Thrill-Seeker Travis Pastrana Out to Cross Daytona 500 off Bucket List

• Travis Pastrana will drive a Toyota fielded by 23XI Racing in his attempt to make the Feb. 19 Daytona 500.

• Pastrana, 39, drove a full season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2013, posting four top-10 finishes in 33 starts.

• He's set modest goals for his 2023 Daytona 500 effort.

A decade after Travis Pastrana recorded his only full-time season in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series the X Games gold medalist is returning to check off an item on his bucket list—the Daytona 500.

“This is a dream come true,” Pastrana said Tuesday about his opportunity. “This has been on my bucket list for a long time. This is bigger than anything I have done."

Pastrana will drive a Toyota fielded by 23XI Racing team owned by Denny Hamlin and Michael Jordan in his attempt to make the Feb. 19 event’s 40-car field. Thirty-six charter drivers are guaranteed a position in the race with the other four spots filled by drivers with non-charter teams.

“My first time ever in the car is going to be qualifying since you don’t get any practice this year,” Pastrana said.

Pastrana, who is known more for his X Games, motocross, rallycross, Gymkhana videos and Nitro Circus exploits than for his 2013 full-time Xfinity Series season (four top-10s in 33 starts), devoted a couple of hours to the simulator last week. He expects to spend another three hours on the simulator the week before heading to Daytona. Pastrana also received coaching from NASCAR champion Kurt Busch who emphasized that he needed to limit his mistakes.