Pursley Advances to Ninth in Standings after Five Races in Seven Days

Daison Pursley and the NAPA Auto Parts No. 9 team took to the Northeast to compete with High Limit Racing, competing five times in one week in Pennsylvania and New York and advancing in the standings as a result.

The whirlwind of events started on July 22, at Lernerville Speedway, on a rain-rescheduled event at the Sarver, Pennsylvania track. Pursley posted a 13.484 for 20th in Hot Laps and 13.209, eighth-quick in Qualifying Group A. The driver from Locust Grove, Oklahoma, started third in the second heat of the night, arguably the toughest position to keep, and fell back to fourth on the first lap, where he finished the eight-lap duel. The NAPA No. 9 started 15th in the evening’s 35-lap A Feature; a spin into the infield of the 4/10-mile clay dirt oval racetrack nearly reset his race, putting him back to P21 on lap 15. Pursley persevered and rallied through the field to 13th, where he crossed the finish line.

The following night, the NAPA No. 9 team took to the Empire State at Ransomville Speedway. Pursley was quickest in Hot Laps, posting a 14.368, and qualified fourth-quick with a 14.626 in Qualifying B, setting him up for the pole position in Heat 4. Pursley was able to maintain his lead through the 8-lap battle, landing him in the dash draw for the main event. Pursley landed in eighth at the redraw wheel, but the NAPA driver was able to advance one position during the 7-lap dash. Pursley then battled up to fifth in his first A-Feature lap around the 4/10-mile clay dirt oval racetrack, where he defended his position through the entire 30-lap event to earn a top-five finish.

On Friday, July 24, High Limit Racing took a pioneer trip to Stateline Speedway in Busti, New York. Purlsey’s track record is positive when tackling new territory, and the 1/3-mile semi-banked clay dirt oval was no exception. The No. 9 team clocked a 14.253 for fifth-quick on his first laps on the track and posted a 14.488 for 14th in Qualifying. Pursley started third in Heat 2 of the night and maintained his position through the 8-lap battle, setting him up for a P12 start in the night’s main event. As the 30-lap feature unfolded, Pursley found himself in the top 10 and as close to the front as ninth before losing one spot to Brock Zerfrost on the final lap. The NAPA No. 9 team brought home a 10th-place finish in the inaugural High Limit Racing event at Stateline Speedway.

On Saturday, the NAPA No. 9 team returned to Port Royal Speedway for the rescheduled Bob Weikert Memorial. The best of the PA Posse was ready for their battle with the High Limit Racing regulars; a total of 46 competitors were vying for $115,000 in prize money through the two-day event. Pursley posted a 17.071 for 11th during Hot Laps Group B, and a 16.96, fourth-quick during Qualifying B, landing him on the pole of Heat 4. Pursley was able to keep Posse driver Chase Dietz (23) behind him and secure his spot in the 410 Dash, which set the top eight spots for the night’s feature. At the redraw wheel, Pursley’s misfortune landed him in the final starting spot. He advanced to seventh, where he started the main event. During the A-Feature, the NAPA No. 9 fell back to the 11th position and battled for 18 laps before jumping a competitor’s wheel and spinning, drawing a caution and setting him back to P18. Pursley rallied back to P15 by the conclusion of the 25-lap race.

On Sunday, 45 teams checked in for the finale of the two-day Bob Weikert Memorial at Port Royal. Pursley ran a 16.358, 10th-quickest during Hot Laps, and 16.637 for fifth overall in Qualifying. With the invert format true to the Bob Weikert Memorial tradition, the NAPA No. 9 started P7 in Heat 1 of the night and would need to pass his opponents to gain points. Pursley battled to P5, gaining two spots and enough points to make the draw to determine the top 10 starting positions for the night’s event. Pursley was fourth in points going into the draw and picked the fifth starting position for the 40-lap A Feature. The NAPA No. 9 slipped back to P6 on the first lap, but Pursley was able to keep his position until the 20-lap mandated red-flag pit stop. Back on track, Pursley did not get the restart he’d hoped for and slipped back to P8. The NAPA No. 9 was able to stay inside the top 10, bringing home an eighth-place finish at the end of 40 grueling laps.

Next up, Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing visits Bridgeport Motorsports Park in New Jersey, on Tuesday, July 28, before heading back to Knoxville, Iowa, for one of the biggest weeks in racing, the Knoxville Nationals. Watch it all live on the FloRacing app.

Start / Finish:
Wednesday, July 22, Lernerville Speedway: 15 / 13
Thursday, July 23, Ransomville Speedway: 7 / 5
Friday, July 24, Stateline Speedway: 12 / 10
Saturday, July 25, Port Royal Speedway: 7 / 15
Sunday, July 26, Port Royal Speedway: 5 / 8
Points Standing / Total: 9th / 1,428 pts. (-379)

Next Race: Tuesday, July 28, Bridgeport Motorsports Park, Bridgeport, New Jersey
How to Watch or Listen: Floracing.com

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