Motion sports activities icon Travis Pastrana is speaking with a reporter on the Daytona Worldwide Speedway media middle on Wednesday afternoon when his eyes dart to a man in a blue hearth go well with strolling his manner.

“Jimmie!” Pastrana, 39, says as the person approaches.

“Travis. You made it,” seven-time NASCAR Dash Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, 47, replies. He smiles vast and pulls Pastrana in for a hug. The 2 males, one a rookie, the opposite an ideal, are right here with the identical aim: to qualify for Sunday’s sixty fifth working of the Daytona 500.

Johnson and Pastrana are two of six drivers hoping to race their manner into the 40-car subject. 4 will make the grid: two on Wednesday night time and two on Thursday. Regardless of their pedigrees, qualifying will not be a given for both of them.

Pastrana is returning to the game for the primary time after an inauspicious couple of years in NASCAR’s Xfinity collection in 2012-2013. He is by no means pushed the NextGen automobile NASCAR debuted final yr. Johnson, who retired from the game in 2020, is returning as a group proprietor of the rebranded Legacy Motor Membership with fellow seven-time champ Richard Petty. He is pushed the NextGen automobile as soon as, a couple of month in the past, however by no means on the banked turns of Daytona’s notorious tri-oval. There’s extra pleasure round this yr’s qualifying subject, which additionally contains IndyCar driver Conor Daly and present NASCAR Truck Sequence champion Zane Smith, than maybe ever earlier than.

“That is actually an honor, man,” Pastrana says. He is wearing a gray-and-white-flannel hearth go well with and black hat. “That is too enjoyable.”

A media scrum gathers to look at their reunion. It has been a couple of years because the two males have been in the identical place, and with their jam-packed schedules this week, they do not know if they will have a possibility for a non-public second. In order that they ask about one another’s wives and daughters. “If I qualify, they get right here Sunday,” Pastrana says. “My ladies have a cheerleading competitors Saturday night time.” Johnson says his household arrives a day earlier. “Evie has a horse competitors in Tampa on Friday,” he says.

“Are Jimmie and Travis associates?” one journalist asks the group. They shrug. “That might be cool.”

It will be greater than cool. It will be the setup for the best motorsports buddy movie of all time. Neglect Cal Naughton Jr. and Ricky Bobby in “Talladega Nights.” Pastrana, a motocross racer turned freestyle star turned rally champion, and Johnson, a motocross and truck racer turned inventory automobile driver with 83 wins in NASCAR’s Dash Cup collection, each trying to qualify for Daytona could be half street film, half motion bromance, with a 20-year friendship at its core. Name it “Daytona Days,” the sort of film that is laced with humor, battle, the self-discovery that arises from loss and failure and two of the best American motorsports athletes trying to qualify for the Nice American Race.

That story may learn one thing like this:

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EXT. STADE DE FRANCE, PARIS — DAY (FLASHBACK)

The primary time Johnson and Pastrana actually get to know one another is after they signal on to characterize Group USA on the 2006 Race of Champions, a global occasion that pits drivers from varied disciplines in head-to-head racing. Johnson is intrigued by his teammate, however he is not sure Pastrana has the driving expertise or persistence to assist him convey house his second win. “I felt like we had a great probability, however I additionally felt just like the man was in full ‘send-it mode’ on a regular basis,” Johnson says. “We have been both going to win or it was going to be one thing all people talked about for years to come back.”

However every week earlier than the race, Johnson calls Pastrana with dangerous information: He broke his left wrist. He’d received his first Dash Cup championship every week earlier and after 5 days of sponsor and media necessities, he was able to rejoice. He flew to Florida to play in a buddy’s charity golf match and the ingesting began on the flight down. It continued on the course till round 2 p.m., when Johnson climbed on high of his golf cart whereas a buddy drove, maybe too quick, and took a pointy flip. He fell. “I used to be so embarrassed that I could not stick the touchdown browsing a golf cart,” Johnson says. “I hung TP out to dry.”

When efforts to switch Johnson fail, Pastrana will get permission to race the occasion solo, the one driver ever to take action. Johnson reshuffles his priorities to change into Group USA’s head cheerleader and, “ensure we threw the perfect events,” he says.

4 thousand miles from house and with few commitments exterior of the races, the boys start to understand they’re extra alike than they thought. Like how, at 4, they each obtained their first filth bikes: a purple and white Yamaha PW 50 for Pastrana and a 1979 yellow Yamaha JR50 for Johnson. Or their modest, blue-collar beginnings and the way they every raced trophy vehicles within the Baja 1000 however crashed out in spectacular style.

