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Florida MOTO News   Q & A Interview with Travis Pastrana!

Florida MOTO News LOGO   by Tracy Beck, Florida MOTO News                                                                                                                     Monday March 2, 2015

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O.k. moto peeps, here it is!  As many of you already know, Florida MOTO News was given the opportunity to do a Q & A interview with Travis Pastrana!  After shouting “YES!!!  Too cool!  This is SO awesome!”, trying to regain my composure and act like a professional, then posting the schedule and announcement for the Nitro Circus Live Tour on FLMN, and THEN taking a whole day to walk around with an ear to ear grin... ..I asked FLMN viewers to suggest “What question would YOU ask Travis?” ideas.  I chose a few of your questions, added a few of my own, and sent them to Travis.  The result?  The awesome interview below!  Check it out:

 

FLMN:  Hi Travis.  I cannot express to you how totally excited I am to be getting to do this interview, and ask you some questions.  I know FLMN viewers are equally as excited, as I have been hearing from them both online, and at every motocross track I go to!  Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer some of our questions!

 

Q:  I see that the Nitro Circus Live Tour has FOUR stops in Florida!  How did we get so lucky to have so many chances to come to watch the show?

A:  I spent a lot of my life in Florida. My family used to drive me down every weekend to race the winter series and the mini Olympics when I was in the 3rd and 4th grade. When I started homeschooling in 5th grade up until I was pro in motocross racing, my parents would drive me down just before Christmas and I would live the rest of the winter either at a campground in Brooksville or with some friends in Deland. There is a good motocross scene down on Florida and we have a lot of fans in that area so we wanted to try and make it work for everyone.

 

Q:  It’s not exactly a question, but tell us a little more about your connection to the Florida motocross scene.  One year, I think during Bike Week, I watched you throw a BIG whip over the 90’ at Pax Trax Motocross Park, in Bunnell, Florida...   ….ON A DUAL SPORT BIKE WITH THE HEADLIGHT ON!  You whipped it so far that I could see the headlight pointing back at the stands!  I was like, “That is by far the coolest thing I have ever seen done on a dirt bike.  Stylin’ with the dual sport.  Awesome.” Pax is my home track, and I thought it was so cool that you would come there to ride with all us amateurs.  I will never forget it. Thanks Travis.

A:  Deland is only 40min from Pax Trax and I always liked that track. I still try to go down for bike week and holidays whenever I can. We usually take a bunch of random bikes. Nothing funnier to me then showing up in blue jeans and a clapped out, street legal, box stock bike from the 90's and take it to the guys who put so much time and money into having the coolest and newest bike.

 

Q:  What freestyle trick do you enjoy doing the most?

A:  Back flip superman. Nothing is better then jumping off your bike just after take off and throwing it up over your head. When you look down, you are 30 feet above the ground with nothing under your feet but sky and a 220-pound bike over your head.

 

Q:  If there was no such thing as dirt bikes or action sports, and you had to pick another “normal thing” to do for a career, what would it be?  What else do you like to do?

A:  I love dirt bikes, fast cars, skydiving and guns… I probably would have gone to the military and then ended up working construction. 

 

Q:  If your mom is Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins Pastrana, and your dad is Travis Pastrana, there’s a pretty good chance your gonna end up with a talent and love for dirt bikes or extreme sports.  If your kids grow up to love dirt bikes and extreme sports as much as you and Lyn-Z do, and want to participate, how do you and Lyn-Z feel about it?

A:  Well, I hope my girls like golf or tennis… But even if they end up being a lawyer or a teacher, I just hope they have as much passion for whatever they chose as Lynz and I do for our profession.

 

Q:  What was the first FMX trick you ever did, and how old were you? 

A:  For me, I'm pretty sure the first day I got a wheel off the ground I had a leg or a foot off. Freestyle isn't just about the tricks; it's about finding jumps and having fun with your friends.

 

Q:  What would you say to encourage or advise all the little guys racing on 50cc bikes, and all those just getting started in motocross?

A:  Have fun. If you are doing what you love you will be successful. If you are doing it for money or fame you will be in for a long, hard road.

 

FLMN:  When I found out that I was going to be able to do this interview, I thought it would be neat to see what Florida MOTO News viewers would want to ask you too.  I gave viewers the chance to submit some “What would YOU ask Travis Pastrana” question suggestions, and I would choose a couple real good ones to pass on to you. So, here they are:

Q:  Josh Parry (from Candler, FL) wants to know: "After watching the Red Bull Straight Rhythm, I was pleasantly surprised with how competitive you still are. Have you put any thought to going back to racing for a little bit? Even if it was like Ricky Carmichael's Road to Loretta Lynn's, it would be very fun for all to watch you race in action again." 

A:  I love riding motorcycles and having fun with my friends at local tracks and in the woods and on the Nitro Circus tour, but honestly, I don't have the time or desire to race at a top level again. I don't feel like I've lost a lot of speed since I raced, but everyone else has definitely gotten faster and stronger. Much respect for anyone who is racing at the top level of motocross or Supercross these days!

 

Q:  Jeff Flemister (from Sandersville, GA) wants to know:  "What do you think about loading up the "RMZilla" and racing it somewhere like Mammoth Mountain, or Day In The Dirt? Or hit Loretta's on a normal bike, like the other guy asked? Maybe the Vet Nationals?"

A:  Maybe one day. The RMZilla is awesome and those events all sound like a good time, but when I get a day off, I would prefer to spend it with my wife and kids. Hopefully one day my girls will want to ride Day In The Dirt with their dad!

 

O.k., just ONE more…

Q:  Somebody’s grandma (from Port Orange, FL) eh-hemm, hint-hint wants to know:  "Do you think you could teach anybody to backflip a dirt bike?  Like maybe someone’s fun-lovin’ “Moto-Granny”?  (Hey, it’s always NO til ya ask, right? ..and I’m not THAT old yet.) 

A:  My mom had that same idea and she ended up breaking her neck (hairline fracture and not the end of the world but still gnarly). People have the mistake of thinking foam pits are safe but I've blown out my knee (ACL and LCL), broken my wrist, dislocated my shoulder and broke my collarbone while doing tricks into the pit. Also, it takes a lot of strength to pull a full size bike around. So, my basic guideline for minimum criteria to do a back flip is that you have enough upper body strength to do at least 5 pull ups, enough agility and commitment to throw a gainer off a diving board and enough riding ability to jump a 50 foot ramp jump. If you can do that, then I can probably teach you how to do a back flip! Let me know!

 

FLMN:  Pull ups... ..check.  Gainer... ..check.  50 foot ramp jump... ..uh, maybe one day. LOL  I think I better leave the dirt bike flippin' to you for now, Travis. BUT, if I ever learn to jump a ramp... ..IT'S ON!

Thank you again Travis for taking the time to answer all these questions.  I am super excited that the Nitro Circus Live Tour is coming to Florida!  I can hardly wait to see what you have planned!

 


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