PURSLEY PUTS NAME NEXT TO RICHARD PETTY IN TALKING STICK RESORT 60

PURSLEY PUTS NAME NEXT TO RICHARD PETTY IN TALKING STICK RESORT 60

Greg Pursley won the 31st Talking Stick Resort 60 NASCAR K&N Pro West Series race at Phoenix International Raceway and found victory lane at PIR for the third time. The history of the event is populated with some of the greatest names in motorsports history, and Pursley now has his name with that of NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty, with the second-most wins (three) at the PIR.

Pursley set a new track record in winning the pole, and his teenaged teammate, Cameron Hayley, joined him on the front row. Pursley led all the way until Hayley teamed with Michael Self to dash high and low, respectively, to wedge Pursely back to third on a lap 41 restart. But when Dylan Hutchison and Ryan Philpott wrecked behind them, the leaders had not completed the lap. So, they were reset to the last full lap with Pursley back at the front. 

Pursley was grateful for the reprieve, but when the field took the green flag for the restart on lap 49, Hayley again roared past on the outside for the lead.

A multiple car pileup on lap 52 necessitated a red flag stoppage, and when the race got going again, the teammates went door-to-door for more than a lap until the veteran Pursley wedged past his young teammate four circuits from the end.

Afterward, Pursley had nothing but praise for Hayley, saying, "That was a real battle, and it's going to be great going against that kid all year."

Hayley finished second, while Self held on to third, with Derek Thorn fourth, and Sergio Pena fifth in the series season opener.