Kyle Busch and Travis Pastrana plan to rock Berlin Raceway Tuesday night

Kyle Busch and Travis Pastrana plan to rock Berlin Raceway Tuesday night

By Steve Kaminski | Skaminsk@mlive.com MLive.com

MARNE – NASCAR superstar Kyle Busch is known as Wild Thing for his exciting, aggressive driving style, but come Tuesday night, the Las Vegas native might not be the craziest guy to tackle Berlin Raceway’s half-mile.

Motorcycle daredevil Travis Pastrana, who has signed up to compete in the Rowdy 251, a 251-lap Super Late Model race, likely has Busch topped when it comes to crazy.

“They have a dirt pile off of turn two,” Busch said. “We told (Pastrana) that’s for him, that he has to do a barrel roll. He sounded like he was up for it. But we will see what he can do.

“But no, Travis is good. He’ s a pretty cool cat. He does a nice job when he is racing in the K & N stuff and the Nationwide stuff, so he is getting better and better in what I call the NASCAR realm. This is certainly going to be a new test for what he has been learning the last few years.”

Busch and Pastrana arrived at Berlin Monday afternoon and participated in a press conference before taking to the track. Berlin hosted a test session for the Super Late Model field Monday, and nearly 40 cars participated in the practice.

The dirt pile will be used for a race in September when officials plan to cover the asphalt surface with dirt and host the World of Outlaws Late Model Series. That race and Tuesday’s Rowdy 251 are expected to be Berlin’s biggest races of the year.

Pastrana is a multi-time X Games Gold Medal winner, stunt performer and rally racer who began dabbling in NASCAR sanctioned stock car races a year ago. He is making his first trip to Berlin, and he will be teaming up with veteran Berlin driver Brian Campbell of Wyoming, who is one of the race favorites.

Tuesday’s race will be Pastrana’s first at Berlin.

“Brian took me around the track for a few laps today, and then Kyle took me around for a few laps, and they both had completely opposite lines,” Pastrana said. “I think somewhere between the two, I should be OK.

“We are pretty much racing any cars now, whether it’s rally cars, K & N or Nationwide, so pretty much all of our weekends are taken. Basically, I put the word out to anybody that if there is a Tuesday that has drivers I can learn from, and basically, I can learn from anybody, then I’m interested. I heard Kyle is going to be out here, so we put out the word.”

Tickets for Tuesday’s races are $22 for adults, while children 11-and-younger are free. There will be an autograph session at 6 p.m. Tuesday’s program includes the Modified class.