Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Travis Pastrana

How Travis Pastrana built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Travis Pastrana is an American professional athlete celebrated for his accomplishments in freestyle motocross, rally racing, NASCAR, and stunt performance. He gained widespread recognition in the early 2000s, securing multiple X Games gold medals and achieving groundbreaking feats in freestyle motocross, notably being the first to land a double backflip during a competition in 2006. Before his freestyle career, Pastrana excelled in motorcycle racing, earning titles in the AMA Motocross and Supercross 125cc divisions in 2000 and 2001.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1999: Gold at X Games and Gravity Games

Following his gold medal performance at the 1999 X Games, Travis Pastrana secured gold at the inaugural Gravity Games in Rhode Island.

1999: AMA Motocross Championship Debut

In late 1999, Travis Pastrana debuted in the AMA Motocross Championship.

2000: 125cc National Title

In 2000, Travis Pastrana won the 125cc national title in the AMA Motocross Championship, becoming the youngest to do so at 16 years old.

2000: AMA Motocross Title

In 2000, Travis Pastrana won the AMA Motocross 125cc title, marking a significant achievement early in his career.

2001: AMA Supercross Title

In 2001, Travis Pastrana achieved another milestone by winning the AMA Supercross 125cc title.

2001: 125cc East Coast Title

In 2001, Travis Pastrana secured the 125cc East Coast title in the AMA Supercross Championship after training with Kevin Windham.

2002: Best Season in 250cc Class

In 2002, Travis Pastrana achieved his best season in the AMA Supercross Championship's 250cc class, ranking 16th overall.

2003: End of Winning Streak

By 2003, Travis Pastrana's winning streak in the World Freestyle Motocross Championship, which started at fourteen, had ended.

2003: Start of Rallying Career

In 2003, Travis Pastrana began his rallying career at the Race of Champions.

2003: Co-founded Nitro Circus

In 2003, Travis Pastrana co-founded Nitro Circus, an entertainment brand focused on live shows, television series, and films featuring extreme stunts and action sports.

2004: Driving for Vermont SportsCar

In 2004, Travis Pastrana began driving for the Subaru-backed Vermont SportsCar rally team.

2005: Continued Competition in 250cc Class

From 2001 to 2005, Travis Pastrana competed in the AMA Supercross Championship's 250cc class.

August 5, 2006: X Games Rally Car Gold

On August 5, 2006, Travis Pastrana won the gold medal in the first rally car competition at the X Games, narrowly defeating Colin McRae.

October 16, 2006: Debuts in Monster Jam

On October 16, 2006, Travis Pastrana debuted in Monster Jam, driving the "Pastrana 199" monster truck, which was owned by Live Nation/FELD Motorsports and sponsored by Pastrana.

October 22, 2006: Rally America Championship Win

On October 22, 2006, Travis Pastrana and co-driver Christian Edstrom clinched the Rally America National series overall and open class championship, making Pastrana the youngest American rally champion.

December 13, 2006: World Rally Championship Plans

On December 13, 2006, Subaru Rally Team USA announced plans for Travis Pastrana to enter World Rally Championship events in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

2006: First Double Backflip

In 2006, Travis Pastrana became the first person to land a double backflip in freestyle motocross competition.

2006: End of Gravity Games Run

Travis Pastrana would ultimately go on to win five gold medals at the Gravity Games during its run from 1999 to 2006.

2007: P-WRC Events

In the 2007 season, Travis Pastrana raced three P-WRC events in the Group N class, driving a Subaru Impreza WRX STI–based rally car.

March 15, 2008: Debut Representing Puerto Rico

On March 15, 2008, Travis Pastrana debuted representing Puerto Rico in international competition, qualifying for the finals and finishing third overall at an event in Costa Rica.

September 2008: Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally

In September 2008, Travis Pastrana participated in the Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally in Scotland, driving a Ford Escort RS1600 with Derek Ringer as his co-driver, in memory of Colin McRae.

2008: P-WRC Season

Travis Pastrana's 2008 season in the P-WRC was largely unsuccessful, with one retirement and one thirteenth place finish.

