Travis Pastrana

Travis Pastrana has driven just about everything in his life, but a NASCAR Cup Series car in the Daytona 500 was an entirely new experience for the action ...

The reason I’m here right now is because I feel like this is the best I’ve ever been as a driver. He also confirmed that this is a one-and-done deal. When that top started going, I thought, we might be top-five here.” He later added: "It’s funny, I know how to drive a car so just drive. It was amazing that we were able to put it in the top-20. To be in contention "exceeded all my expectations," said Pastrana. "Just coming here and even to go down to Volusia and camping with (Matt) Crafton and all the fans that came down there. Even the Truck race, my heart rate was 170 in a three-wide pack. He finished 11th, and was the second-highest finishing rookie behind Riley Herbst in tenth. The incident ended the race, and Pastrana started his week on a high note, qualifying on speed and making the Daytona 500. He led two laps during a cycle of green-flag pit stops, but otherwise remained unseen.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Travis Pastrana needed to stick his Toyota with all four wheels on the track -- not hurled through the air in a death-defying stunt in much ...

“The amount of time it would take right now, I’m trying to slow down,” Pastrana said. “The car’s not a complete write-off, so the kids’ college fund should be intact,” he said, laughing. Pastrana attempted a NASCAR career a decade ago and raced the full Xfinity Series schedule in 2013 for Roush Fenway Racing. With massive fan appeal that stretches back to his X Games glory, Pastrana was a rock star around the track this week. The 39-year-old Pastrana made the hard-charge after he started last in his first NASCAR start in a decade. Pastrana make his long-coveted attempt to race the Daytona 500 this year in an entry fielded by 23XI Racing and sponsored by Black Rifle Coffee.

Some of the greatest NASCAR drivers ever have failed to lead a lap in the iconic Daytona 500. But for Travis Pastrana, making history seems to come easily.

Throughout his decades in the motor sports world, Travis Pastrana conquered motocross, the X Games, and even became a Jackass series regular.

- Ryan Preece (41), Stewart-Haas Racing Ford - Ty Gibbs (54), Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota - Cody Ware (51), Rick Ware Racing Ford He was elated after the race and even told reporters: "I led a lap!" Travis Pastrana made his Daytona 500 debut one to remember. Throughout his decades in the motor sports world, Travis Pastrana conquered motocross, the X Games, and even became a Jackass series regular.

Travis Pastrana loved his experience competing in the Daytona 500 and NASCAR Cup Series, calling it "one of the greatest weeks of my life."

[Daytona Int’l Speedway](http://daytonainternationalspeedway.com) in the Daytona 500 was a dream for the [Nitro Circus](https://nitrocircus.com) ringleader. “Just coming here and even to go down to Volusia and camping with (Matt) Crafton and all the fans that came down there. With a complete Speedweeks experience checked off the list, the action sports star now begins to slow down. Even the Truck race, my heart rate was 170 in a three-wide pack. The Gymkhana and rally racing legend passed away following a snowmobile accident in January. “It was pretty exciting to be in the hunt for a potential top-five coming to the checkered. It was a win [in my book], and it was awesome.” They’ve definitely never been in a car because this was one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done.” I got a tap, started sliding, and I got into the guy (Larson) underneath me. “I led a lap, but it was by mistake,” Pastrana stated. “I was a little loose up top but that’s where the run was coming and just got a little tap. Pastrana had been just inside the top-20 and moved up to 12th.

Travis Pastrana called it 'an honor to be on the track with these guys' after finishing 11th and leading two laps in his Daytona 500 debut.

