Travis Pastrana has had a lot of time to think over the last few weeks as he recovers from a broken ankle that he suffered during the 2011 X Games. When his foot is healed, where will he ride? Pastrana announced today that he plans to concentrate his racing talent on NASCAR once his ankle is better.
Pastrana injured himself while trying to do land a 720 Toilet Paper Roll at this year's X Games. The injury left Pastrana without an X Games medal. It also missed the stunt biker to miss his NASCAR debut.
"That's something I've been trying for four years now, that trick. I definitely choked on it," Pastrana said. "It's a disappointment to me, and a disappointment to the team that I'm not out here driving the cars.
"But it's been interesting as it's been healing up -- to say, 'OK, where do you want to go? What do you want to do?' I'd rather focus on this, and what I need to do to succeed in this sport more so than to make a legacy, or whatever you call it, in that sport. I've accomplished what I want to do there. Yes, I'd like to land that trick on dirt, but maybe not in a competition format. Maybe on your own terms."
Pastrana was scheduled to race 7 races during the NASCAR season this year, but he'll debut will have to wait until 2012. Pastrana says that he hopes to make his debut in Phoenix during the second week of the 2012 season. Pastrana said that he's still a few weeks away from walking, but as soon as he can get in a car he'll start training for his NASCAR debut.
"I crushed it pretty bad. It's really disappointing. I've had a lot of injuries, but this is only my second one that I haven't been able to be competing with. It's such a small area, it's taking a long time. I start walking next month, and hopefully get in the car by December.
"We just don't want to rush it coming back and accidentally hurt anything... By next year, no problem. But as soon as I can get in the car, I want to do as many laps as possible."