August 29, 2009: Ojibwe Forests Rally Victory

On August 29, 2009, Travis Pastrana secured the overall victory at the Ojibwe Forests Rally, marking his fifth win of the 2009 Rally America season and sealing his fourth consecutive Rally America driver's title.

2009: Nitro Circus Monster Truck

During the 2009 World Finals, the "Pastrana 199" monster truck changed its name to "Nitro Circus".

2009: Nitro Circus Premieres on MTV

In 2009, Travis Pastrana's television show Nitro Circus, of which he is an executive producer, premiered on MTV. It is a spinoff of MTV's Jackass.

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January 1, 2010: Sets World Record for Ramp-to-Ramp Car Jump

On January 1, 2010, Travis Pastrana officially set a new world record in a ramp-to-ramp car jump by jumping his Subaru rally car off the Pine Street Pier onto a floating barge in Long Beach's Rainbow Harbor, establishing a new world distance record of 269 feet (82 m).

February 27, 2010: Nitro Circus Monster Truck Backflip

On February 27, 2010, in Jacksonville, Florida, Cam McQueen successfully executed a backflip in the Nitro Circus monster truck during a freestyle competition, making him the first to do so in competition.

June 2010: Participates in Prelude to the Dream Charity Race

In June 2010, Travis Pastrana participated in the Prelude to the Dream charity dirt track race at Eldora Speedway, finishing 23rd after starting 15th in a No. 199 Subaru.

September 2010: Sets World Record for Mount Washington Ascent

In September 2010, Travis Pastrana set a world record for the fastest ascent of Mount Washington in a car, achieving a time of 6 minutes, 20.47 seconds, using his Subaru WRX STi.

June 2011: Record Broken by David Higgins

In June 2011, David Higgins broke Travis Pastrana's record for the fastest ascent of Mount Washington in a car, achieving a time of 6 minutes, 11.54 seconds, using the same model vehicle.

2011: Global RallyCross Championship

In 2011, Travis Pastrana began competing in the Global RallyCross Championship.

2011: NASCAR Debut

In 2011, Travis Pastrana debuted in NASCAR competition, finishing sixth in the Toyota All-Star Showdown and later competing in the Short Track Showdown.

2011: Retirement of Nitro Circus Truck

The Nitro Circus monster truck made its final appearance and was retired after the 2011 Monster Jam season.

April 27, 2012: Nationwide Series Debut

On April 27, 2012, Travis Pastrana made his Nationwide Series debut, finishing 22nd at the Richmond 250, driving the No. 99 Toyota Camry for RAB Racing.

November 2012: Full-Season Ride in Nationwide Series

In November 2012, Travis Pastrana arranged a full-season ride for 2013 in the Nationwide Series with Roush Fenway Racing.

2012: Competes in 24 Hours of Daytona

In 2012, Travis Pastrana competed in the 24 Hours of Daytona for AF Waltrip, finishing 35th overall (22nd in the GT class) with Michael Waltrip, Rob Kauffman, and Rui Águas as codrivers, in a Ferrari 458.

November 11, 2013: Leaving NASCAR

On November 11, 2013, Travis Pastrana announced his departure from NASCAR at the end of the 2013 season, citing reasons such as lack of sponsorship and a desire to spend time with his family.

2013: NASCAR Season

In 2013, Travis Pastrana drove the No. 60 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing in the Nationwide Series, achieving four top-ten finishes, including a ninth-place finish at Richmond International Raceway, and won his first career pole position at Talladega Superspeedway.

2013: Third Place Finish at Las Vegas

In 2013, Travis Pastrana ran part-time with a Dodge Dart in the Global RallyCross Championship, claiming a third-place finish at Las Vegas.

October 3, 2014: Competes in Red Bull Straight Rhythm

On October 3, 2014, Travis Pastrana participated in the inaugural Red Bull Straight Rhythm competition, riding in the Open Class on a Suzuki RM-Z 450 with a Honda CR500 engine swap, which he called the RM-Zilla.

