Travis Pastrana Praises Drivers After Sensational Daytona 500 Debut
When it comes to racing at Daytona, the fastest car doesn't always win. The key is all about surviving and just making it to the finish line. While this may have been his first Cup Series race, surviving is what Travis Pastrana does best. The X-Games star was one of the marquee names vying for a starting spot in the Great American Race, and he made it into the show on qualifying speed.
Race day is a completely different animal, something that Pastrana heard all week long. He is used to being in situations where he has to adjust and learn on the fly, which aided him to a spectacular 11th place finish on Sunday for 23XI Racing.
The only Toyota driver that finished better than Pastrana was Christopher Bell, whom he was working with at the end of the race. "I know how to drive a car, so I just had to drive. No expectations. Let’s see how far we can get up. I really wanted to give my teammate (Bell) more help, but we still made a pretty good run coming across the white flag. It’s tough just because you can’t really see what’s going on in front of you so when the two cars in front of you connect, they really take off quick."
Despite getting a penalty during his first pit stop, Pastrana did manage to lead a couple laps, although it might not have been by design. "I led a lap, but it was by mistake. They said, ‘Come in, no stay out.’ I’m like, ‘I’m already out.’ I led a lap at the Daytona 500 and finished top-11. It was a win, and it was awesome. Just to be in the top-ten on that last restart exceeded all of my expectations."
Having done some wild and incredible things as an athlete in his younger days, Pastrana was blown away by everything that he endured during the week. He accomplished what he set out to do, and found an even greater respect for what these drivers do each weekend.
"These are the best drivers in the world. I’m not a great rear-wheel driver, I’m not a great pavement driver. Restrictor plate racing is a little different. We had a great team and it was an honor to be on the track with these guys. Even as excited as I am right now, I might sleep for the next week. I am mentally and physically completely drained."
The result was quite impressive, especially when you consider all of the variables at play. Pastrana started at the very back of the field in 40th position, served a penalty, and still finished 11th. All of this "first time" stuff came on the heels of an intense week of racing on dirt at Volusia and the Truck race on Friday night. The 39-year old certainly has nothing to be ashamed of.
"This was one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done. This was one of the greatest if not the greatest weeks or couple of weeks of my life." For someone like Pastrana to utter those words really encapsulates the respect he has for these drivers.
