Pursley Battles at the Diamond of Dirt Tracks

Driver Daison Pursley and the NAPA Auto Parts No. 9 team traveled to Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri, for a three-day High Limit Racing event at the “Diamond of Dirt Tracks.” The weekend culminated with Saturday’s 16th annual Jesse Hockett/Daniel McMillin Memorial, which offered a $25,000 payday.

The Kasey Kahne Racing team rolled up to the 3/8-mile oval on Thursday, September 17, and Pursley’s first laps around the track clocked in at 13.884, placing him 27th fastest among 42 competitors. He improved to a 13.234 in qualifying, good for 21st overall. Under the event’s invert format, Pursley started on the pole for Heat 1. The NAPA driver lost the front row at the start and dropped to P5 on the opening lap before falling to sixth by Lap 3. He fought his way back into the top five to attempt to secure a transfer spot to the feature but came up one spot shy, sending him to the evening’s B Feature. Starting third in the B Feature, the NAPA No. 9 slipped to P5 and fell outside a transfer position. Refusing to give up the opportunity to advance, Pursley battled back to fourth and held the position over the final six laps. He started 24th in the 30-lap A Feature and climbed to P19, where he battled for seven laps before continuing his charge through the field. Pursley ultimately finished 11th, earning another Hard Charger Award after gaining 13 positions.

On Friday, Pursley opened the night 16th in Hot Laps with a 13.817-second lap. He followed with a disappointing 13.350-second qualifying effort, ranking 29th among 41 competitors and lining him up eighth in Heat 1. He remained P8 throughout the 10-lap heat. Pursley’s night took a turn in the B Feature. Starting P9, he fell back to P13. The NAPA No. 9 team then utilized a High Limit provisional to start the A Feature from P25. Pursley battled near the back of the field for most of the 30-lap event but moved forward late to finish 18th.

After two difficult nights at the Diamond of Dirt Tracks, Pursley and the NAPA No. 9 team looked to turn their fortunes around on Saturday. However, a greasy Lucas Oil Speedway surface made passing difficult. Pursley recorded a 14.739-second lap in Hot Laps and entered Qualifier 1 locked into P6 based on points. He made a strong start to move into fifth, but the challenging track conditions limited passing opportunities. Pursley finished one position short of transferring directly to the feature and started third in the evening’s B Feature. His night ended during the last-chance event when he spun and finished fifth, just outside a transfer position. With no provisionals available, the NAPA No. 9 team was forced to watch the main event from the sidelines.

High Limit Racing’s Midweek Series finale is next. On Wednesday, September 23, the NAPA no. 9 team will travel to Kokomo Speedway in Indiana. Fans can watch the event live on FS1 or stream every lap on FloRacing. High Limit Racing then heads to Eldora Speedway in Ohio for the annual 4-Crown Nationals on Friday and Saturday, September 25–26. Every lap will be streamed live on FloRacing.

Start / Finish:
Thursday, September 17: 24 / 11
Friday, September 18: 25 / 18
Saturday, September 19: 3 / 5 (B Feature)
Points Standing / Total: 2,178 pts. (-612)

Next Race: Wednesday, September 23, Kokomo Speedway, Kokomo, Indiana
How to Watch or Listen: Floracing.com

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