Towering grass in a vacant field can’t hide the faux orange-red mohawk atop Blake Kreuser’s already flashy helmet as he bounds about on his ATV then wheels into full view heading toward a small hillock, revs the engine and hits the jump full on.

The launch from what amounts to little more than an anthill doesn’t compare to those he regularly has jumped aboard his custom built ATV during competitive motocross and hare racing events, at times reaching heights of 10 feet and flying 60 feet before landing, throttle wide open and wheels digging for speed.

When he brakes to a stop, dismounts and removes his helmet, the Washington Middle School soon-to-be seventh grader’s grin is that of a 12-year-old expressing unbridled joy.

To date, Blake has earned myriad trophies in his four-year racing career, many lofting above the 75-pounder’s 4-foot-9-inch frame. He currently ranks among the top 20 nationally in the 90 Mod (i.e., modified) Class for 8- to 15-year-old quad racers. So, hitting jumps flat out is no biggie.

“You really don’t think anything about it. Just fly through the air. I’m just kind of used to it now,” he said.

Blake began riding motorized vehicles when his dad, Craig Kreuser — the other half of Kreuser Motorsports as lead wrench and chief wallet manager — got him a 50-cc Yamaha dirt bike for his second birthday. “I put training wheels on it, and rode with him around the block on my bicycle,” Craig said, laughing as he recalled Blake’s first fumbling attempts at using a hand brake.

Early on, Blake liked the idea of racing. Until he turned 8, he didn’t picture doing so on an ATV. “At first, I was going to race go-carts. But I got a 4-wheeler for my birthday, and so I started racing 4-wheelers,” he said.

A bigger 300-cc Honda EX already awaits him in dad’s garage, but he can’t race it in sanctioned events until he is a bit older. Besides, his favorite — the ride he loves — is the 100-cc ATV he is most used to and has ridden to victory the past three years.

Powered by a single cylinder, two-stroke CR-85 Honda dirt bike motor, it features a frame and suspension custom built by Kids on Quads, a Michigan company. Like a dirt bike, it has a chain drive, six-speed, foot-shifted transmission, hand- and foot-operated brakes, and a right hand twist-grip throttle. It’s water cooled, with twin disc brakes on the front wheels and a single disc on the rear axle.

The stock motor develops 20 horsepower. With modifications, Blake’s machine puts out 25 horses. “We just got it rebuilt, and it’s really fast,” he said, eyes alight. This is a kid who loves to compete. “Yeah,” he said, “it makes you faster.”

Craig marvels at Blake’s youthful prowess aboard the ATV, and he affixed the mohawk atop Blake’s helmet to spot his whereabouts in motocross races and hare scrambles.

Motocross takes place on closed circuits constructed on a variety of non-tarmac surfaces such as sand, mud, grass, etc., incorporating natural or artificial elevation changes. Hare scrambles also take place off road, varying in length and time, with racers doing laps around a marked course through wooded or other rugged natural terrain.

“I ride the 300, and he rides the 100, and I can’t keep up with him,” Craig said with a laugh, shaking his head.

“You cut the track, and I still beat you,” Blake reminded him.

Blake helps his dad work on the ATV. “We switched the swing arm last week. I have to change the air cleaner every week and change the oil every other week,” said Blake, who not only assists with repairs and maintenance but does the cleaning, lubes the cables and checks things over for cracks and wear. He helped design the custom decals created by Rhey Graphics for his ATV.

Racing makes for regular camping weekends in their motorhome when they haul the ATV to Friday, Saturday and Sunday events. “We find a different track and go racing. It’s really a family sport. He’s met a lot of friends he hangs out with at the tracks,” Craig said.

The most fun for Blake during a race are those moments when he runs on pure adrenaline. “Yeah, when you’re right behind a faster guy, and you want to pass him, and you realize, ‘I’m right behind him,’” he said with relish.

That’s what was happening about a month ago, when he was tucked in tight behind a rival in a race at Gravity Park USA in Chilton. Only, Blake went into a corner too close to the racer ahead, clipped the other ATV’s rear wheel, and went end over end. Scary, right? Blake shrugs.

“Not really because it happened too fast,” he said. “I flipped it over, got back on and passed a couple other people.”