Motor sports

CONCORD, N.C. -- Travis Pastrana is taking media members for rides in his 600-horsepower all-wheel drive Dodge Dart. He speeds into a turn that's as tight as a man who spends Memorial Day weekend with a metal detector.

Pastrana spins around an orange cone and skids beautifully until he smacks the back of the car into the chain-link fence in the zMax Dragway parking lot.

Pastrana returns to his hauler, his crew does a quick check, and he takes off again. Soon he goes skidding majestically around a cone, tires squealing and smoke rising, and with the back of the Dart pops the fence harder than the previous time.

Participating in any sport requires a measure of responsibility as a role model. It is a natural consequence of being involved and occurs whether the person likes it or not. When a person mounts an ATV and moves out onto the trail, an observer will form an opinion. It is important to be a good ambassador for your sport.

Ryan Villopoto bounced back from two years of injury and illness to have one of the greatest seasons in motocross history, taking home Supercross and outdoor titles, along with scoring the richest payday in the sport's history.

So what does he plan for an encore?

Well, it's not really a plan. He spent the offseason working to get himself in the best shape possible and will simply climb back on his dirt bike, see where it takes him.