsom, the 2018 Iditarod champ from Norway, edged Johnson for the runner-up spot by about a mile. Johnson is a 52-year-old from Michigan running dogs from Chugiak musher Jim Lanier’s kennel.
Petit led the 288-mile race nearly from the start and ran the early part of the race with Julie Ahnen, who drove a team out of Jessie Holmes’ kennel in Nenana.
He was the 18th of 32 mushers to leave Glennallen on Saturday morning and the second to reach the first checkpoint at Lake Louise, 75 miles away.
Petit and Ahnen were the first to leave Lake Louise, and after that Petit was the first musher in and the first musher out of every checkpoint. At 6:20 a.m. Monday, he left Chistochina — 50 miles from the finish line — 47 minutes before Ulsom and 48 minutes before Johnson.
Petit is best known for his attempts to win the Iditarod. He placed third in 2017 and second in 2018, but each of his last two races ended with scratches late in the race.
A year ago, he won his third straight Copper Basin 300 title to match Allen Moore’s three-year reign in 2013-15.
Petit needs two more victories to tie Moore as the race’s winningest musher. A six-time champion, Moore also won the race in 2005, 2007 and 2008.
The Copper Basin was first held in 1990, and Petit and Moore are the only ones to win the race more than twice. There are four two-time winners — Susan Butcher, Jeff King, Lance Mackey and Mitch Seavey.
Copper Basin 300 champions
2021 — Nicolas Petit
2020 — Nicolas Petit
2019 — Nicolas Petit
2018 — Nicolas Petit
2017 — Ryne Olson
2016 — Matt Hall
2015 — Allen Moore
2014 — Allen Moore
2013 — Allen Moore
2012 — Canceled Due to Poor Trail
2011 — Jake Berkowitz
2010 — Jeff King
2009 — Lance Mackey
2008 — Allen Moore
2007 — Allen Moore
2006 — Lance Mackey
2005 — Allen Moore
2004 — William Kleedehn
2003 — Zack Steer
2002 — Hans Gatt
2001 — DeeDee Jonrowe
1999 — Martin Buser
1998 — Mitch Seavey
1997 — Mitch Seavey
1996 — Canceled due to weather
1995 — Jeff King
1994 — Will Forsberg
1993 — Tim Osmar
1992 — Susan Butcher
1991 — Susan Butcher
1990 — John Schandelmeier