Chaos surrounds Travis Pastrana.
That may not be the best environment for a NASCAR driver, but for Pastrana, a supercross, motocross and X Games star, it's what he thrives on.
Will that philosophy work as he embarks on his newest venture, competing in the Nationwide Series? Time will tell.
"I definitely thrive on the chaos," said Pastrana, who will make his Nationwide debut in Saturday's Kroger 200 at Lucas Oil Raceway in Clermont, Ind.
"There gets to a point where you can't do all your jobs 100 percent . . . I've always done better a little behind the eight-ball, a little bit underprepared and overenthusiastic."
What Pastrana has discovered this year while preparing for his NASCAR debut, is those characteristics don't necessarily translate well in NASCAR competition.
"In Rally and moto, and most of the dirt sports, if you put more aggression into where you're going, the times will improve," he said.
"With NASCAR, the harder I try, it seems like the slower I go, which has been a frustrating part of it. I just need more testing, more time and definitely looking forward to that."
Even Pastrana's NASCAR debut features a little chaos.
Sandwiching his NASCAR race this weekend will be flights to and from Los Angeles to compete in the X Games competition. ESPN has dubbed his busy summer "The Pastranathon."
In anticipation of his first Nationwide start, Pastrana has done a variety of testing with his Pastrana Waltrip Racing team and has competed in four NASCAR K&N Pro series races.
He started 10th and finished 25th in his lone K&N Pro West start and earned finishes of 33rd, 22nd and 22nd in K&N Pro East.
"To say that I'm where I hoped to be - definitely not. But, to say that I'm disappointed or discouraged with how everything has gone - definitely not," Pastrana said.
"I've learned a lot every race, although it doesn't seem like it from results. I feel like I've definitely gained a lot of knowledge and still know we have a lot to go."
At the end of last year, Pastrana announced he would run seven Nationwide races in 2011 with a team co-owned by Sprint Cup Series owner Michael Waltrip. In 2012, he plans to increase his schedule to at least 20 races.
Pastrana has an initial three-year deal with Waltrip and has said he hopes it lasts far longer.
"Definitely this is the most competitive form of racing probably in the world so I knew it was going to be a challenge," he said. "I knew it was going to be tough.
"I'm going to make sure that I've put every ounce of my effort into making sure that if I don't make it, it's not because of lack of trying.
"I'm not going to be 60 years old going, 'I wish I would've given that another year.' "
No newcomer's debut has been chronicled or anticipated more in NASCAR than Pastrana's since IndyCar Series fan favorite Danica Patrick made her NASCAR debut in February 2010.
Patrick has had some difficulty in making the transition and Pastrana expects the same.
"I have to earn my way in here, I realize that," he said. "Also, you have to try to do the best that you can. We'll see where that ends up."
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