Tulsa Chili Bowl spotlight: Daison Pursley's journey from tragedy to triumph

There are 390 cars from across the globe competing here at the Chili Bowl this week, looking to take home that coveted Golden Driller. But for one 20-year-old driver from Locust Grove, this week means something completely different thanks to one fateful night in Arizona in 2021.

"There's only one winner come Saturday. So to be that guy walking out of here with that trophy is something that I dream."

Daison Pursley started coming to the Chili Bowl as a spectator when he was five years old and dreamed of one day winning it. This year, he is back in the field of drivers for the fourth time, looking to take home one of racing's most prestigious trophies.

Pursley finished second behind Christopher Bell in Monday Night's Race of Champions. He will hit the track again on Wednesday for a shot in Saturday's Championship.

But Pursley almost didn't make it to this point. On November 13th in 20-21 during a race at Arizona Speedway, a violent wreck changed everything.

"The track was so big, we didn't know how violent the flips were. But then to get in that ambulance and see him not move anything, says Shawna Pursley, Daison's mom.

Daison had broken the C-4 and C-5 vertebrates in his neck, and his spinal cord was injured

"It was huge, I was kind of what am I going to do. Didn't know the outcome, didn't know what was going to happen or what my life really looked like. Neither did my parents, really anybody with how it all worked out," says Daison.

His first thought after the accident was getting back to the Chili Bowl.

"We woke him and Clint told him you broke your neck. And we were like, what's his response going to be, and all he cared was "does this mean I didn't get to race the Chili Bowl?" And we said no, which was only 4 weeks out, he cried. And that's the only time I saw him break down. After that, it was nothing but focus in his mentality. It was just determination," says his mother. "Daison's determination started as soon as they took the ventilator out. And he persuaded the PT team at the hospital, and the OT team to work with him. And they fell in love with his determination. They bought into Daison's drive and healing so they worked with him nonstop for those three weeks."

After those three weeks, Daison was moved to Shephard's Center, a rehab facility in Atlanta. All the support from fans and the tight-knit racing community motivated his return even more.

"I'd be lying if I told you it wasn't hard or anything like that. Just one of those times you've got to put your head down. Had a lot of people of social media giving me a lot of hope," says Daison. "Of course God is always on your side with something like that. Just one of those things that turned into the worst nightmare. But there's a lot of good that's come from it as well."

Nearly nine months after the accident, Purlsey was back in a racecar.

"I was nervous, but not for the injury or not for him re-hurting himself, but more for the disappointment if it wasn't going to happen or if he wasn't going to be able to do so," says Shawna.

But it did happen. He completed his comeback with a USAC Midget National Championship last year, and is hoping that will springboard to a victory this weeked in Tulsa.

"I think it would be the biggest win of my career, and probably for a long time going to be the biggest that I've ever achieved."