Pursley, NAPA No. 9 Team Taking Up Residence in Knoxville
Daison Pursley and the NAPA Auto Parts No. 9 team are in Knoxville, Iowa, the Sprint Car Capitol of the World, for seven nights of competition against today’s top sprint car drivers. The Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing series is on pause while focus turns to the 36th Annual 360 Nationals and the 65th Annual Knoxville Nationals.
On Thursday, the American Sprint Car Series held the first qualifying night for the 360 Nationals. Pursley and the NAPA No. 9 team posted a 17.670 (46th of 53 cars) during time trials, leaving plenty of room for improvement as they adjusted to the 360 engine package. Pursley’s 16.455 (fifth) in qualifying set him up for a P6 start in Heat 5 after the six-car invert. He challenged up to third, locking himself into the A-Feature, and Pursley started the 20-lap main event in fifth. Before the end of the first lap, he was shuffled back to P9, and on the racy clay surface, back to P12, where he battled to stay in the top 10 for the majority of the competition. The NAPA No. 9 crossed the finish line 12th for the night, setting him up seventh in points for the 360 Nationals at the conclusion of Night 1.
Saturday marked the 36th Annual 360 Nationals Championship Night. With two qualifying nights in the books, all that was left was feature action. Pursley and the NAPA No. 9 posted a 17.426 (14th) during practice laps for the night, and that’s all before lining up 14th in the main event. When the green flag waved, Pursley got off to a shaky start on the frontstretch and never regained composure. By Turn 3, the No. 9 spun into the infield, unscathed but now in the back of the pack, and restarted the first lap from the 24th position. Pursley battled the other drivers and dirty air but only advanced to 21st, where he finished the 30-lap feature.
Sunday’s 14th Annual Capitani Classic at Knoxville Raceway was one last shot at getting the 410 engines and sprint cars in the right spot before the biggest week in the sport begins. Pursley posted a 15.660 in Hot Laps, 32nd quickest among 87 entries for the night, and 15.661 (19th) in Qualifying 1, lining him up seventh in the first Heat. Pursley remained in seventh, four spots short of locking into the feature and starting 10th in the B Main. In the 12-lap Last Chance dance, Pursley was able to advance two positions to eighth but fell short of locking into the main event.
Next up for Pursley and the NAPA team is the biggest week in sprint car racing, the Knoxville Nationals, streaming live on the DirtVision app. On August 20, High Limit Racing returns and makes its debut at Santa Maria Speedway in California. Catch every lap on FloSports.
Start / Finish:
Thursday, August 6: 5 / 12
Saturday, August 8: 14 / 21
Sunday, August 9: 10 / 8 (B-Main)
Points Standing / Total: 9th / 1,428 pts. (-379)
Next Race: August 12-15, Knoxville Nationals, Knoxville, Iowa
How to Watch or Listen: Dirtvision.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.