Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico (12/1/2011) – Kane Fraser, a paraplegic, decided to take on the 2011 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 in a Polaris RZR XP 900 after watching Dust to Glory multiple times and being inspired by the Man in Motion, Rick Hansen. “This was our first Baja 1000, our first time racing, and for me my first time racing in any sport ever,” said Kane Fraser. The team would add over 100 miles to their total mileage after a wrong turn, and in turn would add hundreds of followers as they headed towards their ceremonial finish at 2am Sunday morning, 36 hours after the start Friday afternoon.
“We wanted to finish, we didn’t care, nothing would stop us. We kept going and did finish! We were a little bug eyed, but we finished,” said Heino Seibert from Spectra Power Sports, Kane Frasers Co-Driver. Kane Fraser went into this adventure with three goals, “In terms of what I wanted to accomplish, for me number one was to raise $25,000 for the Rick Hansen Foundation. Second, is to create awareness of the abilities of people with disabilities. And third, to inspire one disabled person to really move ahead with their goals and strive to achieve their goals, because as long as you try and try you will succeed, you just have to keep moving forward.”
Over the Holidays of 2010 Fraser was watching Dust to Glory when he told his wife Cara that this is what he wanted to do next. She was less than enthused, but he was reminded what his friend Dennis Beebe had often said, “It is not about the disability, it is about the possibilities.” He enlisted the help of his friends, and with never even being in the desert, much less racing, they set off on this awesome journey. “We were super naive, but we learned a lot along the way, and got laughed at a lot which was fun,” Kane said with a smile. “In the eleven months prior to the race, a lot of people helped 1802 work towards the goal, even up to the day before in Ensenada when we were working on the RZR. Without all the help from these people the team would have been less prepared and may not have completed the race. I would just like to thank everyone on the team for the contributions, it took all of us to make this happen!”
When they originally started on this project and had to decide on the vehicle, the group at Spectra Power Sports said, “get the new RZR 900 XP, its crazy.” He watched the video and agreed it was perfect for the challenges they had seen in Dust to Glory. “I never even considered another machine, I like the Polaris products, but really like the guys that sell it locally. I asked Heino and Gilbert if the machine could do it stock, they said ‘no problem’. I want to use a machine as stock as possible, with four modifications, a larger fuel cell, pre-air filter, light bar, and foam filled radial tires, but that didn’t happen as they rebuilt the machine from the ground up, a story all to itself,” remembers Fraser. “One thing I decided early on, finishing the race means winning the race to me. I do not need to beat anyone, I can cross dead last as long as I at least cross in the allotted time and in one piece, at least, with no broken skin, bones are optional. You finish the race, you win the race. We won!” said Fraser.