From a press release issued by The Familie:

MOTOCROSS LEGEND, TRAVIS PASTRANA TAKES ON THE RIM OF THE WORLD RALLY RACE:
AND PLACES THIRD AND EVEN WINS TWO STAGES

CARLSBAD, CA – In his first professional gravel rally race to date, Travis Pastrana took an impressive third in his class and fourth overall at the Rim of the World Pro Rally. Driving a new Vermont SportsCar prepared 2004 Subaru WRX STi in the Group N class, Pastrana was teamed with veteran co-driver Christian Edstrom to finish a successful race.

The Rim of the World ProRally is the third round of the 2004 SCCA ProRally Championship presented by Hot Wheels. The championship is regarded as one of the most grueling and most extreme motorsport spectacles in the USA. The rally takes place on the dusty and treacherous loose gravel roads in the mountains of the Angeles National Forest just northeast of LA. Of the 72 cars that started this year’s rally only 40 finished.

Pastrana drove conservatively during the rally’s first stage, which was held Friday night. Fortunately, it didn’t take Pastrana long to grow accustomed to driving at night on treacherous mountain roads and to his new, more powerful Subaru WRX STi rally car. The event’s second day of competitive action saw Pastrana steadily increase his pace culminating in two outright stage wins against cars with 100 horsepower more than his Subaru. Pastrana moved from tenth place after the first day to a fourth overall finish and third in the Group N class. The Group N class is widely regarded as ProRally’s most competitive class with some of the fastest rally drivers in America.

“I think we definitely exceeded our expectations for this race,” said Pastrana. “We succeeded completing the race, which is quite a feat in itself. But more importantly, we were able to establish solid results, which I am thrilled about.”

Rallying is a race against the clock on hundreds of miles of closed public and private roads that are usually unpaved and unforgiving. Drivers cannot practice the route but are teamed with a co-driver who reads off detailed descriptions of the road ahead including what turns or hazards are approaching. Events run in all weather conditions and on a variety of surfaces.

“To be the fastest driver among dozens of veteran rally drivers on your first gravel rally and in a new car that you have never driven is just amazing,” said Lance Smith, Team Manager of Vermont SportsCar. “We figured Travis had the talent to be a great rally driver but we did not think it would happen this quickly, we were stunned!”

At twenty years old, Pastrana has become one of the most recognized and respected names in the world of motocross. His successes have ranged from Supercross championships to numerous X games freestyle medals.

Pastrana continues to explore his talents with his recent move to Rally racing. His new-found success in the sport has proved once again that Pastrana’s talents span beyond just the world of motocross. Look for Pastrana to compete in upcoming rally races throughout the year, as well as at the X Games, August 5 – 8th in Los Angeles, CA.