TULSA, Okla. – In addition to an expected 10 entries for the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals, Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports will also bring two drivers to the 36th Tulsa Shootout.
The week-long micro sprint event runs from Dec. 30 through Jan. 2 and features multiple divisions.
Daison Pursley, who will also compete with KKM at the Chili Bowl, will wheel one of the team’s micros, while 12-year-old Gunnar Setser will pilot the second KKM micro.
Pursley will compete in all four premier micro classes – A Class Winged, Stock Non-Winged, Outlaw Winged and Outlaw Non-Winged – during the upcoming Tulsa Shootout.
“I’ve run the Tulsa Shootout for the past few years, but this year’s event will for sure be the most memorable one I’ve been a part of,” noted Pursley, who is entering his fifth year of Tulsa Shootout competition. “Being the first driver to run a micro sprint for Keith Kunz is special. Keith started this program with a few things in mind: to win, and to put drivers into a program that can advance them into midget racing.
“Keith and I have had a couple of years to develop a driver-owner relationship and have done well working together,” Pursley continued. “With Gunnar Setser coming onboard and joining the first KKM Shootout team in a Bullet by Sawyer micro, I feel that completes the structure that the team needs to be able to compete at a high level across five classes.
“I’m confident that we’ll be in victory lane by the end of the week and excited to get down to Tulsa and get started.”
Setser is a two-year veteran of Tulsa Shootout action and picked up both heat race and qualifier wins this past year to lock into feature competition.
He began his outdoor season in Restricted A Class before advancing into A Class.
After a hot start that included three wins and eight top 10s in his first six weeks this year, Setser ended his campaign with eight victories after his move to A Class in the micros.
“I’m so excited for this opportunity,” said Setser. “Keith is a legend and from my hometown, so it’s really cool that he’s asked me to drive one of his Bullet by Sawyer Chassis cars at the Tulsa Shootout. I hope to make him proud all week long.
“A lot of kids have dreamed and do dream of driving for KKM, including me, so to see those dreams become reality is more than I could have hoped for.”
Setser, from Columbus, Ind., will race in Restricted A Class at the Tulsa Shootout.
“With KKM just getting started in micro racing, we needed a driver with experience, and the leadership that Daison has showed in helping us begin to develop this team is something we hope will allow us to contend right out of the box,” noted Kunz. “We feel that Daison can contend in all four classes at the Shootout and can help with the development of young drivers, which is what this team is meant to be about.
“We also wanted to bring in fresh, young talent to begin our development program and have been watching Gunnar Setser progress over the past couple of years,” Kunz continued. “Going to the Shootout, we thought he was a perfect fit for us to go after a (Golden) Driller in the Restricted A Class.”