Pastrana Will Be Out Of The Driver’s Seat While He Recovers From Knee Surgery.
Travis Pastrana, renowned Nitrocross founder and driver, will be absent from the upcoming round of the Nitrocross season as he undergoes knee replacement surgery. This procedure comes ahead of the Calgary round on February 3-4, the only snow and ice event in the series and the sole event outside the United States. However, Pastrana is expected to make a comeback for the season finale in Las Vegas at the beginning of March.
Expressing his disappointment, Pastrana shared, “There’s nothing better than ripping a 1000 horsepower machine with huge studs around the ice, but unfortunately, my knee finally gave out from a lifetime of fun, and I made the decision to get it replaced." He remains optimistic about returning stronger than ever for the next Nitrocross season.
This will be the second consecutive round that Pastrana will miss in the headline Group E class. Previously, he stepped aside for Lia Block during the doubleheader event at Glen Helen Raceway in December. Additionally, there were plans for him to sit out one of the two rounds in Utah to allow YouTuber and occasional Stadium Super Trucks racer Cleetus McFarland to participate. However, series organizers halted this plan due to concerns about McFarland’s lack of experience.
Despite missing the upcoming Nitrocross event, Pastrana’s absence is not expected to affect his plans for stage rally competitions with Subaru Motorsports USA, led by Vermont SportsCar. Pastrana, a six-time Nitrocross event winner and the 2021 series champion, will join the team for the Sno*Drift event in Atlanta, Michigan on February 9-10, alongside co-driver Rhianon Gelsomino. The team will also feature Brandon Semenuk and Keaton Williams in their new WRX Open class cars.
In other news, Oliver Bennett will make a return to the field in Calgary after missing the last two events due to a back injury. His XITE Energy Racing team will enter a single car for the British driver, following their participation of Kris Meeke and Tanner Foust in the team’s second car during the initial two events of the season.
