Gase started racing at Hawkeye Downs Speedway in the track's junior classes in 2001.[1] He won the track modified B championship at La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway in 2007, the youngest driver to do so.[1] In 2009, he became the youngest driver to win the track's late model championship at Hawkeye Downs Speedway.[2] Gase graduated from Xavier High School in Cedar Rapids in 2011.[3]
Gase's mother, Mary Jo, died from a brain aneurysm when Gase was 18 years old. Gase was awarded the inaugural Comcast Community Champion Award at the joint Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series banquet after the 2015 season. The award was in recognition of Gase's efforts to promote organ donation, to honor his mother, whose donated organs helped 66 others after her death.[4]
NASCAR
Camping World Truck Series
Gase made his Truck Series debut at Atlanta, driving a start and park truck for Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing. He started 26th and finished 31st.
On September 28, 2018, it was announced that Gase joined Copp Motorsports for one race at Talladega with Sparks Energy being the sponsor.
In January 2012, it was announced that Gase would drive the No. 39 Ford for Go Green Racing for the entire 2012 Nationwide Series season, competing for rookie of the year honors.[3][5] Gase was planned to be the lead driver of a two-car team for Go Green Racing; the team's second car, the No. 04, would be driven by several drivers.[5] A lack of sponsorship meant that Gase only ran a partial season, competing for several teams.[6]
Gase racing the No. 52 Means Racing car at Road America in 2014
In December 2012, Gase announced that he would be driving for Jimmy Means Racing full-time in the Nationwide Series for 2013;[7] partway through the season he began running for Go Green Racing as well as Means due to a lack of sponsorship.
In the 2015 race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Gase was replaced by Dexter Bean after suffering food poisoning prior to the race. Gase started the race, and was replaced by Bean during the event.[8] On May 2, Gase earned his best career finish, placing fifth in the Winn-Dixie 300 at Talladega.[9]
On January 5, 2018, it was announced Gase would drive the No. 35 Chevrolet Camaro owned by Go Green Racing (the sister team to Go Fas Racing) in the NASCAR Xfinity Series full-time for the 2018 season,[10] even though he left Jimmy Means Racing to seek more opportunities in the Cup Series.
Gase continued to race part-time in the Xfinity Series from 2020 onward.[12] Although much of his 2020 and 2021 schedules were in the Cup Series, he declared for Xfinity points in both seasons, the latter of which came midseason when he switched points in order to run the Talladega Dash 4 Cash race.[13] At Talladega when he drove for Jimmy Means Racing, the car was a Ford which Gase himself had owned.
At the 2024 ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond Raceway, Gase was involved in a crash during the final laps. In the heat of the moment, he tore off his bumper and threw it at the No. 4 car of Dawson Cram. NASCAR fined Gase US$5,000 for a safety violation may be imposed for any action or omission by a competitor or vehicle that creates an unsafe environment or poses a threat to the safety of the competitors.[14]
In January 2018, it was announced that Gase would also drive a part-time No. 33 Ford for Circle Sport Racing which invested in Go FAS Racing's No. 32 Cup Series Ford. However, the deal fell through. Gase drove at Las Vegas for Premium Motorsports' No. 55, also drove the No. 00 for StarCom Racing at Talladega's spring race, and Coke Zero 400 and the No. 23 for BK Racing at Darlington.
In conjunction with his Xfinity ride with MBM for 2019, Gase also joined the team's Cup program, driving the No. 66 Toyota part-time starting with the Daytona 500.[11] For the Digital Ally 400 at Kansas, he drove a second MBM car, the No. 46.[19] In July, Gase drove the No. 53 Chevrolet for Rick Ware Racing in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona.[20]
Gase began racing full-time in the Cup Series in 2020 with Ware, though he did not compete for Cup points.[21][22] For the 2021 GEICO 500 weekend, which included running the Xfinity race, Gase switched to No. 28 and ran a tribute paint scheme to Davey Allison
At the 2021 South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Gase was involved in a scary crash when his No. 15 RWR car lost a tire and slammed the wall, sending the car airborne. Gase was transported to the hospital and released a few hours later.[23]
On August 20, 2024, it was revealed that Gase would return to race during the 2024 Coke Zero Sugar 400, driving the No. 44 Chevrolet for NY Racing Team, his first start in the Cup Series since 2021.[24] Despite qualifying 39th and losing the draft early on, he would end up finishing the race 20th, tying with the team's best finish at Atlanta in 2022.[25]
Motorsports career results
NASCAR
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
* Season still in progress 1 Ineligible for series points 2 Gase started the 2021 season running for Cup Series points but switched to the Xfinity Series starting at Talladega in April.
ARCA Racing Series
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
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