Travis Pastrana on a rollercoaster Extreme E debut

Partnering Gray Leadbetter at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB IN ASSOCIATION WITH JIMMIE JOHNSON (LEGACY M.C.) while Johnson was competing in the Daytona 500, Pastrana put on a show in Rounds 1 and 2 of Season 4.

Despite being a late arrival into Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, not to mention recovering from a recent knee replacement operation, Pastrana showed the potential of the LEGACY M.C. outfit with two gutsy displays in the opening X Prix of the championship, as well as supporting the exceptional development of Leadbetter in what was also her maiden Extreme E weekend.

Although unable to reach a Grand Final at the Desert X Prix, not to mention defeat long-time adversary Mattias Ekström (we’ll get to that!), Pastrana revelled in his first Extreme E event. Here’s the thoughts of the man himself reflecting on LEGACY M.C.’s first-ever X Prix in the series.

Extreme E: Welcome to Extreme E, Travis! Can you tell us about the moment you got the call to come and join the series in Saudi Arabia?
Travis Pastrana: I got the call from Jimmie not too long ago, actually. He said, ‘hey, I really want to do something off-road and something in Extreme E, and there might be an opportunity to join’.

We’re fairly good friends, but we’re either doing something together or our lives are years apart and we are in different worlds. So when he called, I figured that means that it’s serious and to count me in. I said that if you can make it happen I’ve got that weekend off. Well, I was meant to be on family vacation, but I said I’ll go! 

Because the big picture of this, for LEGACY M.C. in particular, is huge for motorsport and it’s huge for off-road in general.

XE: What did you know of Extreme E beforehand as well as the drivers that compete in it?
TP: I’m a huge fan of racing. I come across as a little goofy sometimes, but I’m just like a kid in a candy shop when I go to races. I knew Jimmie wasn’t going to do this without a proper team and they’ve exceeded everyone’s hope. 

It is a very friendly paddock, too. It is the first time I have gotten to spend time with a few of them, especially some of the women drivers, while some I know from competing in Nitrocross. The two drivers that I don’t get to race a lot of the time are Johan Kristofferson and Mattias Ekström and I have to say that going up against Ekström was kind of the cherry on top for me to compete – maybe that was the sweetener!

XE: The series has a pioneering gender-equal racing format, which is unique in motorsport. What are your thoughts on that aspect to the championship?
TP: There is no reason why a woman cannot be better than a male driver in cars. It’s not a physical thing, it’s an experience thing.

As a father with two girls I think it’s awesome – there’s so many opportunities to get girls into karts and buggies, and it brings the whole family closer instead of what used to happen in motocross – where the fathers and the sons would go, and now it’s the fathers, daughters, mums and sons, too. Everyone is coming together across motorsport, however Extreme E is the first series to really show that.

In one of the races I was second trying to close Mikaela [Åhlin-Kottulinsky] down and I could not get near her. There has definitely been a massive improvement from the first year of Extreme E to now, four seasons in, regarding the pace of the women drivers, which has been astronomical.

More women are now not only getting the chance to race in Extreme E, but test themselves in other cars and championships, boosting their skills on a track and off-road – that’s cool.

XE: How quickly were you able to get dialled into the LEGACY M.C. ODYSSEY 21 and the series’ racing format? 
TP: There’s so much to contend with in this championship and that’s undoubtedly where drivers like Ekström and Kristofferson, and the teams that are winning, are dialled in on those processes and make limited mistakes. From my perspective, driving the car on the second lap is about as good in a vehicle as I’m going to get in anything, and the last few seconds of a lap come from not necessarily taking chances, but being willing to go and to drive on the edge. I was driving on two wheels for half of the track!

A big thing, though, was not crashing the car for Jimmie. He hasn’t said that out loud, but you don’t want a big shunt in your opening weekend competing in this series. Nevertheless, in Round 2 we were close to the Grand Final, and so I turned up a little bit of the risk – within reason, of course. We knew what we had to do and the risk was going to be the pay-out. It was close. We had a shot as a team to be in there and we were gutted to just miss out.

XE: What did you make of Gray’s Extreme E debut?
TP: Her progress has been incredible. In Round 1, as soon as Kevin Hansen passed her, she didn’t panic and just put her foot down in the dust – she turned in some of the fastest sectors from the women all day. That takes guts.

And then in Round 2, it took Kristofferson a lap to get around her. I mean he’s arguably the best driver in this discipline in the entire world. I’ve jumped in everything in terms of racing, so getting into a new vehicle or an ODYSSEY 21 isn’t an excuse because I’ve seen most things, but Gray is just 19. She’s so new. She’s done a lot, of course, but is still learning. I am so proud of her and how well she’s done on her first weekend in the series. 

