Pastrana recreates three of Evel’s most iconic feats
Photos and videos courtesy of Nitro Circus
Las Vegas, Nev., July 8—Sunday night, in front of an estimated 25,000 fans watching in-person from Las Vegas and more tuning in live on television across North America, action sports superstar Travis Pastrana celebrated Evel Knievel during the unprecedented HISTORY live event, Evel Live. Produced in partnership with Nitro Circus, “Evel Live” saw Pastrana pay homage to Knievel’s legacy as he set out to recreate three of the American legend’s most iconic jumps. Pastrana pushed the limits even further though, breaking Knievel’s famous car and Greyhound bus jump records before completing the epic Caesars Palace fountain jump that left Knievel grasping for his life 50 years ago. Shortly after Pastrana took a celebratory dive into the Caesars Palace fountains to cap off the night, #EvelLive trended at #1 on Twitter.
“I’m thrilled to have had this opportunity to honor Evel Knievel, whose guts and showmanship created the foundation for action sports,” Travis Pastrana said afterwards. “Evel pushed himself and flew further on a motorcycle than anyone thought possible. So with this modern day tribute we wanted to bridge generations—from my parents generation who was inspired by Evel to the generation after me who may not know much about the original stunt men who paved the way—HISTORY and Nitro Circus wanted to show just how incredible his accomplishments were. To be able do that in Las Vegas and at Caesars Palace, where Evel’s legend was born, is so awesome.”
In just three hours and under the pressure of a live TV broadcast, Pastrana first topped Knievel’s 1973 jump over 50 crushed cars by soaring more than 143 feet in the air over 52 vehicles. Then he surpassed Knievel’s 1975 jump over 14 buses, flying nearly four stories high and covering a jaw-dropping 192 feet to clear 16 modern-day Greyhound buses. In order to make room for the massive setup these jumps required the production teams from HISTORY and Nitro Circus to take over the space behind Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, Paris Las Vegas and Bally’s Las Vegas.
Afterwards, Pastrana took to the streets with a police escort to ride to the Caesars Palace jump site. Fans quickly lined Las Vegas Boulevard, exchanging high-fives with Pastrana from taxis and the side of the road as anticipation for the finale built. The motorcade quickly closed The Strip.
Then Pastrana faced the Caesars Palace fountain jump that nearly took Knievel’s life a half century ago after his infamous crash. As if that wasn’t daunting enough, given the expansion of Caesars Palace since Knievel’s ill-fated attempt, Pastrana had only a 200-foot run-in to accelerate to the 70-mph speed necessary to clear the fountain. Pastrana also had to contend with stifling heat reaching 102 degrees and, just before the event, potential thunderstorms. Even in ideal conditions and if he hit his speed marks perfectly, Pastrana would land with just a few feet to spare. But, after arcing over the fountains, Pastrana touched safely down on the landing ramp to the roaring crowd and a flash of pyrotechnics.
This electrifying event paid tribute to Evel Knievel in every possible detail. From Pastrana riding a Indian Scout FTR750, a modern day evolution of the flat track motorcycles of the past — and very different from the modern-day dirt bikes Pastrana usually rides—to the white leather suit and helmet decked out in American stars and stripes just like Knievel’s classic livery, these specifics illuminate how much Knievel achieved and the impact he has had on generations of fans.
Evel Live launched HISTORY’s second annual “Car Week” in breathtaking fashion. Upcoming “Car Week” programming includes Hot Rods and Muscle Cars (Monday, July 9), Truck Wars (Tuesday, July 10), Speed Demons (Wednesday, July 11) and Hot Wheels: 50th Anniversary Special (Thursday, July 12). All times are 8:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. Central.
North America can look forward to more daredevil thrills from Travis Pastrana and Nitro Circus this fall with the world debut of the “You Got This” tour, kicking off September 28. Pastrana will also throttle up on four wheels when he competes in the inaugural Nitro Rallycross, part of the groundbreaking Nitro World Games action sports competition, coming to Salt Lake City on September 22 and 23. Then in Spring 2019, Nitro Circus returns to Las Vegas in a big way, launching its first-ever resident stage show at Bally’s Las Vegas.
Evel Live was produced by Nitro Circus Media Productions in partnership with HISTORY and Caesars Entertainment. Trip Taylor and Dave Mateus are executive producers for Nitro Circus Media Productions. Zachary Behr, Sean Boyle and Mary E. Donahue were executive producers for HISTORY.
