Facebook Pixel

A Must-Read: Father, Son Duo Plans XC 500 Throwback On 73 Deeres

Image from a Facebook post on the facebook.com/I500Challenge page.

A father and son duo from Fargo, North Dakota, is making headlines with their inspiring re-run of most of the old snowmobile cross-country I-500 “Winnipeg” route. But get this: They’re doing it on 1973 John Deere snow machines!

Minnesota Public Radio’s Dan Gunderson did an excellent job capturing the story of their planned ride – which started Monday, January 24 – in a 4 minute radio piece on MPR and also a story on the MPR website. Click here to check it out.

It tells the tale of how Roger Kram, age 67, and his 35-year-old son Wyatt Kram are guiding the John Deere sleds on a 500-mile, weeklong ride from Winnipeg, Manitoba, to the Twin Cities in southern Minnesota. With the ride, they hope to raise $30,000 for charities supporting veterans.

Unlike the original I-500, though, these guys aren’t running against the clock and keeping the throttle pinned at breakneck speeds in ditches. Instead, they’ll be following trails on a ride that will end up at the huge Midwest Ride-In vintage event at the ERX Motor Park in Elk River, Minnesota, on January 28-30.

Aside from interviewing the Kram father-son duo, Gunderson’s story also included an interview with two-time I-500 champ (and, more recently, the former owner of the USXC race circuit) Brian Nelson about what it was like to run the old cross-country race back in the 70s.

Gunderson’s story is a must read for lovers of cross-country racing or vintage sleds. And, you can follow the Kram duo on their I-500 Challenge Ride Facebook page.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

EPG Brand Acceleration
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.