XE: Do you think the appetite for Extreme E in the US will grow as a result of LEGACY M.C. joining the series? 
TP: A big reason that I’m over here now is that I feel that this series is helping off-road racing to grow, and it’s helping bridge the gap for electric. My Dad’s generation would say that if it doesn’t make noise and burn gas, it’s difficult. However, there is so much quality in the field in Extreme E, and now we have the likes of Jimmie Johnson involved, so its building momentum. 

What the series has going for it, too, is a lot of great racing. The Round 1 Grand Final was exceptional – it was one of the best races I’ve ever seen in my whole life. When people see the racing as good as it is, that helps a lot in terms of converting people to electric and sustainable racing. From there, they can then see it’s way faster than they first thought. Green technologies and power aside, we have to show that it can be as exciting or more exciting than what people may know. That last part is key and then people will be hooked. 

There is definitely a gap to be bridged in motorsport. Extreme H and hydrogen development is also going to be a great thing going forward. My kids don’t want to touch anything with gas. They love electric bikes because they can go out in anyone’s back yard if they have an acre and run around – even when they are at a barbeque or something like that. I couldn’t do that as a kid because the bikes were too loud, so the change is coming. 

XE: On reflection, how would you sum up your Extreme E debut?
TP: It’s exceeded my expectations. As far as the excitement in the ODYSSEY 21 goes, you can really race and you have a big desert or terrain to really do it in, of course, rather than a narrower circuit. It challenges the car and it challenges the drivers. It is a really cool championship.

XE: Would you like to give it another go this season (and beyond!)?
TP: Absolutely! I really hope to have another opportunity to do this again this year with a knee that can get in and out of the car – and also to come back with a little more knowledge!

I was also so close to ticking off that bucket list item of beating Mattias [Ekström]. We were just 0.6s off in that last Redemption Race and so I would absolutely love another shot at it.

Extreme E:

Charlotte Sefton, Extreme E
E: charlotte@extreme-e.com / +44 7827 214807

Josh Bell, MPA Creative     
E: jb@mpacreative.com  / T: +44 7557 102540

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Extreme E:
Extreme E is a radical off-road racing series, founded by the same team behind Formula E, which showcases electric SUVs and futuristic technologies in some of the world’s most remote and challenging environments.

This five-event global voyage utilises its sporting platform for the purpose of promoting electrification, environment and equality. The series’ goal is to highlight the impact of climate change in some of the world’s most endangered environments, promote the adoption of electric vehicles to pave the way for a lower carbon future, and provide a world-first gender-equal motorsport platform.

The first sport to ever be built out of a social purpose, Extreme E aims to minimise environmental impact while maximising awareness, racing in places that have already been damaged or affected by climate change or human interference and taking fans deep into the heart of the most pressing issues facing our planet’s future.

Not only that, but Extreme E is also helping the car industry to develop future-facing technology using racing as a platform for road innovation, which accelerates change ten-fold.

Season 4 Calendar: 

Saudi Arabia
17-18 February 2024
Europe, TBD
13-14 July 2024
Sardinia, Italy
14-15 September 2024
Sardinia, Italy
21-22 September 2024
USA
23-24 November 2024

About Continental Tires: Founding Partner and Official Tire Partner
Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent, and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation.

The tyres business area has 24 production and development locations worldwide. Continental is one of the leading tyre manufacturers with more than 56,000 employees and offers a broad product range for passenger cars, commercial and special-purpose vehicles as well as two-wheelers. Through continuous investment in research and development, Continental makes a major contribution to safe, cost effective and ecologically efficient mobility. The portfolio of the tyres business area includes services for the tyre trade and fleet applications, as well as digital management systems for tyres.

About LuisaViaRoma: Official Fashion Partner
Defined by the Financial Times as “a haven for directional fashion,” LUISAVIAROMA.COM is the top online luxury fashion destination with 5,000,000 visitors per month and worldwide shipping. With each new season, the website presents the collections of more than 600 established designers and young emerging talents.

About Enel X Way: Official Smart Charging Partner
Enel X Way is the Enel Group's new global business line entirely dedicated to electric mobility. Currently, Enel X Way manages approximately 320,000 charging points, both directly and through interoperability agreements in place worldwide. As a global platform for e-mobility, the company is focused on developing flexible charging technologies and solutions to improve the customer experience by supporting the electrification of transport for consumers, businesses, cities and public administrations.

Find out more on https://enelxway.it/en/home  and follow Enel X Way on its social media channels:

LinkedIn: Enel X Way
Twitter: @enelxway
Instagram: @enelxway 
Facebook: @enelxway

About Zenith: Official Timekeeper and Founding Partner
Zenith exists to inspire individuals to pursue their dreams and make them come true – against all odds. Since its establishment in 1865, Zenith became the first watch manufacture in the modern sense of the term, and its watches have accompanied extraordinary figures that dreamt big and strived to achieve the impossible – from Louis Blériot’s history-making flight across the English Channel to Felix Baumgartner’s record-setting stratospheric free-fall jump. Zenith is also highlighting visionary and trailblazing women – past and present – by celebrating their accomplishments and creating in 2020 its first-ever collection dedicated entirely to them, Defy Midnight.

