MECHANICSVILLE, Md. — Maryland action sports icon and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Travis Pastrana will return to Budds Creek Motocross Park as Grand Marshal of the 36th Yamaha Budds Creek National presented by Carter CAT.
MX Sports Pro Racing and Budds Creek Motocross Park announced Pastrana will serve as the ceremonial ambassador for the Aug. 22 race, which is the penultimate round of the Pro Motocross Championship and Round 27 of the 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship regular season.
The appearance marks a homecoming for Pastrana, an Annapolis native who grew up racing at Budds Creek before becoming one of the most recognizable names in action sports.
As part of the race-day festivities, Pastrana will hold an autograph session from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Budds Creek. He is also expected to take part in other activities throughout the National as organizers recognize his career and contributions to motocross.
“The sport of motocross, action sports, and motorsports as a whole have never seen an athlete more gifted and dynamic than Travis Pastrana,” said Ezra Beasley, organizer of Budds Creek Motocross Park. “No one transcended into the mainstream quite like this happy-go-lucky young kid from Annapolis, who simply loved going fast and pushing the limits of what’s possible.”
Beasley noted that more than two decades after Pastrana’s first professional gate drop, he remains one of the sport’s most popular figures.
“We’re honored to have him as our Grand Marshal and know our fans will be thrilled to see him make a return to Budds Creek,” Beasley said.
From Budds Creek To Motocross Stardom
Pastrana became a household name as a teenage freestyle motocross standout before transitioning into professional motocross and Supercross competition.
Under the guidance of Roger DeCoster at Suzuki, Pastrana won the 2000 AMA Motocross 125cc Championship as a rookie and followed that with the 2001 AMA Supercross East 125cc Championship.
He also helped Team USA win the 2000 FIM Motocross of Nations in France.
Pastrana eventually stepped away from full-time racing following the 2005 season, but remained a major figure in freestyle motocross, collecting numerous X Games gold medals and becoming known for high-risk tricks and record-setting stunts.
His contributions to motorcycling led to his induction into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2023.
Career Expanded Far Beyond Two Wheels
Pastrana’s career later expanded into rally racing, NASCAR, offshore powerboat racing and a long list of world-record stunt attempts.
He became an American Rally Association champion and also found success in rally competition at the X Games.
Pastrana later became a central figure in the Gymkhana series, carrying on a legacy associated with his late mentor and friend Ken Block.
He also helped create Nitro Circus, which grew from a group of action sports athletes pushing the limits of their respective sports into a television series and international touring production.
Two Big Maryland Events In One Weekend
Pastrana’s appearance at Budds Creek will be followed one day later by another major Maryland event.
On Sunday, Aug. 23, he is scheduled to perform with the Nitro Circus 2.0 tour at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis.
That gives fans an opportunity to make a full weekend out of the two events, with Pro Motocross at Budds Creek on Saturday followed by Nitro Circus in Annapolis on Sunday.
Race Day Schedule
The Yamaha Budds Creek National will take place Saturday, Aug. 22.
On-track action begins at 8 a.m. ET, followed by opening ceremonies at 12:15 p.m.
Motos for the 250SMX Class, 450SMX Class and WMX are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.
Live network coverage of the second motos will air on NBC beginning at 3:30 p.m., while streaming coverage on Peacock begins with Race Day Live at 10 a.m. before moto coverage starts at 1 p.m.
More information on the Nitro Circus tour is available at nitrocircus.com.
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