A high-flying action sports tour is taking on stock car racing as Nitro Circus takes over a Cup Series car at Phoenix Raceway.
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According to an announcement on Friday, Nov. 1, Nitro Circus will be the primary partner for Noah Gragson and the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing team. The Ford Mustang will feature the special scheme as Stewart-Haas Racing closes out its tenure in the NASCAR Cup Series.
https://twitter.com/StewartHaasRcng/status/1852365278924980688
Co-founded by Travis Pastrana in 2003, Nitro Circus has grown exponentially. The entertainment brand has gone global while creating TV shows, live events, competitions, and digital content.
Nitro Circus has also developed its own signature style with the types of tricks performed. The athletes aren't simply jumping bikes, motorcycles, or skateboards. They launch wheelchairs, scooters, jet skis, and recliners off of ramps.
The partnership with SHR is another step in this journey, and it happens as Nitro Circus kicks off a nationwide tour. One December stop on this tour will take place in Charlotte, North Carolina, home of NASCAR.
Pastrana has competed in NASCAR over the years, but stock car racing's ties with the Nitro universe go much deeper.
Greg Powell, a tire carrier for Joe Gibbs Racing's No. 20 Xfinity Series team, was a key member of the group in its early days. He was involved in the TV series that aired on MTV, and he was part of the live tour that traveled the globe before moving fully into NASCAR.
Powell even developed a signature bike flip, something he worked on for over a decade.
https://twitter.com/NitroCircus/status/817447496418881536
The ties continue with Gragson taking a recent trip to Pastranaland, the action sports playground in Maryland. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver tested himself in a side-by-side while tearing through the woods.
This was a new experience as Gragson had never raced a four-wheel-drive vehicle before, but he managed to avoid damaging or rolling any vehicles.
Gragson also headed to the foam pit where dozens of people have attempted to learn new tricks. He jumped on a dirt bike and tried to land a backflip into the foam pit. He was successful on the first attempt despite having no experience.
"I went up there to Pastranaland, and I was like, 'Hey, can I try a backflip into the foam pit,'" Gragson explained to FanBuzz at Charlotte Motor Speedway. "'What do I gotta do?' (Travis) was like, 'Basically, pull back and then don't go right.'"
Gragson followed the advice and landed the backflip.
The day at Pastranaland was supposed to set Gragson up for his debut in Nitrocross, the racing series co-created by Pastrana. That series is on pause for the time being, so Gragson and Pastrana will actually team up after the NASCAR season for a different event.
They will compete in the 2.4 hrs of LeMullets at Cleetus McFarland's Freedom Factory. They will be teammates while driving a nitrous-powered Ford Crown Victoria, and they will try to get Pastrana his first stock car win.