Pastrana had been a fan of Johnson’s for so long as he may keep in mind. Johnson, like so many motocross followers, as soon as believed Pastrana, a champion by age 16, was destined to be the following nice Supercross star. “Then I began listening to about his freestyle motocross curiosity and the internal racer in me was like, ‘What is that this man doing?'” Johnson says. “He is purported to be the best expertise the game’s seen. I wasn’t a hater. I simply did not get it.”

In Paris, Johnson begins to know. He is speaking to Pastrana about ways throughout a break between races when a monitor official interrupts. “He says, ‘Travis, you are up,'” Johnson says. He turns to see the monitor crew has arrange a steel ramp on the ground of the world. Along with racing each spherical, Pastrana can also be the leisure.

Pastrana jumps on his bike, hits the ramp and does a backflip. He comes again, hops off and picks up the dialog with Johnson proper the place he left it. “I watched him change from goofy Travis to the man who can go and nail one thing that may kill him, again to goofy Travis. I might be s—-ing my pants worrying about that backflip. On high of it, he needed to focus and race once more. His mind works so in another way.”

Over two days of racing, Johnson sees Pastrana as a pupil and competitor. Nobody considers him to be a risk. However he takes Group USA all the way in which to the ultimate, the place he finishes second to the Finnish group. Johnson loses his voice cheering from the stands. Whereas he watches, it sinks in why a rider with Pastrana’s expertise would stroll away from racing full-time. The man he watched land a backflip in the course of a two-day automobile race would by no means be completely happy buckled down by one sport.

“After I obtained to know Travis and actually perceive his DNA, I noticed he was destined to be a freestyle, showman-type individual his complete life,” Johnson says. “He wasn’t a racer who stop. He was a showman who was making an attempt to make it work in racing.”

On the bar and group events, Pastrana sees Johnson as greater than the buttoned-up phenom who at all times says and does the appropriate issues. “It was actually cool to have my hero cheering me on,” Pastrana says. “I obtained to see that Jimmie’s a lot enjoyable. From that time, we grew to become good associates and had mutual respect.” He noticed No. 48 let his hair down, however solely behind closed doorways.

“I stunned Travis with how relaxed I might be and the way a lot enjoyable I may have. However due to my journey, I could not try this publicly,” Johnson says. “In motorsport, we’re so involved about chasing the company greenback, self-promotion, taking the excessive street. However that got here at a value. Travis is likely one of the early thinkers who was listening to his coronary heart and mentioned, ‘That is not my lane.'”

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INT. DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY — WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15, 3:30 P.M.

Pastrana steps onto a purple carpet lined with broadcast cameras as rows of journalists increase their tripods to accommodate his top. At 6-foot-2, he is likely one of the tallest drivers within the subject. At every cease, they ask three essential questions:

Why Daytona? Why now? Are you able to make Sunday’s race?

Pastrana solutions with constant particulars and ranging levels of aptitude. When he drops into storytelling mode, he doesn’t use an inside voice. He strikes as if every reminiscence is saved in a unique a part of his physique and a jolt of an elbow or a nod of his head may knock it unfastened and ship it careening out of his mouth. “I grew up watching the five hundred with my household,” he says. “It was a vacation in my home. Racing the five hundred is a bucket-list merchandise. It is my childhood dream.”

However he does not have to do that, set himself up for public failure by returning to a sport the general public watched him fail at a decade in the past. However Pastrana will not be in Daytona to show something to anybody. He is right here for a similar purpose he wished to land the primary double backflip on a mud bike when nobody believed it was doable: as a result of he believes he can. As a result of he would by no means forgive himself if he did not attempt. As a result of this may be his finest and solely probability.

Over the previous few years, Pastrana’s had extra seat time and success than ever in his driving profession. He is gotten higher on pavement, has sponsors who’re keen to help his dream and is prepared for the chance. And there is one thing else pulling him towards this second: the life he desires after it. “My greatest focus after Daytona is to be the perfect dad and husband I can,” he says. “And that is going to take me stepping again from not less than a few of the racing I have been doing.”

