Suzuki’s Travis Pastrana successfully (without injury, anyway) jumped off a ramp on his motocross bike into a 2000 foot gorge in Arizona today, completing a back flip on his bike before abandoning it and pulling the rip cord on his parachute. Pastrana floated to the ground safely (apparently, his Suzuki motocross bike didn’t fare quite as well).
With reports that Pastrana is eyeing a potential career in automobile rally racing, it becomes clearer and clearer that this kid is interested in a lot more than motocross/supercross racing.
Reportedly, Ripley’s Believe It Or Not was on hand to televise Pastrana’s jump. Pastrana is gaining more interest, and more outside-the-industry sponsorship than any motorcycle rider since Evel Knievel (did Knievel have outside-the-industry sponsorship? . . . at least he was well known).
With his many other interests (distractions?) it will be interesting to see how Pastrana fares as a full-time 250cc rider next year in the AMA Supercross and Outdoor National Motocross championships.
