Charleston, IL. (05/22/2021) At the end of the Lucas Oil POWRi National Midget League show at Charleston Speedway, Daison Pursley stood victorious for his third career win with the league. Pursley’s victory came in the second and final night of the Illiana Showdown at Charleston Speedway. Young guns Brent Crews and Bryant Wiedeman followed him to the checkered flag and earned their career best finishes as well.
Starting fifth on the grid, Pursley went to work at the drop of the green flag while his competitor Emerson Axsom led the opening lap, Cole Bodine and Brent Crews jockeyed for the second position. Axsom continued to gap himself from the rest of the field, while only 10 laps in, Pursley found himself take over the second position from Crews and set his sights on the leader. He threw a slider on Axsom but couldn’t make it stick, but never gave up.
Both Axsom and Pursley exchanged positions for the lead, as Axsom got away from the field he stopped for a flat left rear tire, which brought out the caution. Pursley presumed the lead on the restart. Coming back green, Pursley distance himself from the field but the rookie Corey Day driving for Clausen Marshall Racing, found a grove on the bottom and ran down the leader.
After a late race red flag for Jade Avedisian and Mitchell Davis the field bunched back up. Pursley continued to show the way and lead the twenty-two-car field to the checkered flag, Brent Crews earned his career best finish of second, and Bryant Wiedeman earned his career best finish of third. The rookie, Corey Day finished in the fourth position and Joe B Miller rounded out the top five.
“Tonight, it kind of just played out in my favor and Beau had this thing on rails. it’s the reason we are fast right now, and the consistence is there, and I feel like it’s time to pick up these wins. To have this good momentum going into midget week in two weeks will be pretty key.” Daison Pursley
“It was a great race and second is pretty good, I would have liked to have a caution and I think we could have had a shot, but it was a really fun race.” Brent Crews.
“It was a really good night in the books, just looking to get a second or maybe even a first. I got to keep working on my marks on those restarts and I think we will eventually get there.” Bryant Wiedeman.
Auto Meter Heat 1 Winner: 15-Emerson Axsom
KSE Racing Products Heat 2 Winner: 71K-Daison Pursley
Advanced Racing Suspensions Heat 3 Winner: 85T-Ryan Timms
Schoenfeld Headers Heat 4 Winner: 47BC-Corey Day
Super Clean High Point: 39BC-Cole Bodine
AFCO Qualifiers: Semi-Feature 1:3N-Jake Neuman
TRD Hard Charger:08-Cannon McIntosh
Lucas Oil Feature Winner: 71K-Daison Pursley
POWRi Lucas Oil National League Feature Results (30 laps): 1. 71K-Daison Pursley 2. 86-Brent Crews 3. 01-Bryant Wiedeman 4. 47BC-Corey Day 5. 49-Joe B Miller 6. 39BC-Cole Bodine 7. 08-Cannon McIntosh 8. 85T-Ryan Timms 9. 71-Kaylee Bryson 10. 97-Brenham Crouch 11. 77W-Joey Wirth 12. 15-Emerson Axsom 13. 25-Taylor Reimer 14. 26-Chance Crum 15. 19M-Ethan Mitchell 16. 84-Jade Avedisian 17. 00-Trey Gropp 18. 67K-Cade Lewis 19. 21-Emilio Hoover 20. 67-Buddy Kofoid 21. 3N-Jake Neuman 22. 56-Mitchell Davis
Photo Credits: Allen Horcher