NASCAR Daytona 500: Travis Pastrana joins Jimmie Johnson in qualifying for the main race

Next week, motorsports icon and former NASCAR driver Travis Pastrana will take off pit road at the Daytona International Speedway for roughly 200-mph in an attempt to qualify for the iconic Daytona 500. It will be his first NASCAR Cup Series start.

Pastrana will drive #67 Toyota Camry, the third entry fielded by Denny Hamlin and the Michael Jordan-owned 23XI Racing team. He will be one of at least six drivers battling for the four open spots in the Daytona 500 including Jimmie Johnson, Conor Daly, Chandler Smith, Zane Smith, and Austin Hill. In a star-studded lineup, it won’t be an easy job for him to get a spot on the Daytona 500.

Speaking to NBC Sports about qualifying for the Daytona 500, Travis Pastrana said he always wanted to be a part of the Daytona 500 since he started watching it as a kid. The Maryland-born driver is someone who loves challenges and likes to push himself.

Pastrana said:

“I love a challenge. I’ve wanted to be a part of the Great American Race since I started watching it on TV as a kid. Most drivers and athletes, when they get to the top of a sport, don’t take a chance to try something else. I like to push myself."

"If I feel I’m the favorite in something, I lose a little interest and focus. Yes, I’m in way over my head, but I believe I can do it safely. At the end of the day, my most fun time is when I’m battling and battling with the best.”

Travis Pastrana has not competed in the NASCAR Cup Series, but he is not new to NASCAR racing. He has made 42 Xfinity Series appearances, running a full-time season for Roush Fenway Racing in 2013.

His best performance in the ninth-place came at Richmond Raceway and overall, he had four top-10 finishes. The 39-year-old most recently raced in the Camping World Truck Series in 2020.

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“It was all about me trying to get to the Daytona 500” – Travis Pastrana

Travis Pastrana, who has proven to be an all-round contender for the Daytona 500 seat, said he didn’t get into NASCAR with the idea of transferring his skills to stock car racing full-time. He just wants to try his hand at The Great American Race.

Pastrana said:

“It was all about me trying to get to the Daytona 500. Then I looked around, when I was in the K&N Series, and saw kids like Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson. They were teenagers, and they already were as good or better than me.”

The motorsports icon will look to join Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch and the rest of the drivers when the green flag drops at the Daytona International Speedway on February 19, 2023.