JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – There was no stopping Daison Pursley during night three of Illinois Speed Week Friday at Jacksonville Speedway with the Lucas Oil POWRi National Midget League.
Pursley led all 30 laps for his third POWRi midget win of the season and the fourth of his career, though it didn’t come without a late challenge from his Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports teammate Buddy Kofoid.
A caution for Emerson Axsom set up a green-white-checkered restart, during which Kofoid banged wheels with Pursley in the final corner as the pair raced toward the checkered flag. Pursley ultimately prevailed at the finish line in the No. 71k iBuyPower-sponsored, Toyota-powered Bullet by Spike.
“I felt like I could rip the top and I stuck with it,“ said Pursley of what won him the race. “I knew Buddy was coming and he’d be there at the end. It was tough with lapped traffic. I have to thank my parents, as well as the entire team and everyone involved. I think we’ve got our mojo back.”
Starting from the front row after winning his heat race earlier in the night, Pursley went straight to the lead and dominated the early going as Axsom and Thomas Meseraull fell in behind him, battling for the second spot for the first eight laps.
On lap nine, the front of the pack saw a major change, as both Axsom and Meseraull were caught up in a five-car incident when lapped cars tangled in front of them. Both rejoined the field, but the damage proved to be too severe for Meseraull’s car and he was forced to retire early.
When the race resumed on lap nine, Pursley immediately pulled away from the field, while a pair of 13-year-old drivers manned the second and third spots in Gavan Boschele and Brent Crews. By lap 13, Pursley had opened up more than a two-second lead on second place.
As the laps began to wind down, Pursley continued to pace the field, but his Keith Kunz Motorsports teammate Kofoid had climbed from the eighth starting position up to second. When the race entered the final six laps, Pursley began to encounter heavy lapped traffic and Kofoid closed in.
By lap 27, Kofoid had caught him and the two fought for the lead as they ran side-by-side through turn three, with Pursley holding him off at the starting line to complete lap 28. The two battled into lap 29, only to see the caution wave for Axsom. That set up the two-lap dash for the win.
Pursley held the lead into turn one, but Kofoid once again pulled up side by side as the two came to the white flag. Kofoid stayed right with Pursley as they battled for the lead, with the pair banging wheels through three and into the final turn, but Pursley was able to hold on to take the checkered flag.
Kofoid finished second and Cannon McIntosh earned the final spot on the podium after advancing from the B Main and starting from 17th position. It marked the third consecutive top-four finish for McIntosh, who leads the Illinois Speed Week point standings heading into the final two races.
Pursley currently sits second in the week-long mini-series. Both McIntosh and Pursley are seeking their first Illinois Speed Week championship.
Crews faded to fourth and defending POWRi national midget champion Jake Neuman placed fifth.
The finish:
1. 71K-Daison Pursley, 2. 67-Buddy Kofoid, 3. 08-Cannon McIntosh, 4. 86-Brent Crews, 5. 3N-Jake Neuman, 6. 85T-Ryan Timms, 7. 5-Gavan Boschele, 8. 01-Bryant Wiedeman, 9. 67K-Cade Lewis, 10. 71-Kaylee Bryson, 11. 91-Zach Daum, 12. 72-Sam Johnson, 13. 21-Emilio Hoover, 14. 97-Brenham Crouch, 15. 25-Taylor Reimer, 16. 00-Trey Gropp, 17. 88-Tyler Nelson, 18. 50-Daniel Adler, 19. 56X-Mark Chisholm, 20. 15-Emerson Axsom, 21. 1K-Brayton Lynch, 22. 7X-Thomas Meseraull, 23. 3B-Shelby Bosie, 24. 21K-Karter Sarff.