Two new names can be added to Iron Dog history, accentuating a special year: the 40th running of the World’s Longest, Toughest Snowmobile Race. Through slowly lifting ice fog at just after 12:20 p.m. on Sunday, Team 39 Cody Barber and Brett Lapham raced across Big Lake, arriving under the finish chute amid a crowd of well-wishers. Their fans included several generations of Iron Dog veterans that include Barber’s father Shane and his grandfather Mike Spain. Barber and Lapham are the 31st and 32nd Iron Dog champions to be added to an exclusive list of racers since the race’s 1984 inaugural start.

“It feels really good, like it’s finally paid off,” said Cody Barber, 30, who has finished five previous Iron Dogs, his top placement in 2023 with Lapham, 31, who also is his brother-in-law. “It’s been 10 years in the making, and it has taken a lot of work to get here.”

This year’s race was not without its pucker moments, both Lapham and Barber agreed. Southbound Poorman to Ophir was particularly challenging, Barber said.

“We were definitely beat, and I was thankful we had the conditioning,” Barber said.

And the weather wasn’t always cooperative – as is the case on any given Iron Dog. A ground storm that hit the coast as racers passed through the Red Dog Loop and toward Nome was described by seven-time Iron Dog champion and Hall of Famer Scott Davis as among the Top 3 worst storms he has ever traveled through. Through it Team 39 traveled consistently and carefully, avoiding any get-offs that slowed some teams down in poor visibility. Leaving Kotzebue the next day, they were able to overcome Team 14, Bryan Leslie and Casey Boylan, who encountered mechanical issues just after leaving and had to slow to make the repair. Leaving Nome on Thursday morning, Team 39 held a 25-minute advantage, but Team 14 was persistent and inched their way closer.

Asked if there was any moment when they thought their lead might be in danger, Lapham quickly replied, “last night,” when they arrived in Whiskey Bravo after what they thought was a fast run.

“We had a good run and we pushed super hard, so we were surprised when we saw we only had eight minutes ahead of them,” Lapham said.

Team 14 was relentless, hammering the throttle on Saturday, and posting the fastest split times coming into Whisky Bravo. On Sunday, however, Team 39 held them off, arriving to the finish with a 13-minute lead. This is Team 14’s second year in a row on the second-place podium and the closest they have come to winning.

Both Barber and Lapham said they were ready to soak their victory in with their families – who all have played a pivotal role in helping them succeed.

“They are everything,” Lapham said. “The home support, the training, helping to get everything organized … We couldn’t do it without them.”

Watching anxiously before Team 39 arrived in the fish chute, Tammy Barber, Cody’s mother, wore her emotions clearly on her face. Not wanting to celebrate until she knew they were officially across the line, she could only wait.

“I can’t even feel right now,” she said, staring down the chute into the ice fog, waiting for headlights to appear. “There’s so much emotion in this race, and it’s been 24 years in the making with (husband) Shane and (sons) Cody and now Evan. No matter what happens today, I am so proud of both of my boys.”

Evan Barber, just 19 years old, finished fourth, with partner Troy Conlon, just an hour and 21 minutes behind his big brother. Rounding out the top four teams was Team 6 Mike Morgan and Bradley Kishbaugh, who came in at 1:12 p.m.

Barber said he and Lapham make a great team – and it feels even more special to stand on the podium with family.

“He’s so good, and spends a lot of time wrenching, getting everything just right, and what he wants out of me is to get him down the trail at ridiculously fast speeds,” he said. “We work really well together.”