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.
