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Snowmobile races go on in memory of the Krugers
The community of Waseca came together Saturday to honor a family torn apart by random violence. It was one week ago when 40-year old Tracy Kruger and his son Alec, 13, were gunned down by a stranger in their home. The shooting also left Hillary Kruger in critical condition and the entire town of Waseca shaken. That community gathered Saturday at a place near and dear to the Krugers? hearts: the snowmobile races on Clear Lake. This event, with vintage snowmobiles and racers revving their engines, was Tracy Kruger's passion. He organized these snowmobile races for the Waseca Sleigh and Cutter Festival. One of his friends and fellow racer Chris Hanson said, ?We're out here to celebrate the life that Tracy and Alec had but we're also here to race.? They were deeply missed Saturday. Tracy?s surviving son, Zak, stood in honor of his father and brother. He was in no way alone. With him were his aunts and uncles, his dad?s five siblings. Tracy?s sister, Sarah Houdek, said it was ?very hard because every time you turn around, you wish it was him who was walking up to you. But I guess we just have to keep it in our minds that he's here in spirit with us.? Houdek raced on Tracy?s team, the Point and Shoot Racers. His other sister, Wendy Meyer, did too. ?We're doing what we would have done if he would have been here. And that's what we want to do,? she said. They wore arm bands with Tracy's number 17, worked on his favorite snowmobiles and got them ready to race. ?I haven't raced since 1994,? said Houdek tearfully, "and I'm coming out of retirement today for my brother Tracy.? Older brother Tony came out of retirement too. He said, ?I have lost my best friend and I won't replace him.? While it was tough to be out here without Tracy and Alec, the siblings say they needed to do this. They says it?s good to remember them and hear stories about them from friends. ?Alec was just like his dad, they both had a comical side to them,? Tony says. All of them wanted to be together as a family and be with their bigger snowmobiling family. They were doing Tracy would have done, getting on their sleds and having fun. Tony said, ?He?s smiling. I guarantee you he's smiling.? The proceeds from today?s races will go to the Kruger family. Meantime, the man suspected of killing Tracy and Alec Kruger, 24 year old Michael Zabawa of Matawan, is in custody. He's charged with two counts of second degree murder.
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