Does Travis Pastrana clank when he walks?

Wes Eargle · **Joined:** Mon Oct 27, 2003 9:47 am **Posts:** 3683

I'm not so sure that this would have been my reaction.

Video

Les Davis · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 2:04 pm **Posts:** 2059

Wes Eargle wrote:

I'm not so sure that this would have been my reaction.

Video

I'm pretty certain there would be some serious dry cleaning bills involved had I been in that car.

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Tue Sep 12, 2006 4:42 pm

Question is...

What does his navigator think about him. I think a "sorry about that" would have been in order vs. the "Woo Hoo". At least he was nice enough to ask if he was "alive".

David Spratte · **Posted:** Tue Sep 12, 2006 4:50 pm

Richard Casto wrote:

Question is...

What does his navigator think about him. I think a "sorry about that" would have been in order vs. the "Woo Hoo". At least he was nice enough to ask if he was "alive".

I think it's pretty classic that the co-driver (Edstrom?) sounded completely unfazed by the event. He could have been reading "I'm fine. How are you." off the stage notes.

Carl Fisher · **Posted:** Tue Sep 12, 2006 10:30 pm

Christian Edstrom is definitely a consummate co-driver. But as long as no one's hurt, apologies are not really necessary- the goal is to go as fast as possible, and the occasional crash is part of the job. Now if the co-driver screws up and makes the driver crash, then apologies are definitely due.

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Wed Sep 13, 2006 9:56 am

Carl Fisher wrote:

Christian Edstrom is definitely a consummate co-driver. But as long as no one's hurt, apologies are not really necessary- the goal is to go as fast as possible, and the occasional crash is part of the job. Now if the co-driver screws up and makes the driver crash, then apologies are definitely due.

Carl, you would know better than me on this.

I don't know the details about that particular crash and you can't tell from the video what happened, but his co-driver read the notes twice prior to the crash. From watching some WRC in-car, I have noticed that prior to driver screw ups that sometimes a co-driver may repeat some of his notes and I have wondered if this might be a case of the co-driver knowing the driver is not doing something right (too fast, not setting up for a blind turn, etc) and he is trying to make sure that he driver heard him. The point being that he co-driver knew something bad was potentially about to happen and was trying to prevent it. But maybe I am seeing something that isn't really happening. :whoknows:

I understand that accidents can happen even if you do the right thing, but what about those situations when the crash really just is the drivers fault? Especially when if the driver had followed the notes it would have prevented the crash? Is an apology in order in that situation? I can't remember who is was, but a few seasons ago in WRC there was a new driver who was paired up with a very experienced WRC co-driver and the co-driver was telling him to slow down, slow down, slow down and then the driver crashed. The co-driver then gave the driver all kinds of grief about how stupid he was.

Carl Fisher · **Posted:** Wed Sep 13, 2006 11:16 am

Co-drivers do often repeat calls in cases where there's going to be a tricky corner, or one where a big speed reduction is required, or in cases where (in the co-driver's opinion) the driver is not showing signs of making said speed reduction. :-)

But some co-drivers also seem to repeat calls for reasons I can't see, and which was the case here I can't say for sure.

Here's a much better version of the video (from the Vermont SportsCar site), with multiple views and text accounts from Travis, Christian, and Morgan (the photographer).

Watching the video more closely, the call seems a bit late. Christian calls "Crest 200 Caution Left 5- over crest into Right 4+". Assuming they were going around 120mph, it should've taken them 3.4 seconds to cover that 200 yard straight. But Christian repeats the call immediately, then an instant later they're crashing. I don't know how Travis likes his notes, but if it were Matthew (or me) driving, we'd want to hear the caution call back around the crest before the 200. It takes time to say all this stuff, and Christian doesn't even start to read it until apparently 1/3 the way down the straight. The timing of the notes is the toughest part of a co-driver's job, IMO.

As for crashes due to driver error, sure, an apology is never going to be inappropriate. In the video above, you can hear Travis give a quick apology on his way out the window and, knowing him, there was a long string of apologies yet to come- to Christian, Lance (VT Sportscar), Team Subaru, and many others.

But rally folks, both drivers and co-drivers, in this country don't seem to be the primadonnas that the WRC guys are, and I think are generally more cool about stuff than what you describe. Of course there could be exceptions...

Kevin Allen · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2003 6:42 pm **Posts:** 3479

Christian posts in the nasioc motorsports forum a lot - username is bjorn240. He related this story to somebody one time, and my impression was he thought it was funny. (not the crash, but the repeated "are you dead?" and the war whoop)

And he thinks Travis is a great driver with a great attitude.

Emmie Fisher · **Posted:** Wed Sep 13, 2006 10:00 pm

If you didn't see 'em, here are a coupla recent interviews. I think the Leno one is much more fun.

Travis on Leno

Travis on Letterman

Chris Landi · **Joined:** Mon Mar 08, 2004 6:31 pm **Posts:** 579

When I was into Motocross I use to watch him race bikes. He was pretty reckless on a bike and got hurt a lot. Had a lot of talent but had problems finding the inside of the limit line. Looks like he's still riding the edge.

Carl Fisher · **Posted:** Thu Sep 28, 2006 3:58 pm

Travis has matured a lot as a driver in a very short time. His first-ever rally was just in 2004, where everyone first saw him as a rich and privileged kid out "just for fun" (he finished 19th overall), running 3 events in a super-nice Subaru. The next year he ran a rull season, finishing second overall at the first event (Sno*Drift, on ice/snow). This year he's got two 1sts, four 2nds, and has all but clinched the Rally America National Championship.

He's obviously still privileged in that he can learn the fast way, which is to take chances and wad up cars, but his discipline has improved greatly (thanks in large part to his co-driver, Christian Edstrom, I expect). He's made it no secret that he plans to be in this sport long-term, and at this rate I think he'll outgrow US competition and be looking for a WRC ride within a year.

Graham Jagger · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 12:53 am **Posts:** 1718

I think doing that double back flip at the X Games pretty much says how far out onto the edge this boy will go.

He thought rally was great cause you get a nice shell and rollcage to do stunts instead of some padding on a motox suit... So that video shows he's wreckless in cars and is even less concerned because he has more protection.

I like the boy though and I'd bet he does clank when he walks. At the very least he must creak with all the metal pins/stays he probably has holding his bones together...

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Thu Sep 28, 2006 6:00 pm

Carl Fisher wrote:

... at this rate I think he'll outgrow US competition and be looking for a WRC ride within a year.

Which is what WRC needs. A good American driver to bring in US viewers. Hopefully long term increase the chance of a WRC event here in the US. On a related note, I swear I read somewhere that WRC is most likely going to be on TV here in the US next season. I just can't remember where I read this!

After watching the Leno and Letterman videos, he seems like a nice (and funny) guy!

Emmie Fisher · **Posted:** Thu Sep 28, 2006 6:19 pm

Richard Casto wrote:

After watching the Leno and Letterman videos, he seems like a nice (and funny) guy!

Based on everything we've seen at rallies ourselves and heard about him from other people, Carl and I would agree.

You also need to see the "testing" clip at the end of the STPR video if you haven't seen that. :lol:

I think we have that recorded somewhere.

Wes Eargle · **Joined:** Mon Oct 27, 2003 9:47 am **Posts:** 3683

If you're interested, they're available online. http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main_pa ... ducts_id=4

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