Travis Pastrana leaving Subaru Rally Team, joining NASCAR and Michael Waltrip Racing
 

Travis Pastrana signs with Michael Waltrip Racing

Extreme motorsports athlete Travis Pastrana is coming to NASCAR.

The motocross, X-Games champion, rally winner and stunt driver will make the official announcement Thursday that he will compete in the NASCAR Nationwide Series for Michael Waltrip Racing.

Pastrana briefly leaked out a photo on his Twitter account Wednesday that showed him sitting next to his NASCAR ride, with the rear quarter panel that features a caricature of Pastrana asking, "When do I get to backflip this thing?”

His publicist also confirmed that the announcement would come on Thursday.

Pastrana is best known as a featured performer on MTV’s Nitro Circus a spinoff of the popular Jackass series which features wild stunts.

On January 1, of this year Pastrana established a new world record for a ramp-to-ramp car jump. He jumped his rally car off the Pine Street Pier in Long Beach California onto a floating barge anchored in the harbor a distance of 269 feet, shattering the old mark of 171 feet.

http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/def...22/d7/TP_0.jpg

story can be found at: http://www.examiner.com/nascar-in-na...waltrip-racing

Interesting could be the next Danica Patrick. Hopefully this works out well for him.

Another article with more info about Pastrana leaving Subaru:

Travis Pastrana leaves Subaru Racing Team USA, eyes NASCAR
Motocross and extreme-sports legend Travis Pastrana has left the Subaru Rally Team USA, Subaru of America announced on Wednesday.
According to Subaru, Rally America champion Pastrana is looking for new adventures and agreed with Subaru that it is time to move on, according to a company spokesman.
"Travis brought rally to a whole new audience through the rally championship and, of course, through his spectacular appearances at X Games,” said Tim Mahoney, chief marketing officer of Subaru of America. “We wholeheartedly thank him for his outstanding performances with Subaru Rally Team USA and wish him well in his future endeavors."
During his time with SRT USA, Pastrana won four consecutive Rally America National Championship titles between 2006 and 2009. He also won more than 150 stages, made 40 podium appearances and won 22 rallies.
Pastrana also won two gold, one silver and one bronze medal in the ESPN X Games rally competitions.
Dave Mirra will continue to drive for Subaru Rally Team USA. The team is looking for a replacement for Pastrana.
Pastrana has not officially released any information about his future racing career, but he did hint recently about racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series with Michael Waltrip Racing during an interview on the Speed Freaks radio program.

http://autoweek.com/storyimage/CW/20...ef=AR&maxW=400

story can be found at: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20101110/WRC/101119988

Step down for him IMO.

He's done everything else, why not?

Yea going from a very small motorsport to one of the biggest in the world is such a step down.

This seems like a money decision to me. Realistically, he would make a ton more for driving a NASCAR than in rally. I kind of seeing a natural progression from this to something like F1 where there is a really large world stage. (All my random assumptions/logic)

He doesn't have the skill for f1 that is where the elite dudes go.

its all about money if not the man seems like he wants to try any and everything he can get his hands on.

Whoop didn't see that one coming! :roll:

Whether you like NASCAR or not, you can't deny that it's a good move from a career/money aspect.

Just saying NASCAR is huge despite what people think of it you can't use a product they don't advertise, it all about marketing and trying to broaden their fan base.

Definitely agree here, I guarantee he's making tons more money and it's a better thing to list on his career etc.

Just saying his name will probably drop off of the face of the earth to me. I enjoyed watching his rally events and his stunts, but I really have no interest in NASCAR whatsoever.

this is what happens when your semi-wealthy and have super ADD. But a smart move otherwise. NASCAR may be more boring for him, but he'll be swimming in money.

Wow. I guess he's done all sorts of other stuff, so why not? If I had the opportunity to try all kinds of different motorsports as a career you bet your ass I would.

Change is good and I'm sure he wants to master another form of racing for the experience... I happen to think watching nascar is booring as hell, but I'd imagine you cant say the same for racing in it... Perhaps this will give the rednecks a new hero haha...

you guys dog on nascar like doing ~200 with 40+ other cars is a cakewalk. good for travis, sucks for subaru and the rest of the rally world.

lol dont get me wrong travis pastrana has tons of talent and everything but i dont think he could hang in F1. would be pretty cool though.

minus the whole penis thing....oh and the fact that's he's actually accomplished things in racing already :lol:

I agree...he's a good dude and I actually think he'll do well....for a long time? probably not with his ADD for different extreme stuff...but we'll see...

So much fail. But I get why, more money....less effort and skill required