Motocross legend will attempt to qualify for Daytona 500
Nov 16, 2013; Homestead, FL, USA; NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Travis Pastrana prior to the Ford EcoBoost 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Travis Pastrana is a RallyCross and motocross legend. He’s also known for driving both Pastrana 199 and Nitro Circus for Monster Jam, as well as taking part in NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series and Xfinity Series over the years.
Pastrana quit NASCAR back in 2013 citing the lack of sponsorship but left the door open to a future return. At the time, he expressed a desire to run in the Daytona 500, which is one of the few automotive events that have eluded him.
Fast forward 10 years, and Pastrana may finally have that opportunity.
Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic reports that Pastrana will attempt to enter the 2023 Daytona 500. In order to do so, he’ll need to claim one of four available spots open to drivers who do not run the Cup Series full-time. That means he would need to finish with one of the two fastest qualifying times among drivers with non-guaranteed spots, or finish one of the two qualifying races ahead of all other drivers who are not guaranteed starting spots.
Pastrana will run as part of the 23XI team, which is co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin.
πππππ is the magic number ππ€«@DAYTONA #Daytona500#TeamToyota #ForwardTogether pic.twitter.com/yR5HVUdUkO
— 23XI Racing (@23XIRacing) January 13, 2023
In addition to Pastrana, 23XI team members include Bubba Wallace, Kurt Busch, and Tyler Reddick. Both Wallace and Reddick and guaranteed starting spots in the Daytona 500. Busch will miss the race due to injury.
The Duels at Daytona qualifying races will be run on Thursday, February 16. The Dayton 500 will be run on Sunday, February 19 at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.
