Travis Pastrana Aims for Daytona 500 with 23XI Racing, Black Rifle Coffee Company and Toyota.
Veteran driver Travis Pastrana will attempt to qualify for next month’s Daytona 500 in a Toyota entered by 23XI Racing.
The team will field a third car for the Daytona 500 with racing legend Travis Pastrana set to drive the No. 67 Black Rifle Coffee Company Toyota Camry TRD. The race will be Pastrana’s inaugural entry in the NASCAR Cup Series and his third time in a stock car at Daytona International Speedway, where he finished 10th in the 2013 NASCAR Xfinity Series season opener.
Joined teammate to Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick, the team will be lead by Eric Phillips as the team’s crew chief.
Pastrana, who has raced in a number of series over a 25-year career, has not competed in the Daytona 500, but hopefully that will change. The Daytona 500 is a top of his life goals and it will only add to the legend of Travis Pastrana.
Along with experience in the K&N Pro Series, Pastrana has 42 starts in the Xfinity Series and five starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, where he most recently competed at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the fall of 2020. He has won seven championships across supercross, motocross and rally racing and has amassed 11 gold medals in moto and rally car events at the X Games.
Following years of competition in rally racing, Pastrana recently created the Nitro RallyCross series in 2018. Now in its fourth season, Pastrana is the series’ reigning champion.
Before qualifying begins next week, Action Sports Today spoke with Travis about this journey and his story is this weeks Behind The Action feature.
AST: Is the qualification process the same for everyone or do you have to have a different process since you are not a full time series driver?
TP: Just to be eligible to race it, there were a few hoops and hurdles, but our past racing in NASCAR allowed us to approach and be approved by NASCAR to race. We had the option with Black Rifle to go and buy a charter to race or join a team. There are 40 charter spots available and 37 teams, so that only leaves three open spaces, so sometimes good drivers don’t make it. Myself and Black Rifle, wanted to put our best foot forward and be a part of a team that is going to help us push towards our goal of racing competitively. We know that we were going to have to fully qualify for the race, but the team owners of 23xi, Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, want me to succeed. It does them no good to just have another car on the track. They want to grow the team and show that they can pull other drivers into the series and be successful.
AST: What are your realistic expectations throughout this qualifying process while knowing there are several detractors who have voiced opposition to you racing this weekend?
TP: For me, just qualifying for the main race will be a dream accomplishment. But beyond that, I have a ton of support from the other drivers. We have built a great relationship with the drivers as some have even come across to race in the Nitro Rallycross series, and have done well. Racing is racing no matter the circuit. We all share that love for racing and the skill set to drive, like Austin Cindric, Kyle Busch and Chase Elliot. Cindric won the Daytona 500! But the other drivers are so stoked and they have come over to the team and offered advice. I go back to the Nitro Rallycross races that Kyle and Chase drove in, and they did well. They got to drift a car, jump a car and more. They didn’t have that much seat time but they still did well! That is what we as a team have an opportunity to do here.
At the end of the day, along with the Black Rifle team, we are going to approach qualifying a little different. We are there to have fun. We are there to race every race I can race in. We are going to be in the crowd. We are going to be living the American Dream at the Great American Race. We want to qualify but you never know what is going to happen with the chaos that track can create. If I don’t qualify, that sucks, but it’s more about having a great team behind me in Black Rifle and the chance to try and put our best foot forward in a dream opportunity.
AST: Trying to qualify for a race in a machine that you don’t drive that often is definitely jumping into the deep end with no life jacket. Are you nervous at all?
TP: It is for sure jumping off the deep end with weights around my ankles but I have a lot of people supporting me. The 23xi team are so competitive. Denny and Michael want me to succeed. Toyota wants me to succeed. There are not as many Toyotas in the field so they need me out there to help keep other Toyota cars on the back of the draft. It is more than just bringing outside sponsors to the table, we are working together to create a great outcome. I had 50 pages of homework on Day one of this process to get me as competitive as possible.
AST: Is this good for the sport to have outside drivers?
TP: I think so. It was good for the Nitro Rallycross series. I am there to add to the excitement and to not add to the drama. I just want to keep it four wheels down, and bring about the opportunity to show people that dreams can come true when you work hard and continue to fight for what you dream about.
Black Rifle Coffee Company, a veteran-founded premium coffee company with a mission to better the lives of veterans, active-duty military and first responders, has a long-standing relationship with Pastrana, supporting his journey throughout racing and driving escapades.
Most recently, the two partnered on an action-packed video to honor American military veterans on Veteran’s Day, shredding the streets of small-town Boerne, Texas in a knock-down, drag-out car chase behind the wheel of two heavily-modified Hoonigan vehicles.
“Travis is part of the fabric that is Black Rifle Coffee Company and truly a member of our family,” said Luke Peelgrane, senior vice president, Marketing and Media, Black Rifle Coffee Company. “When he came to us and shared his desire and interest in fulfilling one of his lifelong bucket list items – competing in the Great American Race – we didn’t hesitate to come alongside him for the ride.”
“We’re excited to welcome Travis to the team as he competes for a spot in the Daytona 500,” said Steve Lauletta, 23XI Racing president. “He is one of the most well-known and well-decorated action sports athletes of all time, and we’re looking forward to helping him in his quest to race in the Daytona 500.
Lauletta continued; “Attracting a driver of Travis’ stature speaks volumes to the success 23XI Racing has had in our first two seasons and points to the positive direction in which we are headed. Aside from the opportunity to introduce Travis’ dedicated fanbase to 23XI and NASCAR, this race also provides a chance for more of our team members to expand their responsibilities as we continue to grow and strengthen the team.”