We were kind of in a bad spot in the pack to get caught up in something. Once he got off center, I tried to back up but I had (Brad Keselowski) in the back of me trying to push as well. I hate that we didn’t get to the finish line, but we got a lot closer than I thought. This package is pretty tough to pass with, but it was fun to be up there battling in the top 10 there for a bit.” [Austin Dillon](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/auto-racing/nascar/player/48393/austin-dillon) — Finished 33rd: “We had a strategy there, and it just didn’t play out. I feel like when the 22 pulled up in front of me I tried to slow down to engage him and I got hit by the 8 really hard and send the 22 three-wide and we lost momentum again. The outside just didn’t really get rolling and we didn’t get organized very well and by the time we did it was just a little too late. [Kyle Busch](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/auto-racing/nascar/player/48221/kyle-busch)) went to the bottom there, I was able to push ( [Joey Logano](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/auto-racing/nascar/player/48369/joey-logano)) and ( [Kyle Larson](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/auto-racing/nascar/player/48450/kyle-larson)). It was amazing that we were able to put it in the top 20. We recovered and we are getting better at this kind of racing and we are going to get one of these one day.” [Ryan Blaney](https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/auto-racing/nascar/player/48406/ryan-blaney) — Finished eighth: “You know, unfortunately getting tore up in the second stage and I thought we did a good job fixing it and staying in it and got a couple of laps back and were able to get it driving decent enough to where we lined up in the top-15 and were able to miss some wrecks and finish okay. It was a win, and it was awesome. I was hoping we were going to get to the white there, and we didn’t, so I knew I was going to take the top. I felt like the three wide was going a hurt a lane; looked like Kyle was getting pushed ahead, and then Ricky started getting pushed ahead.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Travis Pastrana needed to stick his Toyota with all four wheels on the track -- not hurled through the air in a death-defying stunt in much ...

“The amount of time it would take right now, I’m trying to slow down,” Pastrana said. “The car’s not a complete write-off, so the kids’ college fund should be intact,” he said, laughing. Pastrana attempted a NASCAR career a decade ago and raced the full Xfinity Series schedule in 2013 for Roush Fenway Racing. With massive fan appeal that stretches back to his X Games glory, Pastrana was a rock star around the track this week. The 39-year-old Pastrana made the hard-charge after he started last in his first NASCAR start in a decade. Pastrana make his long-coveted attempt to race the Daytona 500 this year in an entry fielded by 23XI Racing and sponsored by Black Rifle Coffee.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Travis Pastrana entered the 2023 Daytona Speedweeks attempting to make his first NASCAR Cup Series start at age 39, a full decade ...

“So, I was super surprised that it got as loose as it did, and we’d been a little loose on the top and we were all the way up on the top. A driver who was hoping to just finish this thing had his competitive instincts kick in; the former X-Games star was hungry for more. It was a win and it was awesome.” 67 Toyota handled well in the draft, positioned for a decent finish heading into the final stretch. But a smart use of the wave around after stage two got Pastrana back on the lead lap. He was looking to do it in the sport’s biggest race, driving a new third entry for 23XI Racing that had never been run on track before.

Travis Pastrana had an impressive debut for 23XI Racing in the Daytona 500, as he led laps and finished 11th in the race.

This was one of the greatest if not the greatest weeks or couple of weeks of my life." All of this "first time" stuff came on the heels of an intense week of racing on dirt at Volusia and the Truck race on Friday night. It was a win, and it was awesome. Having done some wild and incredible things as an athlete in his younger days, Pastrana was blown away by everything that he endured during the week. It’s tough just because you can’t really see what’s going on in front of you so when the two cars in front of you connect, they really take off quick." "I know how to drive a car, so I just had to drive.

Pastrana had run a clean race all day, but an awkward push from behind meant he would end his first Daytona 500 in the wall.

In a race where the field's most experienced drivers are regularly taken out of the race by pack-sweeping wrecks, Pastrana stayed out of trouble long enough to factor into the battle for the win. When a multi-car crash wiped out half the remaining cars and led to a second overtime, Pastrana was set to re-start 11th and had a chance to move up to the front with teammate Bubba Wallace. When the race was extended to a first overtime after a single-car crash with 4 laps to go, Pastrana was still on the lead lap.