Final yr, Pastrana suffered one of many worst accidents and two of the hardest losses of his life. In September, his longtime buddy Ron Meredith died after a crash at a motocross monitor. 4 months later, Ken Block, his shut buddy, mentor and rally competitor, died in a snowmobile accident. “A lot of what I can do is as a result of Ken constructed a sport round having enjoyable sliding automobiles,” Pastrana says. “When he and Ron died, I noticed life is fragile. I really like every thing I do, however I have to spend time with my youngsters as a result of tomorrow’s not assured.”

As for his objectives with 23XI, the Michael Jordan-owned group that is giving him this chance, “First, my aim is to qualify. That is a win,” Pastrana says on the purple carpet. “That is the one occasion I’ve ever entered with out the expectation to win. I wish to be a part of Sunday’s grid, race confidently and good, get to the top of the race and never trigger drama on the monitor.”

“Oh no. Did I hear Pastrana say, ‘drama?'” NASCAR champ Brad Keselowski says from the opposite finish of the carpet, loud sufficient for the room to listen to.

“I mentioned, ‘NO drama,'” Pastrana says.

A couple of minutes later, Pastrana walks by Johnson, who’s giving a stay TV interview. “It is surreal to say the least,” Johnson says of his return to NASCAR. He speaks with the calm, measured focus and precision of a politician, pausing on key moments to permit the listener area to really feel their impression or chortle at a well-timed joke. The announcers lean in to listen to him. “Simply while you guys thought you have been going to eliminate me,” he says, “I am again.”

Off-camera, Pastrana catches Johnson’s eye and begins leaping up and down, waving his arms, making faces, making an attempt to get him to interrupt.

However like every nice NASCAR driver, Johnson hardly ever breaks.

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INT. PASTRANA’S HOUSE — NIGHT (FLASHBACK)

Pastrana has gathered an A-list crew of motion and motorsports stars at his house for a weekend of debauchery he dubs the “Nitrothon.” Two-man groups of NASCAR, IndyCar, Monster Truck and motion sports activities athletes are competing for bragging rights in go-kart driving, truck racing and, after all, ingesting. “Individuals are flipping automobiles, leaping rental automobiles into the froth pit,” Pastrana says. “It was the rowdiest occasion ever.”

Johnson is amidst an unprecedented 5 in a row Cup Sequence championship run, in the course of NASCAR’s 2008 playoffs, and his schedule this weekend is tight. He has lower than 24 hours between testing and a TV look in New York Metropolis. Nobody actually believes he’ll present. Nobody however Pastrana, that’s.

Johnson is a day late to the occasion when he arrives at Fuji, a Japanese steakhouse not removed from Pastrana’s house in Davidsonville, Maryland. “I stroll into the restaurant, and the blokes inform me to shut my eyes and open my mouth,” Johnson says. “They put an raw egg in my mouth and advised me I needed to eat it.” He does.

After dinner, the group returns to Pastrana’s home for the “Barstool Olympics,” a triple crown of beer pong, foosball and the arcade recreation Huge Buck Hunter. Pastrana loves the sport a lot he labored a match into his bachelor occasion and competed within the Huge Buck Hunter World Championship in Chicago, the place he completed eighth. “There have been additionally bonus factors for the group that stayed up the most recent,” says Johnson, whose flight to New York leaves at 5 a.m.

Proper on script, the competitors comes down to 2: Group NASCAR vs. Group X Video games. “I beat Travis in a heads-up shootout on Huge Buck Hunter and he loses his thoughts,” Johnson says.

“It was one of the devastating moments of my life,” Pastrana says. Win secured, Johnson heads to his lodge for a couple of hours of sleep earlier than his flight to New York Metropolis. Proper?

“No manner. Now we’re going for the bonus factors,” he says. “And guys are dropping like flies. Travis talked an enormous recreation, however I’ve observed he isn’t the strongest within the ingesting division.”

Certain sufficient, round 2 a.m., Johnson realizes Pastrana has disappeared.

He gathers a couple of of the blokes they usually embark on one other spherical of Huge Buck Hunter, solely this time, Pastrana is the hunted. They discover a sledgehammer, a leaf blower and a pair of boxing gloves within the storage and return to the home. However Pastrana has locked his bed room door.

One man sledgehammers the door open, one other blows the comforter off Pastrana. Johnson places on the boxing glove. When Pastrana sits up?

“I punch him within the face,” Johnson says.

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EXT. DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY — WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15, 6:30 P.M.

