Courtesy of the Murray family
Jase Murray knew he wanted to race cars before he turned 6 years old. When he went to see a friend compete on the track, he found the raceway thrilling and wanted to be a part of the tight-knit community.
After purchasing a refurbished quarter midget vehicle from Craigslist, Murray put wheels to the track for the first time. A few trial runs, a missing wheel, and a few bumps and bruises later, Jase was fully captivated by the sport. The competitive nature of motorsports intrigued his whole family, and they knew they could work together.
Quarter midgets are a fourth of the size of a midget racer. Similar to go-karts but with protective frames and extra suspension, quarter midgets are designed for ages 5 to 17. In a competition, heats typically consist of eight racers categorized by time and weight, racing on tracks 1/20 of a mile.
Courtesy of the Murray family
Jase Murray
At 11 years old, Murray faces challenges head-on with the help and support of his family. He spends a few nights a week practicing his driving techniques and working on his maneuverability skills before racing competitively each weekend.
“I sometimes watch the races to see what I can do better, and I try to stay hydrated because the races are normally really long and hot,” Murray says.
As an intermediate school student, Murray is juggling school with his busy race agenda. With competitions to travel to on every weekend, there isn’t much time left to practice behind the wheel.
“Before we raced every week, we would go practice at the track one or two nights a week,” says Murray’s mother, Whitney. “But we count that as practice because we’re racing every single weekend.”
Murray races in the senior Honda class and, for each race, he’s placed in a heat based on his time and how many cars he passes. His quarter midget is built from the North Carolina-based brand Ultimate QM.
Murray loves the adrenaline rush he gets while competing, and has won multiple championships over his years racing. Making friends is still one of his favorite aspects of the sport, though.
“Going to the tracks and hanging out with my friends at the races (has been the most fun),” Murray says. “And when I won my first Midwest Thunder race.”
Courtesy of Jase Murray
Jase Murray
The Midwest Thunder Series is a regional race series across multiple Midwest states, and the Murray Team always competes to win. He earned his most memorable win in 2021.
Heading into his sixth year of racing, Murray started this season with a victory in Michigan right after winning the Dixie Shootout 2023 series in Nashville. The guitar trophy he won in Tennessee is among his favorites in his crowded trophy case.
As Murray and his family continue to race in quarter midget series across the country, they’re planning the next step in his racing journey. After seeing much success in quarter midgets, he still loves driving and is eager to take his next steps into the racing world.
“I want to do a micro sprint,” says Murray. “There are a few steps that come after the quarter midget, and one of them is the micro sprint. The micro sprint racers are larger and have a more powerful engine than the quarter midget.”
Amber Phipps is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
