Press Release | July 29, 2020
Nitro Circus and ESPN announce the Pastranaland Pit Bike Championship presented by Tractor Supply Company. The all-new racing event created by action-sports icon Travis Pastrana will air on Saturday, August 15 on ESPN2.
This is a press release from Nitro Circus…
Los Angeles, CA (July 28, 2020) — With competitive sport practically shut down over the last four months, fans have been forced to get their adrenaline rush by watching past glories on archival footage. Now Nitro Circus brings two-wheel racing excitement back to a sports-starved audience with the Pastranaland Pit Bike Championship. Fans nationwide can catch all the action by tuning in to ESPN2 on Saturday, August 15. This event marks Nitro Circus’ second collaboration with ESPN this summer.
Pastranaland Pit Bike World Championship is the brainchild of motocross champion, and Nitro Circus ringleader, Travis Pastrana. It features a purpose-built course designed by Nitro’s expert mechanic Hubert Rowland with a new event format championed by friend of Nitro Circus and Black Rifle Coffee executive Jarred “JT” Taylor, all set at Travis’ legendary Pastranaland home compound.
Travis Pastrana explains the inspiration behind the event: “The last few months have been challenging for both athletes and the action sports industry alike, without a doubt. All of us have been itching to ride and missed the thrill of racing. With Pit Bike Challenge, we set out to get that competitive fire going again while making it as fun and exciting for fans to watch at home as it is for us banging bars on the track. Being able to do it all in my backyard makes it even sweeter!”
Joe Carr, CEO of Thrill One Sports & Entertainment—parent company of Nitro Circus—said, “Travis and the Nitro Circus team have always been incredibly passionate about pushing the limits. With Pastranaland Pit Bike Championship, we’ve set out to create an event that’s action-packed, insanely fun and completely unpredictable, which is a tall order even in the best of circumstances. We can’t wait to bring racing excitement back to viewers in a fresh new way on August 15.”
Eleven teams of two riders each, drawn from across the action sports world, will battle in this high-octane contest. These include Travis himself, who is reuniting with his 2018 MXoN Team Puerto Rico partner Ryan Sipes. Also competing is Nitro World Games FMX Best Trick winner—and the first moto rider to land a double frontflip—Gregg Duffy, who is teaming up with motocross pro Gared “Stank Dog” Steinke. Three-time world champion mountain bike rider Anneke Beerten is also pairing with Tarah Gieger, the most decorated female athlete in X Games history. Adding even more fuel to the fire for Gieger, she must face off against her husband, Nitro Circus favorite and skilled MTB rider Dustin “Dusty” Wygle. Four-wheel stars will also mix it up, with champion rallycross racer Conner “The Hammer” Martell and professional monster truck driver Justin Sipes—Ryan’s brother—joining the field. For a full list of competitors, click HERE.
To the uninitiated, pit bikes may look like miniature versions of motocross’ 450-cc monsters, but don’t let that fool you. While intended as starter bikes for young riders, there is nothing child-sized about the mayhem they can dish out, especially with the daredevils of Nitro Circus. Their compact lightweight frame only makes them easier to maneuver and deliver even more head-to-head action.
Pastranaland’s challenging, one-of-a-kind course certainly puts bikes to the test. Once out of the starting gate, riders quickly have to contend with banked turns, ramp-to-ramp jumps and an over-under crossover, creating a run just as challenging as a Pro National track.
But while the racing is flat-out, viewers can look forward to a healthy dose of Nitro Circus fun as well. After all, the only thing better than the thrill of victory is celebrating, Nitro-style! Once the dust settles, only one rider gets to take home both the winning trophy and, even more importantly, bragging rights as world champion.
Visit nitrocircus.com to see all the competitors in the Pastranaland Pit Bike Championship.
