How Travis Pastrana Became a Legend in Motorsports
There are a number of reasons that Travis Pastrana can be considered something of a legend in motorsports. For example, he has secured the championship in more than one event, which tends to be the sort of thing that brings in a lot of positive interest. However, it is important to note that he had a show as well, which proved to be successful enough to spawn a tour, a spinoff show, and a 3D movie of all things. Combined with a capable sense for media handling, it is no wonder that Pastrana has managed to build up a towering reputation for himself.
How Did Travis Pastrana Become a Legend in Motorsports?
For those who are curious, Pastrana was born in 1983. His grandfather went to the University of Maryland, which was where he went to school as well. Regardless, what is most interesting is that he started competing as a young age, as shown by the fact that he was the first person to win the MotoX Freestyle event when it started up in the X Games in 1999.
However, Pastrana was far from being done, as shown by the fact that he proceeded to win the second and the third MotoX Freestyle events as well. With that said, it wasn’t smooth sailing the entire way, as shown by the fact that Pastrana broke his foot at the second ever MotoX Freestyle event when he made a failed attempt to perform a backflip on his motorcycle. For that matter, Pastrana wasn’t actually able to compete at the fourth ever MotoX Freestyle event, which can be blamed on a separate injury. However, it is important to note that Pastrana let none of this hinder him, seeing as how he went on to continue winning while also branching out into more and more events as well as more and more motorsports. By this point in time, Pastrana has competed in everything from Nascar to motocross, which isn’t even counting how his father’s Puerto Rican descent has enabled him to compete for said territory in international competitions.
Besides his numerous victories in numerous competitions, Pastrana has performed a number of stunts that have brought him more renown in the eyes of those who pay close attention to motorsports. For example, there was the time when he jumped out of an airplane without a parachute, which required him to meet another jumper in midair, latch himself into a harness, and then make a successful tandem landing with the other individual. Likewise, there was the time when he cleared three jumps in Las Vegas that were meant to pay tribute to the legendary Evel Knievel, which involved 52 cars, 16 buses, and the foundation at Caesar’s Palace. The last jump was particularly notable because it was a jump that Knievel had failed to clear with serious injuries to himself in 1967, which speaks volumes about just how far Pastrana had come considering that Knievel was his childhood hero.
With that said, while Pastrana’s achievements are more than capable of speaking for themselves, he has an excellent sense for dealing with the media, which has raised his profile even further. This can be seen in the fact that he had his own show called Nitro Circus, which inspired further projects. However, it is also important to point out the fact that his story has been covered in a documentary as well as his other appearances in a wide range of other media projects over the years. Together, these appearances have done their part for his profile, meaning that some of his legendary status can be attributed to them.
Final Thoughts
Currently, Pastrana remains very much active in motorsports. For proof, look no further than the fact that he competed in the famous Race to the Clouds in Colorado in 2018. Furthermore, it should be mentioned that he made the three jumps in honor of Evel Knievel in 2018 as well, which should make it very clear that he isn’t done with pulling off incredible stunts. Due to this, it seems probable that Pastrana’s reputation will continue to grow in the time to come, particularly since he seems to be just as successful now as he was in the past. Simply put, there is one surer way to attract interest than winning a victory, which would be winning many victories in many competitions.
You can also read: