Pastrana always on fast track

"Going in circles on the parking lot wasn't enough for Travis. That boy loved an obstacle and had to find the steepest hill," Robert Pastrana said.

Early on, Robert and wife Debbie did not approve of their son's daredevil ways.

"It's something you try to discourage. We would tell Travis, 'Don't do that. You're going to hurt yourself.' He never listened. This kid was born to challenge himself," Robert said.

Robert and Debbie reluctantly gave the youngster a Go-Kart at age three and the addition of an engine prompted more of a lust for speed and acceleration. Robert was forced to build a protective rubber cage for the Go-Kart because "Travis would take sharp turns to purposefully try to roll it."

As a 4-year-old, Pastrana received a Honda 50 motorcycle as a Christmas present. By the end of that day, the tiny boy had mastered the new machine by riding around the family property in Eastport.

And so it went for years and years until Travis Pastrana became one of the most famous names in all of motor sports - a champion competitor in Motocross, Freestyle motorcycle jumping and Rally Car racing. The Annapolis native will be inducted into the Anne Arundel County Sports Hall of Fame tonight during a banquet at Michael's 8th Avenue.

"Travis was born to go fast and live dangerously. He's just wired to do this type of thing," his father said.

Pastrana's competitive career began at a dirt track in the southern Maryland town of Aquasco. Within two weeks, the hot shot kid had traded the Honda for a Yamaha racing model and began beating all comers. He practiced relentlessly on a course created at the Charles Pastrana and Sons complex off Elliott Road and was always light years ahead of the competition.

At the age of 5, Pastrana was dominating the 50cc category that included 7-year-olds. By the age of 6, he had moved up and conquered the 60cc class. Robert and Debbie knew their son was special when he won the amateur national championship on the 80cc circuit at the age of 8. By then, Suzuki had already spotted the budding talent and signed up as a sponsor - providing motorcycles, gear and parts.

Pastrana turned professional at the age of 16 and immediately became the youngest rider to capture the American Motocross Association 125cc Outdoor Motocross National Championship. The following year, Pastrana added the AMA Indoor Supercross National title and cemented his status as a budding superstar in the extreme sport.

After six successful years on the professional circuit, Pastrana was established as one of the most legendary names in the history of American motocross alongside Jeff Ward, Mike Metzger and Ricky Carmichael. Numerous crashes, multiple injuries and some 17 knee surgeries forced the Davidsonville resident to retire

Pastrana transitioned into motorcycle jumping and quickly became the leading figure in the fledgling sport, inventing and perfecting many of the most demanding tricks. He has won five Freestyle Moto gold medals at the Summer X games, a creation of ESPN.

That does not include the gold medal Pastrana was forced to forfeit as a result of a controversial incident at the 1999 Summer X Games. Having already clinched victory, the daredevil decided to jump his motorcycle into San Francisco Bay, an illegal stunt that drew worldwide attention.

Pastrana's fame reached another level on Aug. 4, 2006 when he made history by becoming the first motorcycle jumper to land a double back-flip in competition. That remarkable feat guaranteed another X Games gold medal and became the highlight of the year on ESPN.

Pastrana, who turned 25 last week, has shifted gears and is now driving for the Subaru USA Rally Car team. He has captured three straight Rally America National Series overall championships.