Paraplegic driver Kane Fraser entered his first race in a specially prepared Polaris RZR XP 900, battled through more than 800 miles of Baja terrain and reached a ceremonial finish after 36 hours on course.
Kane Fraser and Team 1802 Take on the Baja 1000
Kane Fraser had never raced through the desert—or competed in any form of motorsports—when he decided to enter the 2011 Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. Inspired by the documentary Dust to Glory and Canadian wheelchair athlete Rick Hansen, Fraser set out to prove what could be accomplished through preparation, teamwork and determination.
“This was our first Baja 1000, our first time racing, and for me, my first time racing in any sport ever,” Fraser said.
The Canadian driver, who became a paraplegic following a spinal cord injury, entered the race in the Team 1802 Polaris RZR XP 900. Fraser and his team spent approximately 11 months preparing for an event unlike anything they had previously attempted.
Fraser approached the project with three goals:
- Raise $25,000 for the Rick Hansen Foundation
- Increase awareness of the abilities of people with disabilities
- Inspire at least one person with a disability to pursue a challenging goal
His race would ultimately take the team more than 800 miles and approximately 36 hours to complete.
From Watching Dust to Glory to Racing in Baja
Fraser’s Baja 1000 plans began during the 2010 holiday season while he was watching Dust to Glory. He told his wife, Cara, that racing Baja was the challenge he wanted to pursue next.
The idea was reinforced by something his friend Dennis Beebe often said: “It is not about the disability; it is about the possibilities.”
Fraser recruited friends and supporters to help turn the idea into a race program. The team began without desert-racing experience, but its members spent the following 11 months learning, preparing and building the RZR.
“We were super naive, but we learned a lot along the way and got laughed at a lot, which was fun,” Fraser recalled. “Without all the help from these people, the team would have been less prepared and may not have completed the race.”
Work continued until the day before the event, with the team still preparing the RZR in Ensenada.
Building the Polaris RZR XP 900 for Baja
When the team began looking for a race vehicle, Spectra Power Sports recommended the then-new Polaris RZR XP 900. Introduced for the 2011 model year, the XP 900 represented a major leap forward in sport UTV performance with an 875cc twin-cylinder engine, 88 advertised horsepower and three-link trailing-arm rear suspension.
Fraser initially hoped to keep the RZR close to stock. His proposed modifications included a larger fuel cell, an intake pre-filter, auxiliary lighting and foam-filled radial tires.
The preparation eventually became far more extensive, with the team rebuilding much of the machine for the demands of the Baja 1000.
“I never even considered another machine,” Fraser said. “I like the Polaris products, but really like the guys who sell them locally.”
Fraser understood that the team was not entering Baja to compete for a class victory. Simply reaching the end of the course would represent a win.
“One thing I decided early on was that finishing the race means winning the race to me,” Fraser explained. “I do not need to beat anyone. I can cross dead last as long as I cross in one piece. You finish the race, you win the race. We won.”
A 100-Mile Wrong Turn
The team’s determination was tested when the RZR missed a marked turn and traveled approximately 100 miles off course.
Fraser and his co-drivers realized something was wrong when they found themselves among much faster Trophy Trucks and Class 1 race vehicles. With assistance from local residents and radio communication with race officials, Team 1802 eventually found its way back to the proper course.
“How could you miss the turn? There were something like 15 flags,” Fraser joked afterward. “We knew there was something wrong when we were mixing it up with the Trophy Trucks and Class 1 cars.”
The detour significantly increased the team’s total mileage and eliminated any realistic chance of reaching the official finish before the course closed. Turning around, however, was not an option.
“We couldn’t let our team down,” Fraser said. “We had been preparing for 11 months, and just letting a little 100 miles get in the way of the finish wasn’t an option.”
Support Builds Around Team 1802
As a second night fell over the course, the number 1802 RZR remained in motion. Online race followers began learning about Fraser, his fundraising campaign and the team’s determination to finish.
Legendary off-road radio operator Bob “Weatherman” Steinberger advocated for Fraser and asked SCORE Operations to allow the team to continue toward a ceremonial finish.
The number 7 Trophy Truck driven by Jim Riley was also still on course after enduring its own difficult race. The truck eventually caught Team 1802 near Ensenada and accompanied the RZR through the final stretch.
Although neither vehicle reached the official finish within the allotted time, friends, family members and crew assembled an informal finish line at the edge of town. At approximately 2 a.m. Sunday, 36 hours after beginning the race Friday afternoon, the two sets of lights came down the street together.
“There was no Tecate or finishing pin, but the smiles on our friends’ faces will never be replaced by a formal finish line,” Riley said. “We shook hands with the support team from 1802 and took some pictures together, all knowing that we had just beaten Baja on our own terms and timelines.”
More Than a Baja 1000 Finish
Team 1802 did not record an official Baja 1000 finish, but that distinction does little to diminish what Fraser and his teammates accomplished. They kept the RZR moving for approximately 36 hours, covered more than 800 miles and refused to let a major navigation error end their effort.
The team’s persistence also brought new attention to Fraser’s campaign supporting the Rick Hansen Foundation.
Fraser chose the foundation because he and Hansen came from the same Canadian hometown. The fundraising target of $25,000 represented $1,000 for each year since Hansen’s Man in Motion World Tour.
“Because as long as you try and try, you will succeed,” Fraser said. “You just have to keep moving forward.”
About Kane Fraser
Fraser became a paraplegic following a spinal cord accident. Unable to continue working as a millwright, he returned to school and became a chartered accountant.
He lives in Canada with his wife, Cara, and their four children. Fraser credits the support of his family, teammates and sponsors with making the Team 1802 Baja effort possible.
His 2011 journey remains a compelling example of what the original RZR XP 900 made possible—and what a determined team could accomplish when simply reaching the end meant more than a finishing position.
Team 1802 Sponsors
Scotiabank, Spectra Power Sports Ltd., Wikads, Clusko Logging Ltd., Westline Harvesting Ltd., Papyrus Printing, Polaris Industries Canada, Polaris Industries US, Sunrise Ford Sales Ltd., Messner Kenney LLP, Rotary Club of Williams Lake Daybreak, Kamloops Medichair, Sure Grip Hand Controls, The Rush 97.5 FM, The Williams Lake Tribune, The Hills Health and Guest Ranch, Corsair Field Services Ltd., Central Cariboo Disposal Services Ltd., Pro Armor and PMT Chartered Accountants.
More About the RZR XP 900
Learn more about the machine that helped Team 1802 tackle Baja in our complete guide to the Polaris RZR XP 900’s specifications, performance and history.
