Mud Racing's Emerging Star!

Kicking off 2008 on a mission would be an understatement for those of us at ATV Rider Magazine. Our goal was to find the core of our readership and blend it heavily with many varieties of people and places across the great United States that all share a similar passion for ATVs and side-by-sides. One of the more popular stops for our crew this past year would be the hot new Championship Mud Racing (CMR) Series. This new series was to give many ATV mud riding enthusiasts and die-hards a chance to show off their skills and compete in an organized venue. But as we continued to attend and explore this mud-racing world, we could not help but notice a rising star from Texas who just seemed to dominate the sport. Welcome to the story of Chase McCauley.

At the very first round of the CMR series, McCauley not only won his class but he somehow made a powerful and lasting impression on everyone he came in contact with, including the ATV Rider crew. Always carrying a huge smile wherever he goes, he has the gift of making everyone around him feel comfortable and welcome. And those are great qualities of rising stars.

Born to Jan and Gary McCauley on Monday, September 27, 1982, was the racer who few would really become aware of until late 2007. Chase was born in Temple, Texas, and has lived most of his life in a simple town called Rosebud. "I grew up in a little town in central Texas. It was a really small town, but being that it is a rural area, it was a phenomenal place to learn to ride an ATV," McCauley claims. Aside from riding ATVs, Chase started playing guitar when he was 13 and developed a love for music and singing. Many people outside of Chase's immediate family and friends may not know that he has his own band and plays live gigs on a regular basis when he's not out competing. "I've been playing in a band now for about three years. I've played with many musicians over the years and have had a lot of good times doing it," McCauley reveals. When asked if this dream of singing is a passion or pastime, McCauley replies, "Everyone just keep your eyes open for the Chase McCauley band coming to a club near you!" I guess you'll have to figure that one out for yourself. Who knows, maybe the CMR or the promoters for the High Lifter Mud Nationals will give him a platform to play from one day.

Chase also has a passion for NASCAR, and like most of us in the racing community, he seemed to draw his competitive spirit from those Sunday afternoon speedway competitions. Having been raised in the highlight of his favorite driver's career, McCauley joined the nation and mourned the death of his favorite racer Dale Earnhardt after the ill-fated crash on the final lap of the Daytona 500 in 2001. "It hit our family hard because this was Chase's hero in racing," says mom Jan.

Chase began racing ATVs in 2007, and from that single race, a new part of Chase's life was born. "I actually have not been racing all that long," McCauley states. "The first professional mud bog I participated in was on the Labor Day weekend of 2007. A couple of friends, Russell Coker and Trey Thorton, along with myself had been mud riding all our lives and decided to get competitive with it." Since that first race, Chase has been hooked on trying new tricks and methods to get his machine down the bog or around the Swampcross as fast as he possibly can.