TULSA, Okla. — Daison Pursley shot to the lead during the final third of the feature to earn his ninth POWRi National Midget League triumph Thursday night at Port City Raceway.
Pursley led 17 of the 55 circuits in the Donnie Crawford Sooner State 55.
Launching the feature field saw high-point qualifier Cannon McIntosh and Pursley lead the field as the green flag flew with McIntosh gaining the initial advantage as Daison Pursley, Zach Daum, Ryan Timms and Ethan Mitchell kept pace.
Protecting the lead early in the exciting feature event would find Cannon McIntosh leading the first twenty-three laps with Pursley and Daum attempting to overtake the speedy leader nearly every lap as Jacob Denney and Kameron Key kept pace inside the top five.
Overtaking for the top spot around the mid race point, Daum led the feature for 17 laps using a perfect low line as McIntosh and Pursley went wheel-to-wheel for the runner up positioning with Pursley able to ride away with the preferred spot and setting his sights on the leading Daum.
Sliding into the lead through a masterful pass, Pursley would protect the front of the field through the final 17 rotations around Port City Raceway to claim the headlining Donnie Ray Crawford Sooner State 55. McIntosh finished second.
“When you gotta go, you gotta go; this was Port City racing at its finest tonight,” said Pursley. “We had to really move around tonight and find and search for the speed. Once the bottom locked down, I knew it was time to protect.”
Daum completed the podium, while Jason McDoughal finished fourth and Timms claimed fifth.
The finish:
Feature (55 Laps): 1. 86-Daison Pursley[2]; 2. 71K-Cannon McIntosh[1]; 3. 7U-Zach Daum[3]; 4. 7P-Jason McDougal[8]; 5. 67-Ryan Timms[5]; 6. 68-Jacob Denney[15]; 7. 71-Emerson Axsom[10]; 8. 10J-Matt Sherrell[18]; 9. 40-Chase McDermand[12]; 10. 19M-Ethan Mitchell[4]; 11. 98-Steven Snyder Jr[16]; 12. 43-Gunnar Setser[21]; 13. 00T-Jeffrey Newell[20]; 14. 15C-Carter Chevalier[13]; 15. 97-Gavin Miller[6]; 16. 00-Broc Elliott[24]; 17. 6-Brylee Kilmer[22]; 18. 5U-Kameron Key[7]; 19. 32S-Jonathan Beason[17]; 20. 11U-Andrew Felker[11]; 21. 7-Kris Carroll[9]; 22. 14S-Tyler Edwards[14]; 23. 32-Trey Marcham[19]; 24. (DNS) 66-Jayden Clay.