Pursley, NAPA No. 9 Team Wrap West Coast Swing

Daison Pursley and the NAPA Auto Parts No. 9 team rounded out the High Limit Racing series West Coast Swing, traveling north to visit Douglas County Dirt Track (OR) before moving on to Alger (WA) for the Skagit Nationals and a $126,000 payday.

On August 31 at Douglas County, Pursley opened the night with an eighth-fastest lap of 12.650 before qualifying 10th overall with an 11.846 among 31 contenders, earning a P2 start in Heat 2. After a hard-fought, eight-lap battle, Pursley defended his position and secured a spot in the A-Feature. Starting 10th in the 30-lap feature, Pursley moved up to eighth for several laps before dropping back to 11th. Determined to reclaim a top-10 finish, he charged forward and defended his position over the final two laps to earn his 18th top-10 finish of the season.

September 3 marked the first night of the Skagit Nationals, and Pursley opened the evening with the third-fastest time in Hot Laps, recording an 11.771. However, the track changed considerably before qualifying, and his 11.892 placed him 26th among 37 qualifiers. Starting seventh in Heat 2, the NAPA No. 9 advanced to sixth, sending Pursley to the B-Feature. In the stacked, 12-lap B-Main, Pursley started fourth and was on the bubble for a spot in the main event. By lap eight, he had secured third place and ultimately transferred to the A-Feature, where he started 23rd for the 30-lap event. Pursley charged forward, moving to 17th by lap three and 13th by lap eight. With eight laps remaining, he broke into the top 10 in ninth and held on to bring the NAPA No. 9 home with another top-10 finish on the season. His impressive charge earned him Hard Charger honors.

On Friday at Skagit, Pursley recorded an 11.891 in Hot Laps, good for 11th, before qualifying ninth with an 11.658. Carrying momentum from the previous night, he advanced from fourth to third on the opening lap of Heat 1 to secure a spot in the A-Feature. Starting fourth in Friday’s main event, the NAPA No. 9 battled at the front of the field for 18 laps. Misfortune struck on lap 19 when a malfunction caused the throttle to stick, ending Pursley’s night. He was scored 23rd.

For Saturday night’s Skagit Nationals finale, Kasey Kahne Racing hosted 35 members of the NAPA Network at the track, with VIP access to the pits, a catered meal, and a meet-and-greet with Kasey Kahne and Daison Pursley. On the track, Pursley recorded a 23.075 in Hot Laps and, based on points, secured the fourth starting position in Qualifier 1. He dropped back one spot on the opening lap, narrowly missing a direct transfer to the feature while earning the pole for the B-Feature. The NAPA No. 9 led all 15 laps of the B-Feature, securing the 21st starting position for the finale. Pursley battled through the middle of the pack, survived a treacherous red-flag incident, and charged forward to finish 13th. With a best lap of 12.992, he earned his second Hard Charger award of the weekend.

The 2,800-mile trek across the country to Port Royal (PA) begins now as the team heads to Port Royal Speedway for the Tuscarora 50, a three-day showdown between the High Limit High Rollers and the PA Posse, September 10–12.

Start / Finish:
Monday, August 31, Douglas County Dirt Track: 10 / 10
Thursday, September 3, Skagit Nationals: 23 / 9
Friday, September 4, Skagit Nationals: 4 / 23
Saturday, September 5, Skagit Nationals: 21 / 13
Points Standing / Total: 10th / 1,907 pts. (-529)

Next Race: September 10-12, Port Royal Speedway, Port Royal, Penn.
How to Watch or Listen: Floracing.com

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