September 23, 2015: NASCAR Comeback Announcement

On September 23, 2015, Travis Pastrana announced his comeback to NASCAR, signing a one-race deal with NTS Motorsports to race in the Truck Series race at Las Vegas on October 3.

July 2017: Retakes Mount Washington Ascent Record

In July 2017, Travis Pastrana retook the record for the fastest ascent of Mount Washington, driving his Subaru WRX STi in 5 minutes, 44.72 seconds.

2017: Return to Truck Series

In 2017, Travis Pastrana returned to the Truck Series, driving the No. 45 Chevrolet for Niece Motorsports at Las Vegas.

July 8, 2018: Breaks Evel Knievel's Records

On July 8, 2018, in Las Vegas, Nevada, Travis Pastrana paid tribute to Evel Knievel by safely clearing three record-breaking jumps, consisting of 52 cars, 16 buses, and a fountain, respectively, for a total of 484 feet (148 m) of jumps in a single night.

2018: Americas Rallycross Championship

In 2018, Travis Pastrana entered round 2 of the Americas Rallycross Championship at Austin, finishing fourth.

2018: Motocross of Nations with Team Puerto Rico

In 2018, Travis Pastrana returned to the Motocross of Nations as part of Team Puerto Rico, alongside Kevin Windham and Ryan Sipes, to raise money and awareness following Hurricane Maria in 2017. The team qualified for the main event.

September 17, 2020: Return to NASCAR

On September 17, 2020, it was announced that Travis Pastrana would run the Las Vegas race again with Niece Motorsports, marking the first time he made more than one Truck start in a season.

2020: Circuit 199 and Nitro Rallycross Series

In 2020, Travis Pastrana announced plans to construct Circuit 199 in Sudlersville, Maryland, but the project was later shelved. He also created the Nitro Rallycross series.

2020: Joins Miss GEICO Racing Team

In 2020, Travis Pastrana expanded his motorsport career into offshore powerboat racing, joining the Miss GEICO Racing Team to pilot a 47-foot catamaran alongside Steve Curtis.

2020: Drives Airslayer

In August 2021, Travis Pastrana broke his July 2017 record for the fastest ascent of Mount Washington by more than 16 seconds with a time of 5 minutes and 28.67 seconds in his 862 hp “Airslayer” 2020 Subaru WRX STI.

August 2021: Breaks Mount Washington Ascent Record Again

In August 2021, Travis Pastrana broke his July 2017 record for the fastest ascent of Mount Washington by more than 16 seconds with a time of 5 minutes and 28.67 seconds in his 862 hp "Airslayer" 2020 Subaru WRX STI.

2021: Nitro Rallycross Champion

In 2021, Travis Pastrana became the Nitro Rallycross champion, winning two races and claiming the tiebreaker over Scott Speed.

2022: Wins UIM Class 1 World Championship

In 2022, Travis Pastrana and Steve Curtis secured the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) Class 1 World Championship title with the Huski Chocolate Racing Team.

2022: Class 1 World Powerboat Championship

In 2022, Travis Pastrana, alongside Steve Curtis, became a world champion in the Class 1 World Powerboat Championship.

January 13, 2023: 23XI Racing Teases Pastrana as Daytona 500 Driver

On January 13, 2023, 23XI Racing tweeted a video teasing Travis Pastrana as the potential driver for their part-time third car in the 2023 Daytona 500, which was later reported by Jordan Bianchi from The Athletic.

July 2023: Drives for Pothole Heroes/Alegra Racing at Powerboat P1 Sarasota Grand Prix

In July 2023, Travis Pastrana participated in the Powerboat P1 Sarasota Grand Prix for the Pothole Heroes/Alegra Racing team, copiloted by John Tomlinson, after announcing plans to reduce his offshore racing commitments.

February 2024: Substitutes for Jimmie Johnson in Extreme E

In February 2024, Travis Pastrana was signed as a substitute for Jimmie Johnson in Legacy Motor Club's Extreme E team for the first two rounds of the 2024 season, partnering with Gray Leadbetter, due to Johnson's commitment to the Daytona 500. The team finished sixth in Rounds 1 and 2 at the Desert X-Prix and scored its first Super Sector in Round 2.