DIRTRACKR Daily Podcast - Episode Transcript
Dirt racing news, results, discussion, analytics. Sprint cars, late models, modifieds, you name it. From national series, to top local shows. Brought to you five days a week. Email the show at info@dirtrackr.com.
From a broken neck and paralysis, to winning 410 sprint car races | Daily 5-28-2024
Coming up, we'll talk a tough night at Fremont Speedway, including plenty of carnage. Plus High Limit and the Flo Series are in action tonight, and we'll discuss what's been a wild ride so far for Daison Pursley, from breaking his neck in 2021, to finding success again. Let's go!
It's Tuesday, May 28th, I'm Justin Fiedler. This is DIRTRACKR Daily presented by Kubota Genuine Parts.
Make sure you hit that like button on these videos, subscribe to the YouTube channel or where you get podcasts, and turn on notifications. Doing those things helps out the show and it makes sure you don't miss any future episodes. If you are new around here, we do this five days a week, talking dirt racing Sunday through Thursday.
It was an expensive and messy night at Fremont last night with the World of Outlaws in town. The feature was littered with incidents, and there are a bunch of torn up race cars in shops and haulers today. Fremont was tricky and pretty technical, and it caught plenty of drivers out. The worst incident of the night was Bill Rose's heat race crash where he climbed the left rear of Logan Schuchart's car and went tumbling into turn one. The car was destroyed, and the impacts broke the motor plate, that's how hard he hit. If you know anything about sprint cars, you know that motor plate is a serious piece of hardware, and it takes a big impact to break one. Rose walked away, but did not compete the rest of the night. In a strange coincidence, it was just one year ago at Lawrenceburg, where we saw Rose tangle with Cole Macedo and then end up over the top of Logan Schuchart as well. Memorial Day racing does not agree with Bill. We also saw a wild one for Zane Devault, multiple feature tumbles for Sterling Cling, and there were several others through the course of the program. It was a very nice field 48 cars. Parker Price Miller was the only High Limit regular who made the tow from Port Royal. This was the Rick Ferkel Tribute race, and PPM had a tight relationship with the Ohio Traveler. PPM will be back in action again tonight at Grandview, so that team had a seven hour drive to make after last night's race. Carson Macedo led all 35 laps for Outlaw win number two on the season. David Gravel, Cole Macedo the podium. It was Cole's first career Outlaw top three, and his fourth top five. He continues to look strong in that Kevin Newton owned 16 car, both with the Outlaws and High Limit. He's already got a pair of NARC wins this season, and I feel like he could strike with either national series before the year is out. Cale Thomas was the highest finishing Ohio regular in seventh. He's having a nice season so far driving for Jay Kiser, including a win last Friday at Attica in weekly competition. And another strong night for Bill Balog who charged from 18th to fourth. Carson Macedo and Buddy Kofoid both extended their top ten streaks to 20 and 19 races. Macedo the hottest driver here lately, he leads the Outlaws in average finish over the last five and ten races. Headed to Beaver Dam this weekend, the top five in the Outlaw standings separated by just 100 points.
I know that I'm the only one that cares about these championships in May, but we've got some good ones right now. The Outlaws and High Limit are tight, we've got a multi-way fight for the final Lucas chase spot, the Outlaw late models are close as well. It's a shame some of you aren't in on this.
Elsewhere last night, Chad Simpson was a $3000 late model winner at Davenport Speedway, and Tim Kaeding won the second night of the Memorial Day double header at Huset's Speedway. He topped Chase Randall and Daison Pursley in that one.
Before we move on, I do want to put the spotlight here back on Daison Pursley. I know I brought him up yesterday, but can we talk for a second about how far this kid has come in just a few years. Back at the end of 2021, Pursley was injured in a USAC midget crash at the Arizona Speedway and suffered a severe spinal chord injury. Things were pretty touch and go there for a while, and after surgery to make repairs, he was paralyzed from the neck down. Pursley was in the hospital for a significant amount of time, and with a fractured C4 and C5, it was hard to even contemplate him having a chance to race again. At the time you were hoping the kid could just have some semblance of a normal life going forward. He spent several months in rehab and made an incredible appearance at the 2022 Chili Bowl, walking into the building on his own two feet. And then less than a year after the incident was back in race cars again. In the two years since, he's made two main event appearances at the Chili Bowl, including a top five in 2024. He's currently fourth in USAC sprint car points, and has won in both the sprint car and midget. That midget win came just recently in the season opening weekend at Belleville. He's already got a bunch of micro victories in 2024, and is now showing speed in a winged sprint car after just a handful of starts in his entire career. Three appearances over the weekend with Brandon Ikenberry's 25 team. 18th to 11th Saturday at Knoxville, a win on Sunday at Huset's, and a podium last night at Huset's. Just getting back behind the wheel was a huge win, but now he's settled in and really having some success. And at 19 years old, the sky is the limit here.
Looking at racing tonight, we've got the Kubota High Limit sprint cars back in action for a midweek championship stop at Grandview Speedway. $20,000 to win, and probably in the neighborhood of 40 cars in attendance. They had exactly 40 on the pre-entry list, so figure one or two either side of that number. Because of the Weikert finish, Tyler Courtney has taken back the championship lead from Brad Sweet for the season long battle. Sunshine also leading the midweek title with three races complete on that side. Grandview is one of the tracks that was on the High Limit schedule in 2023, and Rico Abreu will be looking for a repeat. He finally broke through this season just 11 days ago at Utica-Rome, and he followed that up with a podium at Port Royal. He's quite a ways out of the championship battle right now, and some more podium finishes are what he's going to need to climb back into this thing. Courtney also has had recent success at Grandview, winning an All Star show there in 2021. I don't know what kind of experience Brad Sweet has there, as the last time the Outlaws had raced at Grandview was 2007. This could be another good chance for the rest of these guys to gain some ground on the NAPA 49 team. Remember, no Kyle Larson in attendance tonight. He's participating in a Goodyear tire test today at Iowa Speedway, where consequently, it looks like it's raining. If you aren't headed for Grandview tonight, watch live on FloRacing.
Also on Flo, we'll finally get to see the opener for the 2024 FloRacing Night in America late models. They've got $20,000 to win tonight at Macon Speedway, and they should see a similar car count, maybe around 40 for tonight. Neither national late model touring series is in action this week, so after tonight we'll likely see the bigger teams scatter, or maybe even take the weekend off in advance of the Dirt Late Model Dream coming up at Eldora. The Flo series races tonight, and then next Wednesday, they'll kick things off at Eldora with round number two. The Dream then starts on Thursday. Macon Speedway has not been on the Flo schedule previously, and it's not part of either national tour. It has been a regular Summer Nationals stop though, and the Illinois guys may have a leg up tonight, including names like Bobby Pierce, Jason Feger, and Shannon Babb. Hot laps are set for six tonight, with racing at seven.
There are a few other shows around the country tonight, so make sure to stop by dirtrackr.com/watchtonight to see all of your streaming options. That's for the Daily show today, appreciate everyone tuning in.
Hope you guys have a great Tuesday out there, we'll see you back here tomorrow!