With innovation as its guiding star, Zenith features exceptional in-house developed and manufactured movements in all its watches. Since the creation of the El Primero in 1969, the world’s first automatic chronograph calibre, Zenith has gone on to master fractions of the second with the Chronomaster Sport and its 1/10th of a second precision and the DEFY 21 with a precision of 1/100th of a second.

About ENOWA: Official Green Hydrogen Partner
ENOWA is a world-class energy, water and hydrogen company founded in NEOM, Saudi Arabia. ENOWA produces and delivers clean and sustainable resources for industrial and commercial applications using a customer-centric smart and connected system, designed to be circular and takes advantage of NEOM's optimal solar and wind energy profile. ENOWA benefits from NEOM's greenfield site, which has no legacy infrastructure, to advance Energy, Water, and Hydrogen innovation.

ENOWA will act as a catalyst and incubator for developing new, sustainable energy and water businesses while creating a robust economic sector regionally. Through its commitment to renewable energy and efficient water management, ENOWA seeks to become a global reference for industry leaders and setting a benchmark for sustainable economic circular systems around the world.

For more information, please visit: enowa.neom.com

About Vodafone Business: Official Technology and Communication Partner
With expertise in connectivity, global scale and the leading IoT platform, Vodafone Business is a leading technology communications company helping organisations succeed in a digital world and keeping society connected. Vodafone’s purpose is to connect for a better future, enabling an inclusive and sustainable digital society, and many of its solutions have sustainability and inclusivity embedded.

Unique in its scale as the largest pan-European and African technology communications company, Vodafone transforms the way we live and work through its innovation, technology, connectivity, platforms, products and services. Vodafone operates mobile and fixed networks in 21 countries, and partners with mobile networks in 52 more.  As of 31 December 2021, they had over 300m mobile customers, more than 28m fixed broadband customers and over 22m TV customers.

This collaboration will see Vodafone Business leading innovations and capabilities such as 5G, MPN, IOT and MEC, integrated into Extreme E’s global operations and will include full involvement in the purpose- driven elements of the series, with special prominence on Extreme E’s Legacy Programmes and the Science Laboratory on board the St Helena. Through its IOT solutions, Vodafone Business is helping sustainability efforts, including agriculture, forestation and decarbonisation of energy grids.

Find out more on http://www.Vodafone.com/business  and follow Vodafone on its social media channels:

Twitter: @VodafoneGroup
LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/company/vodafone

About EY: Official Sustainability Partner
EY is a global leader in assurance, consulting, strategy, transactions and tax services, and already plays a significant role in working with Extreme E. Originally announcing its collaboration with the championship back in 2020, EY came on board to help Extreme E achieve its commitment to minimising its overall footprint whilst creating a positive legacy.

Whilst Extreme E strives ‘to race without a trace’, the framework provided by EY has helped the series to minimize its environmental impact across each of its remote race locations. Both prior and post-racing impact assessments have supported Extreme E to strategically plan their actions within these areas.

EY and Extreme E will work closely together to promote the five pillars of Extreme E (or “Five Es”) through the adoption of ‘XE Talks’. These informative presentations, facilitated by Extreme E’s Scientific Committee, will shed light on the Five Es, showcasing the joint commitment of EY and Extreme E.



About Kaizen Clean Energy: Official Clean Energy Technology Provider
Kaizen Clean Energy (KCE), a manufacturer of hydrogen generators, is developing integrated solutions for electric vehicle (EV) charging, hydrogen fuelling, and distributed power for the grid and critical assets.

KCE offers its mobile microgrid to customers through an Energy as a Service contract, which eliminates large capital expenses and provides customers with the flexibility to scale with energy needs over time.

Kaizen Clean Energy will support ENOWA - NEOM’s energy, water, and hydrogen subsidiary and Green Hydrogen Power Partner to Extreme E - in delivering a pioneering hydrogen microgrid solution to the championship.

Find out more on: www.kaizencleanenergy.com.

About ALLCOT: Official Environmental Contribution Partner

Guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement, ALLCOT works together with communities, organizations, and governments worldwide in climate actions, to accelerate the transition to Net Zero.  ALLCOT develops Climate action through projects and solutions with triple impact: environmental, social, and economic; using four strategies:  

• Sustainability strategies: Innovative, comprehensive, and tailored solutions for businesses to reduce and compensate greenhouse gas emissions and measures the socio-economic co-benefits through the SDGs.
• Project development & implementation: Implementation of carbon projects in developing countries, rooted in community engagement, environmental stewardship, and economic viability, driven by integrity, equity, and transparency.
• Capacity building: Providing individuals and communities with practical skills and knowledge, possible to apply in their daily lives.
• Advocacy: Creating systemic change to work closely with policymakers and stakeholders to promote sustainable policies and practices at the local, national, and international levels.
  
  Find out more on: allcot.com