Pursley Earns Kokomo Podium after Challenging 4-Crown Nationals
With the High Limit Racing midweek event in Kokomo, IN, weather-postponed until Sunday, Daison Pursley and the NAPA Auto Parts No.9 team’s first laps on track for the week came Friday at the 4-Crown Nationals held at the famed Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.
Pursley’s first qualifying laps around “The Big E” on Friday clocked in at 13.326 seconds, placing him sixth fastest in Qualifying B of the Night Be-Four the Crowns Showdown. Starting P2 in Heat 4 of the night, Pursley slipped back one position but was able to hold on to third through the eight-lap battle, locking him into P12 to start the night’s A Feature event. The NAPA No. 9 was dialed in for the 25-lap main event, quickly advancing to 10th on the opening lap and gaining another position before the checkers.
With the 4-Crown Nationals title on the line for Saturday, the NAPA No. 9 team came ready for competition and hungry for their first win of the season. Pursley posted a 13.622-second lap (24th) in practice before lining up second to start Heat 2 of the night by way of event points. The NAPA driver was able to defend his position during the eight-lap battle, setting him up for a tenth-place start in the 30-lap A Feature event. Pursley battled between P10 and P11 before getting over the cushion between turns 1 and 2 and slamming into the wall, drawing a red flag and ending his night on lap 11.
On Sunday, the NAPA No. 9 team worked hard to rebuild the torn-up racecar and their confidence for another night of competition in Kokomo, the High Limit midweek series rain makeup date at “Indiana’s Baddest Bullring.” Leaving room for improvement, Pursley posted an 11.907-second lap during Hot Laps, 23rd out of 31 competitors, and an 11.395-second effort (12th) in Qualifying. That placed the NAPA machine in second to start Heat 4 of the night. During his heat, Pursley sprinted to the front of the pack and didn’t look back, finishing first and stamping his ticket to the Dash to set the starting lineup for the Main Event. Pursley drew a second-place starting position and battled to defend his position but slipped back to third on lap 4 of the eight-lap shootout. That result set the NAPA No. 9 up to start third in the A Feature of the night. Pursley showed early speed and chased down the race leader from second for most of the 35-lap duel, swapping slide jobs and positions with the third-place competitor. In lapped traffic on lap 30, Pursley slid back to third and held the spot to the finish, marking his third podium of the season with High Limit Racing.
With 50 of 54 races in the books for the 2026 High Limit Racing series, the High Rollers make their second appearance of the season at Lakeside Speedway for the two-day Heartland of America Showdown on October 9-10, before heading to Texas for the two-day season finale the weekend of October 16. Every lap will be streamed live on FloRacing.
Start / Finish:
Friday, September 25, Eldora Speedway: 12 / 9
Saturday, September 26, Eldora Speedway: 10 / 23
Sunday, September 27, Kokomo Speedway: 3 / 3
Points Standing / Total: 9th / 2,328 pts. (-655)
Next Race: Friday, October 9, Lakeside Speedway, Kansas City, Kansas
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.