Feature Story
Raised at the Races: The Rau Family’s Story
How Racing Has Always Been a Family Affair for Kawasaki Team Green™ Rider Jett Rau
Before Jett Rau was completely comfortable on two feet, he was already finding his balance on two wheels. At just 18 months old, Jett started riding a Strider bike and quickly became better at navigating life on it than he was at walking. By 26 months, he had moved on to a PW50, although he was not immediately a fan. When it came time to race, Jett would take off after everyone else, catch the other riders, and sometimes stop on top of a tabletop to give them a thumbs-up and let them go ahead, only to take off and pass them again.
For his parents, Justin and Tressa Rau, raising a child around motorcycles came naturally. Both had racing careers of their own, with Tressa competing in WMX and Canadian national events and Justin also racing Canadian nationals. As Jett developed his own love for the sport, motocross became something the three could experience together rather than something his parents simply watched from the sidelines.
Having parents who understand racing firsthand has also created a family dynamic that looks a little different than most. This family connection reached a milestone in 2021 when Justin, Tressa, and Jett all qualified for the AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch. Jett competed in the Micro-E class, Tressa qualified in the Women and Senior (40+) divisions, and Justin raced Senior (40+), making them the first mother, father, and son to qualify for Loretta Lynn’s together in the same year.
As Jett continued progressing, Justin and Tressa made a conscious effort to give him opportunities without deciding his future for him. Growing up in Big Sky, Montana, Jett became an accomplished skier and had the opportunity to join a team, pursue freestyle skiing, and travel for the sport. Despite having another competitive path available to him, Jett continued choosing motocross. For Justin and Tressa, the goal was to give their son the chance to experience opportunities in racing that they never had while allowing the decision to remain his.
The family also built a life that allowed them to support those opportunities. Justin and Tressa founded Rau DeSigns in Montana in 2000, creating a business specializing in signage, vinyl work, and motocross graphics that eventually relocated with the family to the Big Sky area. Having their own business gave them the flexibility to continue working while traveling for Jett’s increasingly demanding amateur schedule.
Over time, the kid who once stopped on tabletops to let his competitors ride ahead began establishing himself among the country’s top young amateur racers. Jett captured the Micro 2 (4-6) Limited championship at Loretta Lynn’s in 2022 and returned to the Ranch in 2025 to finish second overall in the 65cc (7-9) division with 3-1-2 moto scores, including a Moto 2 victory. His progression eventually led to an opportunity that represented a major milestone for the entire family.
Justin was on the road to another race in Idaho when he stopped at a dealership to pick up parts. After returning to his truck, he answered a phone call with news that there was an opportunity for Jett to join Kawasaki Team Green. With Labor Day weekend approaching, the plan was to look over the details and reconnect on Tuesday with Team Manager Ryan Holliday. A few stoplights after leaving the dealership, Justin received a screenshot of the offer and glanced at it while sitting at the light.
After years of traveling and racing as a family, seeing the Team Green offer in front of him was enough to make Justin choke up. He sent it to longtime friends within the racing community who had experience with similar contracts, and their response confirmed what Justin and Tressa were already thinking. This was the opportunity they had been working toward, and Justin quickly decided he did not need until Tuesday to make the decision.
Joining Team Green also brought another piece of the Rau family’s racing history full circle. Team Green technician Eric Mollman had raced against both Justin and Tressa years earlier when their regional schedules brought racers from Montana and South Dakota to many of the same events. Justin unknowingly crossed paths with him again at Mammoth in 2025, repeatedly noticing a familiar face working underneath the tent before Mollman eventually approached him at the trophy presentation and reintroduced himself. Years after racing one another, their paths had crossed again through Jett.
Now racing the No. 722 Kawasaki KX™85 as part of Kawasaki Team Green, Jett is continuing a family story with motocross that started long before he was born. Justin and Tressa’s own experiences gave them an understanding of the opportunities they wanted their son to have, while Jett has continued choosing to pursue them.
From being better on a Strider than on his own two feet to becoming a Loretta Lynn’s champion and Team Green rider, Jett has continued choosing motorcycles at every stage. Justin and Tressa have simply worked to make sure that each time he does, the next opportunity is there for him to chase.
