“He just likes to ride,” said Strouse, who grew up racing and competed until just last year.
Jase started racing when he was four years old after hanging around the track watching his father race.
Cross country racing encompasses a wooded course with creek crossings on the sides of mountains and in valleys. Jase’s races range from 30 to 45 minutes.
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To prepare for the Grand National Cross Country Series, Jase competed in local races.
The national series features 12 races from March to Oct. Racers are required to participate in eight of the races for a shot at the national title. Jase began the series during the third race and won six of the 10 races, Brandon said.
Brandon was not expecting Jase to race in the national series because originally the Micro Junior ATV Class ranged from ages 4 to 8. The series decided to split the class into one for 4- to 5-year-olds.
With this change, they decided to participate in the series.
Jase won the first three races, had a mechanical issue, and began going “head to head” with another competitor. But then, Jase broke his arm at a practice track. He received 2nd place in his next two races with his cast on.
He was tied for the championship before the final race in Indiana. Jase got his cast off on a Wednesday and left for the race on Thursday.
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He won the last race in the pouring rain to clinch the national champion title, according to Brandon.
“It’s every parent’s goal to watch their child succeed in something that they love doing and that’s what I’m doing,” Brandon said. “When I see him go out there having a blast doing it, putting a whoopin’ on the competition and then standing on the podium - I enjoy it.”
Jase has about 30 sponsors including Parts Unlimited, Precision Racing and GoPro, Brandon said. He even wears a full body protection system that sponsors have made for him.
During the races, the participants are traveling around 40 mph.
“As a parent we sit back and watch these videos and see this stuff that happens,” Brandon said. “It is scary, but it is what it is because that is what he loves to do”
For the 2020 season, Jase hopes to win the local series and move up to the Micro Senior ATV class in the national series.
“He just wants to ride all day, every day,” Brandon said.
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