Travis Pastrana to make NASCAR return in Daytona Truck race

Travis Pastrana has a resume that is frankly too long to list here, with achievements spanning from 11 gold medals in the X-Games to jumping out of a plane without a parachute. He has proven to be a versatile competitor who is up for just about any challenge, and has enjoyed immense success in everything from supercross bikes to rally cars.

His thrilling career also took him to the world of NASCAR. He has 42 starts in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, running the full season back in 2013. A high point was a pole position at Talladega, while his finish came at Richmond where he placed ninth. 

His time in NASCAR also includes six starts in the Craftsman Truck Series, but also a start in the 65th running of the Daytona 500 in 2023. In his lone Cup start, Pastrana qualified for the race as an open car, and then drove the No. 67 23XI Racing entry inside the top ten on the final lap. Despite being involved in a race-ending crash, he still dragged the car home to an impressive 11th place finish.

Since then, Pastrana has been absent from the NASCAR grid, but that is about to change. It was announced on Tuesday that the 42-year-old will take part in the 2026 Truck Series season-opener at Daytona International Speedway, driving the No. 42 Chevrolet Silverado for Niece Motorsports. BRUNT Workwear will back the effort as Pastrana's primary sponsor.

He finished 13th in the 203 Truck Series race at Daytona with the same team, which was his best showing yet in the third level of NASCAR.

“I’m excited to get back on the track in Daytona with BRUNT Workwear and Niece Motorsports,” said Pastrana. “This is my first NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race since 2023, so it will be fun to get behind the wheel again and see what we can do. It’s great to work with BRUNT for the first time in NASCAR. They’ve been an amazing partner, getting behind all the good times and bad ideas we cook up at Pastranaland, and keeping myself and the Channel 199 crew safe and comfortable while we do it - expanding that partnership to the racetrack was a no-brainer and a great opportunity for all of us.”

The Daytona Truck race is becoming a must-seer event with NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart and former Daytona 500 winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. recently confirming plans to take part in the race.