By: Richie Murray – USAC Media

West Memphis, Arkansas (April 2, 2021)………Daison Pursley captured the victory on the opening night of the Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Hometown Challenge on Friday at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Ark.

The race was a non-points, special event for the USAC Midgets.

The Locust Grove, Okla. driver collected $3,000 for his efforts as he raced his way to the front from his third starting position in USAC’s first event at the quarter-mile, gumbo surfaced oval in five seasons aboard his Keith Kunz-Curb-Agajanian Motorsports/IWX – TRD – Toyota – Curb/Bullet By Spike/Speedway Toyota.

Pursley led a podium consisting of three full-timers on USAC’s NOS Energy Drink National Midget trail with fellow Oklahoman Cannon McIntosh (Bixby, Okla.) taking the runner-up spot for Dave Mac Motorsports in the 25-lap feature while KKM teammate Brenham Crouch (Lubbock, Texas) finished third.

The lone driver in Friday night’s field who competed in USAC’s most recent trip to Riverside in 2016 was the race’s namesake, USAC’s 2007 National Sprint Car and National Midget Rookie of the Year, and NASCAR regular, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., finished fourth for CB Industries while Michael Magic (Winder, Ga.) rounded out the top-five in his family-owned ride.

The second night of the Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Hometown Challenge at Riverside continues Saturday, April 3, with front gates opening at 5pm CT, hot laps at 6:30pm and racing scheduled for 7:30pm. Midgets headline once again with the 360 Sprint Cars joining the card along with the Supply House Stock Cars.

Saturday night general admission tickets are $25 for adults, $5 for children 6-11 and free for kids age 5 and under. Pit passes are $35 apiece.

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USAC MIDGET SPECIAL EVENT RACE RESULTS: April 2, 2021 – Riverside International Speedway – West Memphis, Arkansas – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Hometown Challenge – 1/4-Mile Dirt Track

FIRST HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Ethan Mitchell (#19m Bundy Built), 2. Bryant Wiedeman (#01 Kunz/Curb-Agajanian), 3. Derek Hagar (#9JR Hagar-Proctor), 4. Brenham Crouch (#97 Kunz/Curb-Agajanian), 5. Tyler Thomas (#91T Thomas), 6. Chase Howard (#5o Hagar-Proctor), 7. Blake Carrier (#44c Lee). NT

SECOND HEAT: (10 laps) 1. Cannon McIntosh (#08 Dave Mac), 2. Daison Pursley (#71K Kunz/Curb-Agajanian), 3. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (#89x CB), 4. Austin Wood (#9J Wood), 5. Michael Magic (#5m Magic), 6. Mike Magic (#4m Magic). NT

DASH: (6 laps) 1. Bryant Wiedeman, 2. Ethan Mitchell, 3. Cannon McIntosh, 4. Daison Pursley, 5. Brenham Crouch, 6. Tyler Thomas. NT

FEATURE: (25 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Daison Pursley (3), 2. Cannon McIntosh (5), 3. Brenham Crouch (6), 4. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (4), 5. Michael Magic (10), 6. Austin Wood (8), 7. Chase Howard (12), 8. Mike Magic (11), 9. Derek Hagar (7), 10. Bryant Wiedeman (1), 11. Tyler Thomas (9), 12. Blake Carrier (13), 13. Ethan Mitchell (2). NT

NEXT USAC MIDGET SPECIAL EVENT RACE: April 3, 2021 – Riverside International Speedway – West Memphis, Arkansas – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Hometown Challenge – 1/4-Mile Dirt Track