Travis Pastrana Sets World Record Jumping Rally Car 269 Feet at Red Bull No Limit ESPN Stunt

Travis Pastrana set a World Record leaping his rally car over 269 feet. Pastrana four time Rally America Champ and five time X Game Gold Medal winner, launched his car at 95 miles per hour and landed on a barge 269 feet away. The barge was over 150 feet across Rainbow Harbor in the Long Beach Marina.

Pastrana landed awkwardly and then slid down the landing ramp and landed broadside into the water barriers at the end of the ramp. The landing area was skinny and slick as Pastrana landed, he had to control the rally car and guided it through a 40 foot wide landing area. The impact of the broadside slide knocked the ESPN camera down and the fence almost gave way. If the fence would have gave way Pastrana would have went into Rainbow Harbor upside down.

Pastrana shattered the existing World Record by 98 feet.

The current World Record was 171 feet. Pastrana almost launched the vehicle 100 feet past the record. Pastrana, after making the incredible jump walked to the end of the barge and did a back flip into the water of Rainbow Harbor to cap off his record breaking night.

Pastrana is no stranger to danger. He was the first athlete to ever perform a double back flip on a motorcycle at the ESPN X Games in 2006. Pastrana has the record for most X Game Gold Medals with five. Pastrana has not only won X Game medals for Freestyle Motocross he has won medals in X Game rally car competition also.

Pastrana had been practicing for this jump for over two months. In fact, Pastrana had been cooking up the idea for a while. He originally drew the plan up on a napkin. Of course more research was invested after the original plan was drawn up.

The made for television event was pulled off without a hitch. Pastrana didn't disappoint. He is always a dynamic personality and fun to watch. Pastrana even called out his fellow Red Bull sponsored driver Brian Vickers. He joked that he offered Vickers the passenger seat and he declined. Good thing for Vickers. He probably would have received a few broken ribs judging from the right side damage the rally car sustained.

sources:
ESPN TV