Toyota Dirt Driver Spotlight
Daison Pursley
CB Industries/PristineAuction.com – NOS Energy Drink – TRD/Spike/Speedway Toyota
Age: 20
Hometown: Locust Grove, Okla.
Daison Pursley will take a 54-point championship lead into the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship’s final two races of the season in California – Wednesday, November 27, at Bakersfield Speedway and then in closing out the season on Saturday, November 30, at Ventura Raceway with 83rd running of the Turkey Night Grand Prix Presented by the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame.
To date, Pursley has registered a series-best seven wins and 15 top-five finishes in 21 races in his first season with Chad Boat and the CB Industries team.
Q. Tell us about experience with Chad Boat and CB Industries
DP: Everything has been clicking on all cylinders since I teamed up with Chad. We started off with a fourth-place finish at the Chili Bowl after coming from the D Main and it really set the tone for the entire 2024 season. This car has been absolutely phenomenal to drive all year long and it makes my job a lot easier.
Q. How does it feel to have recorded a series-high seven national wins already this season?
DP: If you would have asked me a few years ago, I would have told you I just want to be able to get back in the race car. To look at those times then and see what I’m accomplishing now is cool. I’m just super thankful for everything I’ve gone through in my life – the good and the bad. I feel that’s why I’m standing here today.
Q. What would a USAC title mean to you?
DP: It would mean a lot. There are only a select few people that get to accomplish that feat. A championship with my name next to it really doesn’t seem right as I feel I’ve torn up a lot of stuff in my career. I feel like I’m finally at that point in my career where I can points race as well as win races. It doesn’t just take me, though, it takes a team to win championships and that’s what I have here with CBI and everyone involved and, hopefully, we can get it done.
Q. Tell us about that consistency you’ve gained this season.
DP: Really, consistency comes down to everyone that prepares these cars working together. You can’t consistently run up front if you don’t the equipment and my Pristine Auction/NOS Energy/Mobil 1 Toyota has provided me with that opportunity.
Q. Has it helped running with a former driver in Chad Boat, who had a distinguished career behind the wheel as well and comes from a family of racers?
DP: It’s helped for sure. It’s just cool to race with people who have been doing this for a long time. Especially Chad, he’s helped me in and out of the car. He understands what I’m seeing. I just appreciate every opportunity he’s given me and I’m just thankful that I can represent him in a good way.
Chad Boat, CB Industries team owner
Q. Chad, how’s it been teaming up with Daison Pursley this year?
CB: It’s been a really nice pairing. Daison and I have clicked from our very first race together. The way I like to set up a car and the way our cars are built has really clicked for Daison. I think the results show for themselves that we’ve had a great year. We’ve never really thought about the points, it’s always been about trying to go out and win races and getting the best result night in and night out. If you do that things will work out. We’re very fortunate to have the support of Pristine Auction, Toyota, NOS Energy Drink and Mobil 1, without them we wouldn’t be able to get to the track.
We were able to kick off the season with a fourth at the Chili Bowl and we’ve had a really strong year ever since. We've been able to carry that moment all year and now we’re looking to close it out strong and keep our foot on the throttle.
Q. After the Chili Bowl where you had what some considered the run of the night coming from the D Main, were you expecting this type of season?
CB: Well, we did have a lot of luck that night with some cautions in the C and B Mains, but we still had a car that could do it. Prior to this season, Daison and I hadn’t previously run a midget together, but we had raced the micro quite a bit. We’ve been able to learn different things with that. We were able to experiment with some things in a little bit less pressure-packed racing and we’ve been able to apply some of that to the midget and it’s worked out well. Daison is a really super kid. He comes from a great family, so all the guys on the team have bought in and everyone wants to see him be successful and I think you can see that.
