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[/media-credit]TRAVIS PASTRANA
No. 99 BOOST MOBLIE TOYOTA
NASCAR K&N EAST SERIES AND NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES
Richmond International Raceway Preview
CORNELIUS, N.C. — When Travis Pastrana makes his much anticipated NASCAR Nationwide Series debut Friday night at Richmond International Raceway, he’ll have one goal in mind – finish on the lead lap.
The 11-time X Games gold medal winner expects to run in seven Nationwide Series races in 2012 with RAB Racing, who formed a Nationwide alliance with Michael Waltrip Racing this month.
The 28-year-old action sports star will also run in Thursday’s K&N Pro Series East race in Pastrana199’s No. 99 iRacing Toyota.
What are your goals for this your Nationwide Series Debut at Richmond? “That’s a really good question. Last year I was way too aggressive. I think for me I need to be really good on the restarts and qualifying. My goal is to be on the lead lap at the end of the race. If we can do that and not crash, it would set a lot of confidence for me going into Darlington. If I end up crashing in the first quarter of the race, A, I didn’t learn anything this race and B, all the critics that have been saying I’m going to crash out all the time are going to be right. I really hope I don’t hit a wall, don’t hit anybody else, don’t make anybody upset, and hopefully end up on the lead lap.”
NOTES OF INTEREST
· TV Coverage: Thursday night’s NASCAR K&N East Series race will air live on SPEED starting at 7 p.m. ET while the NASCAR Nationwide race will air Friday night live on ESPN2 starting at 7:30 p.m. ET.
· RAB Racing: Pastrana will race under the RAB Racing banner during the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series season. RAB Racing will change its current No. 09 number to the No. 99 starting this weekend.
· On Top Of the Pit Box: Mike Greci will serve as Pastrana’s crew chief during the NASCAR K&N Pro East Series race while Scott Zipadelli will serve as his crew chief in the Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway.
· RAB Racing at Richmond: RAB Racing has competed in five Nationwide Series events at Richmond since their inaugural year of competition in 2009. RAB Racing has three top-20 finishes, including a best showing of fifth in 2011.
· Stats: In seven NASCAR starts Pastrana has one top-10 and two top-15 finishes. He has a career-best finish of sixth at the Toyota All-Star Showdown in January 2011.
· Lights, Camera, Action: Pastrana’s Nitro Circus The Movie 3D is projected to be released this summer. There are plenty of NASCAR references in the movie. Pastrana199 Racing prepared the school bus that jumped more than 150 feet in the opening scenes. To watch the trailer: Click Here
· East Sponsor: iRacing will serve as Pastrana’s NASCAR K&N East Series sponsor this weekend at Richmond. The iRacing logo will also be on the side of his K&N Toyota as primary sponsor at Langley Speedway on June 23, Iowa Speedway on Aug. 3 and New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sept. 22.
