Fairfield, Ill (12/07/2020).... Clinton, Illinois native Aiden Purdue is set for his Chili Bowl Nationals debut in January. Purdue will be piloting the #57D for McCreery Motorsports. He was given the ride back in February when veteran Daniel Robinson willingly stepped out of the car to turn the reigns over to Aiden.
His first race was not far off on the calendar and not far down the road either, at the Southern Illinois Center in DuQuoin, Illinois for the USAC Shamrock Classic. Purdue admitted to Jacob Seelman of Speed Sport, "Man, it was so much more than I expected." He adjusted quickly, having a solid run in his national debut. Purdue fell one spot short of advancing to the A-Main.
The experience Purdue gained in that one night was like none other and he was ready to take on the rest of the season in the #57D. Having planned to run a part-time POWRi and USAC schedule, those plans went up in smoke quickly when the COVID-19 pandemic rolled around.
Purdue continued to run his #37 Hyper Racing micro sprint full time when racing resumed in the area. Crew Chief Brad McDaniel had the car locked in all summer as he picked up some notable wins at Southern Illinois Raceway (SIR) for the Prelude to the Terry Sprague Memorial and the Trump 45 at Wayne County Speedway.
Aiden's first opportunity to get back in the midget was at Wayne County Speedway in October for the 7th Annual Jason Leffler Memorial where he had a nice showing. The next night at Tri-State Speedway, he continued to impress in his first time at the technical track.
After a pair of USAC appearances, Aiden traveled to Oklahoma to compete with the POWRi National Midgets. In the trio of appearances there, he made the A-Main one night and improved every night out.
In November, Purdue journeyed to Millbridge Speedway in North Carolina for the KKM Giveback Classic. He advanced to the A-Main, but then faced a couple of mechanical problems forcing him not to finish but still placed 16th.
Soon the sixteen-year-old will be going to Tulsa, Oklahoma. The first trip will be to the Tulsa Shootout where he will be entered into four different classes. Aiden will be driving the Milwaukee Tools #44 owned by Gunner Shroyer in Winged A-Class and Stock Non-Wing. Then back in his own #37 for Wing Outlaw and Non-Wing Outlaw.
The second trip to Tulsa will be for the 35th Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals. Purdue will be back in the McCreery Motorsports #57D and looks to make a statement. For Aiden this is a dream come true, "This has always been a dream, to race at the Chili Bowl so, let's make the best of it and see what we can do."
Aiden is no stranger to bullrings having run them week in and week out in the Southern Illinois area. He is the 2017 Wing Outlaw track champion at the Highbanks of SIR and has had tremendous success as well just up the road at the flatter Wayne County Speedway. Having plenty of experience on tight tracks will provide some help when navigating the tough competition.
No matter the finish for the young hot shoe, it will be an invaluable experience. There are many people who have helped him get to this point in his career. Aiden Purdue would like to "thank Cheamstream Race Fuels, Daniel Robinson for the amazing opportunity, McCreery Motorsports, the whole crew who works day in and day out to continue my dreams, and Brad McDaniel for the amazing cars."
-Lucas Halbert