Sarah Palin, a fight at Iron Dog snowmobile race party and her ignored punchline

Former vice-presidential candidate reportedly tried to break up fight by shouting “Don’t you know who I am?” as her son and daughter threw punches

It started out as just another rumour in a small Alaskan town: a tale of punches thrown and inebriated snowmobile racers. What makes it noteworthy was a guest who was thrust into the middle of it – Sarah Palin.

And after a week of feverish speculation, it has now been confirmed that Ms Palin did attend the Iron Dog party where, according to Alaska’s bloggers, she tried to break up the fight by shouting “Don’t you know who I am?” as her son and daughter threw punches.

Police, who said no arrests were made, confirmed that the 2008 Republican vice-presidential candidate and her family were “in attendance at the party”. Blogger Amanda Coyne gave a colourful account of the family’s role in what police called a “verbal and physical altercation”, at a party celebrating the Iron Dog, a 2,000-mile snowmobile race.

Todd Palin, Sarah’s husband who is known as the “first dude”, has won the Iron Dog four times, but it was Track, the couple’s 25-year-old son, who stole the show last Saturday. According to Coyne, Track arrived in a Hummer limousine, before getting into an altercation with a man, who once dated Track’s sister, Willow. Coyne claims that “words, and more” were exchanged.

Track was later seen with his shirt off while husband Todd attended to a bloody nose.