NASCAR’s Daytona 500 is like the Repco Supercars Championship’s Bathurst 1000, the holy grail of both respective categories and action sports star Travis Pastrana will race in American stock car racing’s most prestigious race.
The action sports star behind Nitro Circus will make his NASCAR Cup debut at the Daytona 500 after qualifying for the race alongside seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson, who is making a limited program comeback after contesting IndyCar.
All though locked in for the race, Pastrana must still compete in the heat races next week to decide where he starts the 500. With the backing of NBA megastar Michael Jordan and NASCAR Cup driver Denny Hamlin behind Pastrana, it’s no surprise he made the cut, though it was his first start in a new gen car.
“I am so very fortunate to be here,” said Pastrana.
“This is something that’s not about the money. It’s not about anything. It’s just about trying to be a part of the “Great American Race” and to have an opportunity to qualify with such a great team and to be brought on with so many people around me that are helping me to do the best that I absolutely possibly can.
“At the end of the day, we’re in it to do the best that we can. Damage or no damage, my goal is to obviously not be the cause of any of it and try to do the best we can. But hey, I’m going for it. So we’ll see what happens.”
Pastrana made his name on motorbikes where on his trademark Suzuki he achieved many firsts in the freestyle category completing the first ever 360 degree and famously the first double backflip as he also won the inaugural Rally Car competition in 2006.
Starting a long association with Subaru, Pastrana and Ken Block started a rise of rallying in the states through competing in the Rally America series as well as the Gymkhana videos of the latter.
Winning four Rally America titles, Pastrana has dabbled on the tarmac to as he finished 35th outright in the 2012 24 Hours of Daytona for AF Waltrip in a Ferrari 458 Italia.
Beginning his NASCAR journey in 2011 when entered in the Toyota All-Star Showdown, Pastrana ran lower levels as he gradually rose through the ranks to the NASCAR Truck Series and the Xfinity Series before pulling the pin in 2013.
He has made sporadic returns including this one backed by Jordan and Hamlin’s 23XI Racing outfit, where he will contest his first Daytona 500.
Of course NAPA Auto Parts driver Chase Elliott is one o the leading contenders for this year’s Daytona 500 title.