Two hours earlier than qualifying, Johnson is again at his bus enjoyable and getting centered, having fun with a uncommon quiet second alone. Pastrana is strolling the monitor’s entrance stretch, the one driver to take action. Perhaps it is his motocross and rally background. “Monitor walks aren’t actually a factor in NASCAR,” Johnson says. Pastrana desires to face on the monitor, really feel its steep curves and discover a visible cue for his flip in level for pit lane.

“See that yellow Sunoco signal?” he asks. “If I am behind different automobiles, there may be tire smoke, the solar may be setting and I can not see the yellow line. I do know that signal is 20 yards in entrance of the dedication line, so if I do not see my lights by then, I do know I am going too quick or too gradual. It offers me a reference.” He is solely pushed the No. 67 automobile on this monitor in an iRacing simulator.

He stops, appears to be like again towards the 31-degree financial institution of Flip 4. “You see the place the financial institution drops down?” he says. “Proper the place that final line is, you are going to begin to get tight, so you must flip slightly sharper earlier than the white line, particularly in case you’re three vast and heaven forbid, 4 vast on Sunday. I’ll shorten that up, run the place my tires are on that white line.”

He realizes he is already speaking about Sunday. “I’ve to get there first,” he says.

Pastrana’s had opposing experiences this week. Most drivers have been supportive, providing their time and tips on driving this monitor. Many followers have advised him they’re thrilled he is right here, bringing new vitality, new sponsors and new supporters.

Then there’s the Twitter trolls. “I do know not everybody understands why I am right here or is aware of my background,” Pastrana says. “They only see me as a TV star and stuntman.” They do not see the scholar who sat alone exterior of his RV this morning studying the practically 200-page doc Toyota supplied to him on drafting strategies — for the second time. Or know that he is self-funding any of the harm he causes to the automobile. (Or the truck. He is additionally racing NASCAR’s Truck Sequence race on Friday.)

“He may have mentioned, ‘I wish to attempt to qualify and race the five hundred to examine a field,'” 23XI president Steve Lauletta says. “It is the farthest from that with him. He got here to the store 4 instances to check, drive the simulator. He labored exhausting to be ready to provide it his finest shot. What we’re making an attempt to do is totally different and to have anyone who’s been as modern in his profession as Travis has, it has been a great match.

“And sure, after all, Michael is aware of who Travis is,” Lauletta says of Jordan. “Everyone is aware of who he’s.”

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INT./EXT. AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY — NIGHT (FLASHBACK)

Pastrana is on his first date along with his future spouse, skateboard star Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins, when he asks Johnson a query that is been burning a gap in his mind.

They’re on the 2009 Pepsi 500 in Fontana, California, at Johnson’s invitation. When he wins, Johnson invitations them again to his new rig to rejoice along with his spouse and group. “We have been already a couple of drinks in,” Pastrana says.

“I keep in mind he was making an attempt to shotgun beers, poking the outlet along with his thumb,” Johnson says. “I did not need my carpet smelling like beer or for him to bleed out in my new bus. I used to be like, ‘Dude, let’s go exterior.'”

Outdoors and free to thumb-punch as many beers as he desires, Pastrana decides that is his probability. He has this dream he is been desirous about without end, however saying it out loud means committing to it.

“What wouldn’t it take to race the Daytona 500?” he asks Johnson.

The 2 males sit down. Pastrana sobers up instantly.

“He mentioned, ‘You most likely have the driving ability proper now,'” Pastrana says. “He broke down what NASCAR was and what it could take to achieve success.”

“I keep in mind the dialog,” Johnson says. “Daytona is its personal animal. I advised him the dedication it takes to run three-cars vast within the massive pack at 200 miles an hour is a no brainer for him. I felt like it could be an ideal expertise and one which he may develop into and have an ideal displaying come race day.”

“It was a reasonably good heart-to-heart,” Pastrana says. “I do not know if he knew it on the time, however that dialog set every thing into movement.”

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EXT. PIT LANE — WEDNESDAY, FEB. 16, 8:15 P.M.

Johnson’s and Pastrana’s groups push their automobiles into place on the monitor quarter-hour earlier than qualifying begins. A fortunate draw sees them subsequent to one another in line. Johnson appears to be like calm as he talks along with his crew chief and poses for pictures. Pastrana appears to be like like a tall ball of nervous vitality. They stroll towards one another and meet within the center.

