“Gymkhana 2022” is a worthy addition to Ken Block’s wildly popular gymkhana viral video series, featuring Travis Pastrana in his 1983 Subaru GL named Family Huckster Lots of crazy stunts performed in station wagon. But almost every stunt in the video barely happens.
Subaru of America’s “Launch Control” YouTube show is producing a three-part behind-the-scenes featurette titled “Road to Gymkhana 2022,” which showcases the grueling struggles of overcoming injuries, mechanical issues and old bad luck. Note that the second episode was filmed before the death of series creator Ken Block.
The problems started when Pastrana was injured trying to BASE jump from a building in Fort Lauderdale. A parachute failure resulted in a hard landing, which resulted in Pastrana’s hospitalization and a six-month suspension from filming. Despite being bedridden, Pastrana is optimistic because of his years of experience putting his body at risk.
Travis Pastrana driving Subaru station wagon at Gymkhana 2022
“Travis has had an unusual injury history,” Subaru of America motorsports manager William Stokes said in the video. So he has no problem getting back behind the wheel after recovery.
After filming resumed, a drag race between Pastrana and YouTube personality Cleetus McFarland in a 3,000-horsepower Chevrolet El Camino went awry. A bug in the Chevrolet’s engine mapping meant it refused to start hard, and then the Family Huckster also had problems. This was especially problematic because the race was filmed on a closed public street with limited time available for filming.
Another time limit is during the day. The sun was setting and the clock was ticking when everything was getting ready to film Pastrana performing the stunt with a monster truck. The rest of the time is good for two or three tries, easily eaten up in multiple takes trying to find the right camera angle or mechanical issues.
In that high-pressure situation, the Pastrana hit a concrete barrier, damaging the suspension and rear axle. Switching to rally pit crew mode, Subaru’s mechanics land on the injured car and get it working again just in time for a shot.
If you’ve seen “Gymkhana 2022,” Subaru’s behind-the-scenes video is definitely worth watching to see just how much effort goes into making something as dangerous and unpredictable as a gymkhana video.