Pursley, NAPA No. 9 Team Fight for Royalty

Daison Pursley and the NAPA Auto Parts No. 9 team traveled to Rossburg, Ohio, to the famed Eldora Speedway to compete in one of the sport’s biggest race events of the year, the Kings Royal. Every event leading up to the final match was as fiery as the pyrotechnics on the frontstretch.

Hosted by High Limit Racing, the Double Down Duels on July 15 started the week off with a high-stakes card giving fans two sets of qualifying, heat races, and 25-lap features all in one night and building towards Thursday’s $ 100,000-to-win Joker’s Jackpot. Behind the wheel of the NAPA No. 9, Pursley posted a 13.797 lap for 25th-quick on his practice laps and timed in at 13.357, ninth-quick, in Qualifying – Group A, setting him up to start Heat 1 from P5. As the first heat rolled off, Pursley stumbled to a start and made his first turn in P7. He took the next nine laps to challenge back to P4, where he crossed the start-finish line and locked into the feature. A quick invert saw Pursley starting in P3 of the Group 1 A Feature. With a thick field of competitors, he lost the nearly-front-row view, sliding back to sixth in the opening lap and as deep as 12th at lap 19. Still, Pursley rallied and was able to make up ground in the last six laps of the feature event, crossing the start-finish in ninth for the night.

On Thursday night, the annual Joker’s Jackpot hosted by High Limit Racing put a $100,000 payday on the line. With fans worldwide watching on live television via FS1, the stars of High Limit stepped up and delivered a spectacular main event at “The Big E.” Among a 55-car field, Pursley’s first laps on the track were 13.675 for 20th during hot laps, the only time on track before lining up third in the Group 1 B Feature. The NAPA No. 9 held the third position and locked into the main event, starting 17th. This spectacle truly brought together all of sprint car racing’s top contenders in one place. In the stacked field, Pursley slipped back to P19 in the opening lap and ultimately to P23, but he was able to avoid a few late cautions. Despite being two laps down, he kept the NAPA car in motion and unscathed, bringing home a 19th-place finish.

Fifty-nine competitors checked in to Friday’s weather-threatened event, the Knight Before the Kings Royal hosted by the World of Outlaws. Pursley clocked a 13.183 for 10th during opening hot laps, and he matched that position with a 13.19 lap during Qualifying Flight A. Rainfall and a lengthy weather delay then changed up the track even more. Pursley used that to his advantage in Heat 1, where he started on the bubble for the feature in P6 and advanced to P5 to lock into a P17 start in feature competition. In the 30-lap main event, Purlsey made a steady march forward, taking three spots during lap 14 and continuing inside the top 10. The NAPA No. 9 was able to reach ninth by lap 24 and held the same spot crossing the start-finish line under the checkered flag.

Saturday, July 18 brought the week of competition to its grand finale, the 43rd Annual Kings Royal hosted by the World of Outlaws. The traditional Kings Royal format includes six heat races, consolation mains, and the 40-lap main event that paid $200,000 to win. Purlsey left plenty of room for improvement during his opening laps, clocking a 14.715 for 49th and 15.507 for 46th, with the misfortune of drawing a high pill draw and going out late on a slowing track. The NAPA Driver lined up eighth in Heat 3 of the night and kept the position, placing the NAPA machine in P23 to start the Last Chance Showdown. Finishing the B feature in 20th, Pursley’s campaign ended with the NAPA team on the outside looking in on the main event.

Next up, High Limit Racing visits Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday, July 21, for the $25,000-to-win Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup. Watch live on the FloRacing app.

Start / Finish: 
Wednesday, July 15: 3 / 9
Thursday, July 16: 17 / 19
Friday, July 17: 17 / 9
Saturday, July 18: 23 / 20 (B-Main)
Points Standing / Total: 10th / 1,163 pts. (-372)

Next Race: Tuesday, July 21, Lernerville Speedway, Sarver, Penn.
How to Watch or Listen: Floracing.com

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