Pursley Opens High Limit Season Showing Early Speed in NAPA No. 9
Daison Pursley and the NAPA Auto Parts No. 9 team officially kicked off the 2026 High Limit Racing season over the past two weeks, competing in six races across Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Central Arizona Raceway. Following an offseason focused on building chemistry and speed, the Kasey Kahne Racing team entered the year with momentum and immediately showed promise against a strong field of competitors.
The High Limit season opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway marked the first points-paying events of the year, and the NAPA No. 9 ran consistently inside the top 10 throughout the three-night weekend.
On Thursday, Pursley qualified eighth in Flight A and advanced to a 12th-place finish in the feature after starting 15th. Friday brought one of the team’s strongest performances of the weekend, as Pursley qualified third, ran up front in the heat race, and drove from ninth to sixth in the A-Main.
The weekend concluded Saturday with another solid showing as the NAPA No. 9 qualified third once again and advanced from 13th to 10th in the feature. The consistent results to open the season positioned the team well in the early championship standings and reinforced the speed shown throughout the offseason.
The team carried that momentum into Central Arizona Raceway for the Cactus Classic, where Pursley delivered a standout performance on Thursday night. After qualifying 10th in a stout, 31-car field, Pursley advanced through his heat race and charged from 10th to a third-place finish in the A-Main, earning the first ever podium for the NAPA No. 9 team.
Friday and Saturday presented challenges, as the team continued to show speed but was ultimately sidelined by incidents in both feature events, resulting in a pair of DNFs. Despite the setbacks, the pace of the NAPA No. 9 remained evident throughout the weekend.
The NAPA No. 9 team now turns its focus to the next event at Vado Speedway Park in New Mexico on Tuesday as the 2026 High Limit Racing season continues.
Start / Finish:
Thursday, March 12, Las Vegas Motor Speedway: 15 / 12
Friday, March 13, Las Vegas Motor Speedway: 9 / 6
Saturday, March 14, Las Vegas Motor Speedway: 13 / 10
Thursday, March 19, Central Arizona Raceway: 10 / 3
Friday, March 20, Central Arizona Raceway: DNF
Saturday, March 21, Central Arizona Raceway: DNF
Points Standing / Total: 11th / 281 pts. (-125)
Next Race: Tuesday, March 24, Vado Speedway Park, Vado, NM
How to Watch or Listen: Floracing.com
NAPA: @NAPARacing
Daison Pursley: @DaisonPursley
Kasey Kahne Racing: @KKRdirt
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Kasey Kahne Racing (KKR), based in Mooresville, NC, was formed in 2005 and employs more than ten people dedicated to sprint car racing. The organization competes full-time in High Limit Racing and is led by team owner and former NASCAR Cup Series driver Kasey Kahne. For the 2026 season, KKR fields the NAPA Auto Parts No. 9, driven full-time by Daison Pursley in High Limit Racing. KKR has 7 World of Outlaws and High Limit Racing Championships (Daryn Pittman in ’13 and Brad Sweet in ’19, ’20, ’21, ’22, ’23 & ’24). Since its inception, KKR has earned 295+ national dirt car victories, solidifying its status as one of the most successful teams in modern sprint car racing.