Pastrana wins Better Half Dash

CONCORD, N.C.

An X Games star added another victory to her record Thursday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

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Lyn-Z Adams Hawkins Pastrana topped the field of NASCAR wives, girlfriends and media members in the Better Half Dash at Charlotte on Thursday afternoon. The wife of NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Travis Pastrana, an eight-time X Games medalist in skateboarding, outdueled the field in the 25-lap showdown.

Twelve women competed in Bandolero cars in the event to benefit Speedway Children’s Charities and Motor Racing Outreach. Jacquelyn Butler, fiancée of Sprint Cup driver David Ragan, finished second with SPEED analyst Wendy Venturini third.

“This is my third time in a car,” Pastrana said. “The first time was an off-road buggy, the second time was two laps in a restrictor-plate NASCAR celebrity race, and then this car.”

She has, however, done some karting.

As accomplished an athlete as she is, though, Pastrana still admits she had some nerves in the race.

“I skateboard for a living, but this is very different,” she said. “I was so nervous I don’t think I could do more than one year (of the annual ace). I was white-knucled the whole time, sweat dripping down my visor. (Travis) was calming me down the whole time.”

Travis Pastrana worked as her spotter during the race, which she said did help calm her.

“It was so fun,” she said. “We don’t do that well when we’re teaching each other stuff, but this was something that we really clicked on. I never yelled at him once, and he never got mad at me, so it was good.”