This was supposed to be Travis Pastrana's big weekend, "Pastranathon," where he'd pinball back and forth between the X-Games and his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut. And then, well, this happened:
Pastrana was attempting a 720 Toilet Paper Roll, which is a flip combined with a 720-degree spin and appears every bit as insane as it sounds. Initial reports indicated that Pastrana had broken both his tibia and his fibula, an injury that can take months to heal properly. But Pastrana himself later tweeted that the injury appeared centered on his foot: "I'm on my way to the hospital for x rays, something with my foot. Might be driving with my hands on Saturday."
Our friends at GrindTV.com have the scoop. Unfortunately, it sounds like Pastrana suffered a broken ankle and foot on the fall and will be out of the race/extreme sports game for a while.
"I am sorry this happened, and will be back in action as soon as I can," Pastrana told ESPN once he'd been released from the hospital.
No word on whether Pastrana/Waltrip Racing will run a substitute driver.
This also brings up the question of NASCAR drivers' off-weekend responsibilities. While Pastrana is a special case, should NASCAR drivers be allowed to participate in potentially hazardous situations between races? This will only stoke that fire.so game was very interesting.