“Jimmie, inform me the reality,” Pastrana says. “Am I simply going to spin out within the first nook and appear to be an fool?” Pastrana is making an attempt to determine what to do about his steering wheel. He is tall and the automobile’s body is tight, so he selected to make use of a 13-inch wheel, which permits more room for his lengthy legs and arms. He is heard from older drivers that 15- and 17-inch wheels are smoother. The youthful drivers have fast fingers and use 13s. However he desires to be clean. He is anxious he made the unsuitable name.

“You will be advantageous for qualifying,” Johnson says. “Do not give it some thought proper now. Don’t worry about it. However after you qualify, get an even bigger wheel for Sunday.”

In Daytona, Johnson and Pastrana are rivals. However that does not cease Johnson from wanting to assist his buddy. His racing objectives have advanced, too. Rising Legacy Racing Membership is his new problem. He’s additionally committing to fewer races, however he is aware of how a lot he will help his group, on and off the monitor, by making Sunday’s race. Turning into a group proprietor, he hopes, will permit him a constant schedule and, “to be extra in sync with my household,” Johnson says.

“Travis has been such an ideal buddy through the years and I understand how a lot this implies to him,” he says. “There is a feel-good vitality that comes with having him right here. As I grow old, significant moments have much more weight to them and our friendship is making the five hundred actually particular.”

They return to their automobiles, pull on their helmets and climb in.

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EXT. NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY — DAY (FLASHBACK)

Pastrana and Johnson sit on the wall at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Louden. Pastrana is between heats at a 2012 International RallyCross race he’ll ultimately win, and Johnson is drawing on the white speedway wall like Steve Kornacki breaking down NFL playoff situations.

“At Louden, he was asking me the right way to run the road as a result of it is an actual slender candy spot,” Johnson says. “I pulled out a Sharpie and was displaying him the road and explaining sure flip in marks. I used to be so completely happy to have him round.”

NASCAR can also be on the town. After Johnson advised him he had what it takes to race the Daytona 500, Pastrana put collectively a program that will permit him to provide his NASCAR ambitions a try to later within the day, he’ll line up for his fifth race within the Xfinity collection. Johnson will contest the Cup race the following day.

All through the season, Pastrana leans on Johnson for tactical recommendation and assist navigating his new sport.

“I keep in mind having intense conversations with Travis round driving method at varied tracks that yr,” Johnson says.

Earlier than Pastrana’s debut within the collection, Johnson even movies a video spoofing his position as Pastrana’s NASCAR mentor. In it, he dons a mullet wig and teaches Pastrana the “5 steps to turning into a NASCAR champion.” On the finish, he picks up gardening shears and provides Pastrana an identical haircut.

NASCAR proves a steep studying curve for Pastrana. He has some success in his two seasons, together with 4 top-10 finishes in 2013 and a pole at Talladega, however he’s additionally largely funding his efforts. He turns into a dad that season and begins to weigh his NASCAR goals in opposition to his daughter’s school fund. He by no means wins a race and leaves the game after 2013. “NASCAR chewed me up and spit me out,” Pastrana says. Johnson sees it in another way.

“I advised Travis early on, ‘Discover a state of affairs the place you possibly can have 5 years to be taught,'” Johnson says. “I do know that is an enormous ask of a group and a sponsor. However it took me 5 years to know the tracks, the automobiles, the setups, the place the candy spot is of a automobile, the right way to drive it. I suggested him to not front-load his contract with expectations. The extra races he ran, the higher he obtained. I want he had an opportunity to make it to that five-year mark as a result of I believe he may have had his NASCAR dream come true.”

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EXT. PIT LANE — WEDNESDAY, FEB. 16, 8:45 P.M.

“No. 48! Jimmie Johnson!” On cue, Johnson peels out of pit street. When Johnson crosses the end, he’s the quickest driver of the Open groups, with solely Pastrana and Chevy’s Austin Hill, who races full-time within the Xfinity Sequence and part-time within the Cup, to go.

The 2 quickest Open groups will qualify tonight on pace. Johnson’s uncertain if his time will maintain up. It did not really feel like he obtained every thing out of the automobile. When Pastrana crosses, he hears he is .008 behind Johnson’s time, which suggests Johnson has certified for Sunday’s race. Pastrana does not imagine his time is nice sufficient to carry off Hill.

