It was with great sadness that we learned on April 18th of the death of Mike Chase at the age of 73 following a lengthy illness. It’s impossible to summarize the stock car career of this immense champion in a few lines, as it was so long and eclectic. Here is my small contribution.
Mike Chase
April 17, 1952 – April 18, 2025
A native of Redding, CA, Mike Chase began his racing career in the 1970s at Shasta Speedway in Anderson, CA. He would go on to win numerous victories and championships there.
He made his first NASCAR West Series race in 1975 at Ascot Park in Gardena, CA. In his first race at the highest level, he drove the No. 94 Chevrolet entered by Phil Kord to a superb fifth place. It wasn’t until 1978 that he returned to the West Series, and he once again dazzled with his talent, finishing fourth at Stockton 99 Speedway in CA with the Chevrolet entered by Hal Callentine. He would compete in three more races until 1981.
In 1982, he decided to make auto racing his career and, with his own team, competed in the West Series at Mesa Marin, but was forced to withdraw due to engine failure. In the following years he would climb the ranks and become a regular driver in the new championship created by NASCAR in 1986, the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour. He would win this championship in 1987 at the wheel of a car entered by Don Freymiller. A metallic blue Chevrolet with a large white number 22, recognizable among thousands. Note that in 1986 he would race in three West Series races for Fred Stoke with two top 10 finishes. That same year he made his debut in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in Darlington, SC
In 1988 and 1989, he focused on the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour, winning more races and finishing third and second in the championship, respectively.
In 1990, he began his first full season in the NASCAR Winston West Series. A team founded by his friend Don Freymiller, with whom he had achieved so much success in the Southwest Tour. While the first two races of the season were difficult, he went on to post six consecutive top-10 finishes, earning his first pole position at Portland Speedway, OR, and his first victory at Mesa Marin in the penultimate race. A crash in Phoenix during the final race, however, didn’t prevent him from finishing third in the championship and earning the Rookie of the Year title.
He started the 1991 season strongly, winning three of the first five races, propelling him to the championship lead. Unfortunately, a first-lap crash at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, WA, would put a major dent in his championship quest. Due to injuries he would miss the next race in Olympia, WA, dropping him to seventh in the standings. He would return to compete in the final two races at Mesa Marin and Phoenix without success, finishing ninth in the championship.
He competed in only three races in 1992, and made a one-off appearance in the second race of 1993 at Mesa Marin, where he finished sixth. This result led to a new partnership with John Strausser and sponsor Star Race Computers for the final three races of the season. And things started well, as in his first race with this team, Mike finished second at Tri-City Raceway.
1994 would be his finest hour. With owner John Strausser and crew chief Ronald Drake, Mike Chase would claim four wins, seven top-five finishes, and nine top-10 finishes in 14 races. Exactly the same statistics as Ron Hornaday, Jr. The difference would come down to reliability. And with 13 checkered flag finishes for Mike compared to 11 for Ron, Chase won the championship by a margin of 23 points. He had led the championship by the third race of the season.
He competed in 13 Cup Series races between 1990 and 1995, most of them combined with the West Series. This also allowed him to compete in the inaugural Brickyard 400 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1994.
In 1995, he only had a partial season in the West Series because he tried his luck during the year in the new NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship. In the West, he won two races. One in Colorado and one in Mesa Marin, his 10th and final career victory. Note that he is the first winner at the Colorado National Speedway, Erie, CO. An oval that we will visit this May 24 for the fourth race of the 2025 ARCA Menards West Series season.
During 1998, he returned to the West Series with owner Gene Christensen, and it worked out rather well, with two top-five finishes and a pole in three races. This gave them the desire to continue in 1999 for a full season. It almost felt like a repeat of 1993-1994. Indeed, the 1999 season started off excellently, and Mike took the championship lead after the third race of the season at Phoenix. He remained in the lead until the sixth race, where everything went wrong. The No. 18 Chevrolet retired in six of the last nine races. The season ended in Motegi, Japan, with an engine failure. This definitively ended Mike Chase’s career in the West Series.
His career continued as a crewman, shock specialist in NASCAR’s national series, the Xfinity Series, and the Cup Series. He worked for Wood Brothers, A.J. Foyt Enterprises, Penske Racing, and JTG-Daugherty Racing, for whom he also served as a driver on several occasions in 2001 and 2002 in Xfinity Series. He worked for this team for many seasons, even serving as crew chief in 2009.
In 2010, he was inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame.
Retired from racing, he battled illness in his final years. His cheerfulness and smile, topped by his mustache, will forever be remembered by fans of motor racing, especially those of the West Series.
To his family, friends, and fans, the entire Kickin’ the Tires team extends its sincere condolences.
Mike was the best driver we ever had Super kool guy. We had many great days. And fun winning races. And pole At Vegas. Being the tire dude as Gene called me. Were. Great memories. I will always share with many. People. We raced with Eric Norris Jerry Foite Roger. Mears And Mike Chase was the Best easygoing. Dude. He aways. Said. Thanks. Man.