Travis Pastrana will compete on February 13th in the Fresh From Florida 250 of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Daytona International Speedway, marking his first stock car race since February 2023 when he participated in both the Truck Series and the Daytona 500. Pastrana will drive the #42 Chevrolet for Niece Motorsports.
The choice of Daytona makes perfect sense, as it's where he achieved his best Truck Series finish, coming in 13th in a rain-shortened 2023 race. That same weekend, he also raced in the Daytona 500 with 23XI Racing, finishing 11th in his only Cup Series start to date.
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Pastrana entered NASCAR in 2012 with RAB Racing in what was then the Nationwide Series, which led to Roush Fenway Racing offering him a full-time ride for 2013. That year, he completed 33 races, earning a pole position at Talladega and a best finish of 6th place, numbers that didn't justify continuing. At season's end, he announced his departure from NASCAR due to a lack of sponsorship and insufficient results, though he also admitted the grueling schedule consumed too much time he preferred to dedicate to his family.
He made it clear he would return when it made sense, and that's exactly what he's done. In the 11 years since, he has maintained a minimal presence with six Truck Series races and one Cup Series appearance, never seeking a permanent seat or returning to the series where he competed full-time.
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Outside of NASCAR, Pastrana built a career in rally and rallycross, winning the American Rally Association championship in 2017 and the inaugural Nitro Rallycross title in 2021. He also maintained activity in extreme sports, accumulating 11 X Games gold medals, developed Pastranaland in Maryland, and produces regular content for digital platforms.
His relationship with Niece Motorsports began in 2020, and since then, four of Pastrana's six Truck Series races have been with this team. The connection stems from team CEO Cody Efaw, who worked at Roush Fenway when Pastrana competed full-time in 2013.
Upcoming Races
Drivers Standings 2026
| POS | PILOTO | PTS | ↕ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chandler Smith | 152 | |
| 2 | Ben Rhodes | 118 | arrow_up1 |
| 3 | Ty Majeski | 102 | arrow_up1 |
| 4 | Gio Ruggiero | 98 | arrow_down2 |
| 5 | Layne Riggs | 96 | arrow_up18 |
| 6 | Kaden Honeycutt | 87 | arrow_up1 |
| 7 | Andres Perez | 85 | arrow_up1 |
| 8 | Stewart Friesen | 70 | arrow_down3 |
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