Rookies following Iron Dog family tradition

WASILLA — As kids, Kruz and Kenny Kleewein II watched their father, Kenny, storm from the starting line year after year in the Iron Dog. The elder Kleewein finished the world’s most daunting snowmachine race nine times. He capped his career with his third straight third-place finish in 2006.

Now, a dozen years later, the next generation of the Kleewein family is ready to leave Big Lake and traverse 2,031 miles worth of challenging trail to the finish line in Fairbanks. Sunday, Kruz and Kenny II will make up, team No. 12, one of the 28 duos in the pro class of the 2018 Iron Dog snowmachine race.

“It’s always been our dream to be in the Iron Dog,” Kruz, 22, said Friday evening as he worked on the sleds with his older brother.

Racing and motorsports has always been a big part of the Kleewein family, both said.

“We grew up right around all of it,” Kenny II, 27, one of four siblings in the family, said.

Kenny said one of his first memories of his dad racing is sitting in the family Suburban on Lake Lucille in Wasilla as his father competed on the ice track. Since, both father and sons have been involved in a variety of motorsports, ranging from racing quads to snomachine snowcross, and competing with the Alaska Motor Mushers Club.

Now the Kleewein brothers are gearing up for the biggest race for their life.

The preparation is about a year in the making, both on and off the trail. To make sure his body is ready to take the beating from riding more than 2,000 miles across rigorous terrain, Kenny said he’s worked out religioiusly. He wakes up early in the monring every day to get his workout in before he goes to work. Kruz said he heads for his workout after each one of his 10-to-12-hour work day.

They also get in as many training runs as possible. And then there’s the mechanical part, knowing every inch of their Polaris XCR 600 sleds, making sure they are ready for any curve ball that could be thrown at them along the trail.

Both brothers said having their dad around is a luxury, with the chance to soak in all of that knowledge.

“We lean on other riders. Our really good friend Shane Barber has been super helpful,” Kenny said of Barber, an Iron Dog veteran who is competing with four-time Iron Dog champ Todd Palin this season.

The brothers also hit the pavement in search of sponsors.

With all of the work they’ve put in, Kruz said, they are anxious to get to the starting line.

“It’s super exciting going through this process, but how much work is really thrown at us, it’s almost going to be a relief to see that green flag Sunday and leave,” Kruz said.

As rookies, both said they don’t want to over-think things on the trail.

“The most important thing is to race checkpoint to checkpoint,” Kenny said. “Minimal mistakes, learn the trail. That’s our goal. And try to be the best rookie team out there.”

Kenny said they are also looking at the big picture, long-term, with their Iron Dog racing careers.

“This is not just a one-year thing for us. We’re not doing this not to win. We’re doing this for (years) two, three, four,” Kenny said. “Learn the trail, you’ve got to get through the rookie bumps. But by two, three, four, we can win this thing.”

Kruz said he’s excited about the opportunity.

“Very few people have the opportunity to do what we’re doing,” Kruz said. “We’re very grateful.”

Both said they are also happy to carry on the Kleewein family Iron Dog legacy.

“It’s exciting to get the Kleewein name back (into the Iron Dog),” Kruz said.

The Kleewein team will be the ninth to leave the starting chute in Big Lake Sunday morning. The green flag drops at 11 a.m., with Team 14, Anchorage’s Casey Boylan of Bryan Leslie, leaving first. Teams will follow every two minutes after that.

Defending champions Cory Davis and Ryan Simons are not back this year, but the 2018 field includes former champions Tyler Aklestad, Tyson Johnson, Scott Faeo, Todd Minnick, Nick Olstad, Chris Olds and Todd Palin.

Teams will hit 14 checkpoints between Big Lake and Nome. Following the mandatory layover in Nome, teams still on the trail will pass through another 10 checkpoints before the finish in Fairbanks.

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman sports editor Jeremiah Bartz at sports@frontiersman.com.

2018 Iron Dog Pro Class

Team 2 — Micah Huss, Willow; Ryan Sottosanti, Wasilla; Team 3 — Steven Boney, Bethel; Oliver Unruh, Anchorage; Team 4 — Al Palma, Wasilla; Wayne Wold, Wasilla; Team 5 — Andy Gocke, Willow; Zack Weisz, Wasilla; Team 5 — Brad George, Wasilla; Robby Schachle, Big Lake; Team 7 — Aaron Bartel, Anchorage; Tre West, Nome; Team 8 — Tyler Aklestad, Palmer; Tyson Johnson, Eagle River; Tam 9 — Joshua Plumb, Eagle River; Jordan Starr, Eagle River; Team 12 — Mike Morgan, Nome; Chris Olds, Eagle River; Team 11 — Shane Barber, Willow; Todd Palin, Wasilla; Team 12 — Kenny Kleewein, Willow; Kruz Kleewein, Willow; Team 13 — George Mountain, Nulato; Kelly Sommer, Nulato; Team 14 — Casey Boylan, Anchorage; Bryan Leslie, Anchorage; Team 15 — Jacob Evans, Anchorage; Tommy Germany, Palos Heights, Illinois; Team 16 — Todd Minnick, Wasilla; Nick Olstad, Wasilla; Team 18 — Eric Watson, Wasilla; Andrew Zwink, Wasilla; Pat Daniels, Big Lake; Tim Schachle, Wasilla; Scott Faeo, Wasilla; Chad Gueco, Wasilla; Team 22 — Rachel Kidwell, Anchorage; Ashley Wood, Soldotna; Team 23 — Stan James, Palmer; Paul Sindorf, Palmer; Team 26 — Ivar Carlson, Fairbanks; Robert Masson, Fairbanks; Team 29 — Dave Hausbeck, Reese, Minnisota; Larry Levine, Anchorage; Team 30 — Geoff Crouse, Anchorage; Dieter Strobel, Barrett, Minnesota; Team 33 — Aaron Adams, Delta Junction; Jon Brant, Delta Junction; Team 34 — Christopher Collins, Kotzebue; Lawrence Jones, Ambler; Team 45 — Barney Anselment, Takotna; Dietrich Nikolai, McGrath; Team 48 — Bob Menne, Tower, Minnesota; Steve Swenson, Delano, Minnesota; Team 49 — Klinton Vanwingerden, Big Lake; Kris Vanwingerden, Big Lake.