Travis Pastrana competes during Global RallyCross at
Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 26. He'll drive
Rally in this week's X Games.

Pastrana crashed during MotoX Best Trick during X
Games in August, 2011. Photo: X Games.

(As seen on USA Today Sports) - Travis Pastrana returns to the X Games this weekend with a narrower agenda — compared to last year's multi-discipline "Pastranathon" — but with just as much zeal.

The Annapolis, Md., native will participate exclusively in Rallycross in the annual extreme-sports competition that begins today in Los Angeles.

"It's a neat time for me — a transition from motorcycles to the cars," said Pastrana, who is running a part-time schedule with Toyota in NASCAR's (second-level) Nationwide Series and a Global RallyCross season with Dodge.

"It should be really fun. It's a similar track to last year with a couple more jumps through the corners. I'm looking forward to get into it with the Dodge Dart."

Pastrana, whose 11 MotoX and Rally gold medals and Nitro Circus TV show, have garnered him countless fans (his Twitter followers top 420,000), expanded his appeal in 2011 after announcing his intention to race NASCAR.

Last August, he embarked on an ambitious attempt to compete in MotoX Best Trick on a Friday night, race a Nationwide stock car on Saturday, then fly back to Los Angeles for Rallycross on Sunday.

The effort, famously dubbed "Pastranathon," ended after Pastrana crashed during the best-trick competition, breaking his right foot and ankle. He skipped the NASCAR race and eventually returned to race Rallycross with his right leg in a cast.

"Last year, it was much more difficult, and I had to drive more conservative," Pastrana said, laughing. "This year, we're back on track. So hopefully we'll have a good result."

His first year in NASCAR has produced middling results, with finishes between 17th and 26th in his four races for Pastrana Waltrip Racing. His next Nationwide race is July 14 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

"NASCAR been humbling and challenging," Pastrana said. "I hate losing, and it sucks, but it's kind of exciting to have that opportunity to progress and line up knowing you're not the best but hoping you can figure it out in that race."