Howdy Kaiser Racing Fans!
In case you missed it, Team Kaiser is sitting this one out. After a training season, that in a word was HORRIBLE, and even after an epic 9 time championship in the 2025 Kuskokwim 300, Pete made the decision not to compete in the 2025 Iditarod Trail Race. After 15 runs on the Iditarod trail as well as all that goes into just being able to compete at that level, this year Team Kaiser is sitting on the sideline.
It’s always all about the Team and this year there just weren’t conditions that allowed the training miles to put them on the trail. This has been evident everywhere in Southcentral and other areas of the State of Alaska – No snow, warm temperatures, and poor training.
In years past with these kind of conditions, Pete and the Team would leave their home and search for snow across Alaska. A couple of years in Nenana, a few trips to Eureka, but always taking the Team on the road away from family and his warm bed at home. It was always a logistical challenge as well as hugely expensive to make this happen. In recent years Pete has been able to train at home and that norm has been successful and way less demanding on both the Team and Pete himself.
The Team is in great shape and the 2025 championship really showed their stuff. 1000 miles is a different story than a 3 day 300 mile race though. Many more miles are required that the Team just doesn’t have this year.
Pete held out until the last to decide if he could make it work, but a very warm spell in December made it impossible for an Iditarod run this year.
So for 2025, Pete and the Team will join us on the couch to watch the 2025 Iditarod make it’s way to Nome.
Ron and Janet and I were talking about all of this the other night and we almost had a tear come to our eyes. For the last 15 years we have gathered together to support Pete and the Team, but also to meet old friends and make new ones. The tradition has always been the same for the pit crew– Meet in Anchorage, do the ceremonial start and then back Sterling’s place before hedding out to Doug Dorland’s to prep for the final push to the restart in Willow. Then back to Bethel to cheer Pete and the team from the tracker before heading off for Nome and our second Home at Bob and Sherrie Madden’s place.
To all of our friends, handlers, Iditariders, hosts, and of course you, our great online fans we can only say Thank You as we take this break for 2025!
To our Sponsors, thanks for understanding and all of your support and encouragement! None of this is possible without you!!
Good luck to all of the Teams on the trail!
Go Team Kaiser!!