“Wow. Going round a nook at 180 mph with no suspension and your tooth chattering, you do not really feel that within the simulator,” Pastrana says after his lap. “However I shifted up early from second to 3rd. I double pulled on the again stretch as a result of I did not let off sufficient to shift. I went three-feet vast on that exit off flip 4. All of that provides as much as a automobile size and a half, so I did not suppose it was sufficient.”

However it’s. In opposition to all odds, Johnson and Pastrana are the 2 quickest of the Open groups. They’ve each certified for the 2023 Daytona 500.

Johnson later admits to feeling relieved, however within the second the two-time Daytona champion seems cool. Pastrana leaps from his automobile along with his widest smile of the weekend. He hugs everybody inside attain who will let him. Group members, photographers, monitor officers.

After many, many interviews, he runs towards pit lane and jumps the wall, the place his household and associates are gathered. There’s his dad, Robert, who taught him to trip a mud bike and drive absolutely anything. “My cellphone was blowing up from family and friends who watched all of it on TV,” Robert says. “They mentioned they’ve by no means seen Travis look happier.” Lyn-Z agrees. “You might really feel his happiness by means of the pictures,” she says. There are the sponsors who believed in him and some associates from house. And there is Lucy Block and two of her three youngsters, Kira and Mika. When Pastrana sees them, his eyes fill with tears. “Thanks for being right here,” he says as he hugs Lucy.

“Ken would have been right here,” she says.

“He would have,” Pastrana says. “However he additionally would have advised me I am an fool for making an attempt to race a automobile I would by no means pushed.”

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INT. A FLORIDA HOSPITAL — DAY (FLASHBACK)

Sixteen years after Pastrana raced alone for Group USA, he and Johnson try once more on the 2022 Race of Champions in Pitea, Sweden. However this time, it is Pastrana who has dangerous information.

He broke his again and his hips and has in depth inner bleeding after a BASE leaping accident in Florida. “I used to be in intensive take care of every week,” Pastrana says. He’ll require the usage of a catheter for 4 months. “I used to be simply making an attempt to outlive.”

A day after the accident, he texts with Johnson. “He was excessive as a kite,” Johnson says. “Initially, I advised him I used to be simply grateful he was OK.” The 2 converse a pair instances earlier than Johnson flies to Sweden to group up with substitute driver Colton Herta. The races largely happen on snow and ice. Johnson and Herta, who each grew up in California, have little expertise on both. “Colton and I made a decision if we weren’t going to win on monitor, we have been going to win within the bar,” Johnson says. “We rattling close to received the entire thing on the monitor, and we additionally received within the bar.” As soon as once more, Group USA finishes second.

Johnson does not imagine that is the top of his Race of Champions story. “I really feel like my journey is incomplete,” he says, “and it’ll solely be full once I get to race it with TP.”

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INT. TRAVIS PASTRANA’S RV — FRIDAY, FEB. 17, 10 A.M.

Pastrana has simply returned from a morning exercise on the drivers’ gymnasium, the place, atop a spin bike and an elliptical machine, he and Johnson talked race ways for Sunday. Now he is having a espresso with Lyn-Z, who flew in final night time after teaching cheerleading observe.

Pastrana says he remembers the day in December when he came upon Johnson was returning to NASCAR and trying to qualify for Daytona as an Open group, making Pastrana’s probabilities slimmer than they already have been. “I texted him the center finger emoji,” Pastrana says, “and wrote, ‘f— you.’ He texted again three laughing faces.”

On the time, Pastrana noticed his buddy as a roadblock. This morning, 48 hours earlier than they take the inexperienced flag on the Daytona 500 collectively, Johnson’s return feels extra like a present. “We have by no means been in a race collectively,” Pastrana says. “To begin facet by facet with the seven-time champ and have an opportunity to run with him is extraordinarily useful for me.”

Final night time within the 60-lap duel races, Pastrana had his first probability to race the No. 67 in visitors. He performed it secure and hung close to the again, however he wasn’t in a position to keep away from a crash up entrance and suffered harm to his automobile. It will value him some cash. However it was a great reminder that, even while you play it secure, nothing is assured. Sunday night time after the race, he’ll drive along with his household to Orlando, Florida, the place his ladies have a cheer competitors subsequent week. Johnson will drive to Sebring for 2 days of testing for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, then fly house to Charlotte, North Carolina, and drive his daughters to high school.

“”We’re taking part in with home cash from right here. Each of us will savor the expertise,” Johnson says. “That second earlier than the inexperienced flag drops, we’re each going to soak it in the perfect we will.”