In 2010, Brad Keselowski was seeing a shift in his career. After spending a lot of time in JR Motorsports’ No. 88 car, he boldly moved to join Roger Penske. He signed a multi-year deal and made his debut for Team Penske in both the Cup and Xfinity Series. In Xfinity, he came out swinging—six wins and 29 top-10 finishes. It was a statement season. He clinched the title in NASCAR’s second division and firmly planted himself as a future star.
But while Brad was taking the checkered flag and holding trophies, one man was in the garage, building his race car piece by piece. That dedicated man was Mike Chase. And while the NASCAR world cheered for Keselowski, the guy in the shadows, the guy turning wrenches and perfecting the build, missed his own Hall of Fame induction ceremony that year. Chase didn’t go to California to be honored as a 2010 inductee into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame.
Instead, he stayed at Daytona, making sure Keselowski’s car was right. “I hope I’m at Penske until I decide I don’t want to do it anymore,” he said once. That moment told you everything about Mike Chase. A racer at heart, a builder by trade, and a man who always put the team before the trophy. But now, that selfless, skilled, and humble racer is gone.
On April 18, just one day after his 73rd birthday, Mike Chase passed away. The news was confirmed by the West Coast Hall of Fame, which wrote simply, “@WestCoastHOF mourns the passing of 2010 inductee and @NASCAR West champion Mike Chase. The Redding, California native died April 18.” His passing has left the racing world stunned and heartbroken. Notably, Mike Chase’s story isn’t one built on national headlines or Cup Series domination.
It’s a story built on hustle, talent, and a lifelong love for racing. Born in Redding, California, he grew up scraping dirt off his father’s super modified car. He started competing at Shasta Speedway and quickly moved up the ranks. By 1987, he was the Featherlite Southwest Tour Champion. By the 1990s, he was running Winston West races and dabbling in Cup, Busch, and eventually, Truck Series events.
.@WestCoastHOF mourns the passing of 2010 inductee and @NASCAR West champion Mike Chase. The Redding, California native died April 18
— WC Stock Car HoF (@WestCoastHOF) April 19, 2025
He won the 1994 NASCAR Winston West Series title, grabbing five wins that year. That championship earned him a shot at the inaugural Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Despite being late for the qualifying session, he got a provisional start for being the points leader in the West. But when A.J. Foyt needed a number to make the Brickyard 400, Chase gave him his own—No. 50.
That small gesture let Foyt race and forced Chase to switch to No. 58. It also meant Chase had to start at the rear, but he didn’t complain. “Me missing the show allowed Foyt to get in,” he said. In the end, he finished 42nd after a crash on Lap 91. But he never forgot what it felt like to walk onto pit road in a driver’s suit. “It gives you chills,” he said later. However, Mike’s Cup career never took off.
He made 13 starts, with a best finish of 24th. But his story wasn’t about results. It was about how far he came. From scraping dirt off his dad’s supermodified to standing on the starting grid at the Brickyard. “To come from Redding, Calif., and get to do what I have done is pretty fortunate,” he once said. Notably, Chase also had two chances to qualify for the Indy 500 with Foyt’s team, but USAC denied him approval.
But that doesn’t end his story. When full-time driving ended, Mike didn’t leave the sport. He became a crewman and technician, working for Foyt, the Wood Brothers, and finally, Team Penske. With his abilities and skills, he became known in the garage as a master fabricator, someone who understood the sport from the ground up. He supervised shock technology, worked on Cup and Xfinity cars, and earned deep respect across the industry.
A month of loss for NASCAR!
Mike Chase’s death is part of a heartbreaking pattern. April 2025 has been one of the toughest months in recent memory for NASCAR. Just days before Chase passed, the sport lost Shigeaki Hattori. The former driver and team owner died in a car accident on April 5 near Huntersville, North Carolina. Hattori, who led Hattori Racing Enterprises to a Truck Series championship in 2018, was only 61.
He had become a symbol of perseverance and international influence in stock car racing. Then, on April 10, NASCAR lost two more legends. Jon Edwards, the longtime PR director for Hendrick Motorsports, passed away at just 53. He played a key role in shaping the careers of Jeff Gordon and Kyle Larson, managing the media side with precision and professionalism.
That same day, veteran motorsports journalist Al Pearce died at 82. Pearce covered NASCAR for decades and became one of its most trusted voices. His reporting helped shape how fans saw the sport. These losses leave a huge void. Not just in terms of talent and experience, but in heart. These were people who loved the sport, helped it grow, and gave it everything. Each of them—Chase, Hattori, Edwards, Pearce—left a unique mark on NASCAR.
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