SALISBURY, N.C. – The largest single-class car count in the history of Millbridge Speedway turned out in force Monday as practice night for the TRD Keith Kunz Motorsports Giveback Classic presented by Rowdy Energy took center stage at the sixth-mile dirt oval.
When all was said and done, 112 entries and nearly as many different drivers had turned in at least one lap during a three-and-a-half-hour marathon session, setting the stage for two days of racing.
Pennsylvania’s Alex Bright – who won last year’s non-winged micro biggie at Millbridge during the TRD Micro Showdown – was the fastest man in town, jumping to the top of the charts with roughly 30 minutes to go and holding serve until the finish in his familiar No. 20.
Bright’s best lap was his last of 32 trips around the sixth mile, a time of 10.412 seconds (57.626 mph).
The driver who led nearly two hours of the practice block on Monday night was Oklahoma’s Daison Pursley, who ended up second-quick overall in the Keith Kunz Motorsports/Bullet by Sawyer No. 71.
Pursley’s time of 10.451 seconds (57.411 mph) held for much of the night, and even though it was bumped down late, the 16-year-old is still extremely confident about his chances to contend.
“Keith has this thing on rails right now. It’s easy to do my job and go out there and drive it, and make it look easy,” Pursley relayed. “He’s definitely has put a lot of work in this car and it shows, and I’m glad that it’s showing, because he and my dad have been busting their butt on this thing. I can’t thank them enough for that.
“Everyone here is really, really good; I mean, you’ve got (Ricky) Stenhouse, Justin Grant, Cannon (McIntosh), Zeb (Wise) and everyone like that, and to be as fast as we are against all of them really pumps me up for this week.”
Pursley believes if his car remains as consistent as it was Monday, he should have a shot to take home a $15,000 payday come Wednesday night.
“Right now I definitely think this car can win,” Pursley noted. “If the driver stays on top of his game and gets everything right and runs two good laps in qualifying first so we can make it through our heat race and make a qualifier, we should be just fine. If we start in the front two rows or even the top three rows, I think we’ll have a shot at 15 grand, for sure.”
Recently-tabbed Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson, who will return to NASCAR next year, struggled early in his Jake Hagopian No. 88k but rallied late with the third-fastest time, just .079 seconds off of Bright’s leading mark at 10.491 seconds (57.192 mph).
Indiana teenager Emerson Axsom was fourth-fastest and Austin Quick filled out the top five.
Sixth through 10th were Brent Crews, Ryan Timms, Gavan Boschele, Christopher Bell and Carson Kvapil.
Notables deeper in the order included Cannon McIntosh (12th), Chase Cabre (17th), USAC star Justin Grant (19th), NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series rookie Tanner Gray (36th), Dillon Welch (46th), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (48th), Kaylee Bryson (64th), and Max McLaughlin (100th).
With that kind of a star-studded list of entries, particularly those with midget experience, Bell compared this year’s KKM Giveback Classic to a particular crown jewel midget race he’s won three times before.
“You look around, and you see all these cars that can easily win; it kind of gives this deal a feel like the Chili Bowl,” Bell said, a faint smile as he did so. “It’s really cool, what they’ve done with it.”
The event’s flip count stands at five through practice night. All drivers were able to walk away, including Caden Englehart, who got upside down twice in turns three and four.
To view the full list of practice times, advance to the next page.