Travis Pastrana to Qualify for Daytona 500 with 23XI Racing

Racing legend Travis Pastrana will attempt to qualify for his first NASCAR Cup Series race next month at the Daytona 500. Pastrana will be looking to snag an open qualifying spot (one of four) in NASCAR's biggest race of the season, and his challenge will be behind the wheel of 23XI Racing's No. 67 Toyota Camry.

"Trying to qualify for one of the few spots left in the biggest race I've ever had the opportunity to compete in is no easy task," he said. But I'm confident that the 23XI team will have the right car for the show, and I truly believe I have the skills to do it."

Pastrana is a motorsports legend on both two and four wheels, having won supercross, motocross, and rally races. His resume includes 11 gold medals in moto and rally car competitions in the X Games. Pastrana also founded the Nitro Rallycross Series in 2018 and is the reigning series champion.

This is not Pastrana's first foray into stock car racing. Pastrana has competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series 42 times and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series five times, but has not competed in a NASCAR series since 2020.

"My first win in supercross was at Daytona when I was 16, and I qualified third at Daytona in the 2013 Xfinity Series," Pastrana said. That race didn't end well, but I was able to finish 10th, despite having to reverse across the infield grass at 180 mph to cross the finish line."

23XI Racing was founded in 2020 by NBA legend Michael Jordan and three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin. The team currently has two cars in the Cup Series, with Bubba Wallace driving the No. 23 Toyota Camry and Tyler Reddick driving the No. 45 Toyota Camry. [23XI Racing President Steve Lauletta said, "He is one of the most well-known and well-decorated action sports athletes and we look forward to helping him in his quest to compete in the Daytona 500."

Qualifying for the Daytona 500 begins on February 15, with the race scheduled for February 19 at 2:30 pm ET. Pastrana is trying to qualify for the race, and competition from non-chartered teams includes seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson.

This article, written by David P. Castro, originally appeared on ClassicCars.com, an editorial partner of Motor Authority.