Pursley and NAPA No. 9 Show Speed in Debut at DIRTcar Nationals

The new era of Kasey Kahne Racing officially began last week as Daison Pursley made his debut behind the wheel of the NAPA Auto Parts No. 9 at Volusia Speedway Park during the prestigious DIRTcar Nationals with the World of Outlaws.

After an offseason dedicated to building KKR’s program around Pursley, the event marked the first opportunity for the newly assembled team to compete together. Team owner Kasey Kahne remains heavily involved in the pits alongside newly appointed crew chief Jarrett Martin, who stepped into the leadership role late last season. Returning for his third year with the organization, Tayte Williamson continues to serve as car chief and engine specialist, while Ryan Boyd joined the team as tire specialist following prior success working with Pursley.

The stacked field at Volusia featured 44 of the top sprint car drivers in the country, providing an early-season test for the NAPA team.

On Wednesday, Pursley qualified 11th in Group A among 22 in the group, placing the NAPA No. 9 sixth on the grid for the heat race. He maintained position to finish sixth, transferring to the Last Chance Showdown.

A strong run in the B-Main resulted in a fourth-place finish, locking Pursley into the 25-lap feature event with a 24th-place starting position.

The NAPA team delivered a fast race car. Pursley quickly charged through the field, advancing to 11th just 12 laps into the race before an ignition box failure forced him into the work area. The crew made rapid repairs and returned him to competition at the tail of the field.

Undeterred, Pursley again showcased impressive speed, climbing back through traffic to finish 13th — a great recovery that highlighted the team’s potential in its first outing together.

Thursday’s program was canceled due to inclement weather.

On Friday, Pursley timed in 15th in Group B, lining up eighth in the third heat race. He advanced two positions to finish sixth, narrowly missing an automatic transfer to the feature by one spot.

Starting fourth in the B-Main, the team elected to make adjustments to gather additional data on the new combination. The changes ultimately made the car more difficult to maneuver, resulting in a seventh-place finish and ending the night short of the feature event.

Armed with valuable notes from the previous nights, the NAPA No. 9 team responded on Saturday with speed in qualifying, posting the fifth-fastest lap in Group B out of 20 cars in that flight.

A fourth-place finish in the heat race secured a direct transfer into the feature, where Pursley started 14th. He maintained a strong pace throughout the event and advanced one position to bring the NAPA No. 9 home in 13th at the checkered flag.

Despite the challenges that come with launching the new program, the weekend proved productive for the Kasey Kahne Racing squad. The team showed consistent speed, gained valuable data, and continued building chemistry with each night on track.

With momentum already forming, the focus continues toward the High Limit Racing season opener, scheduled for March 12–14 at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. KKR plans to compete in additional World of Outlaws events in the coming weeks to further strengthen the program ahead of the High Limit championship campaign.

Start / Finish:
Wednesday, Feb. 4: 24 / 13
Friday, Feb. 6: 4 / 7 (B-Main)
Saturday, Feb. 7: 14 / 13

NAPA: @NAPARacing
Daison Pursley: @DaisonPursley
Kasey Kahne Racing: @KKRdirt