Corey Day will be going temperature to perm in 2026. The future 20-year-old California local is moving into a full-time function in the NASCAR O’Reilly Automobile Components Series next season after making simply 11 starts this year in the exact same series.
While his 2025 numbers will not send out statisticians running for a plaque in his honor, one leading 10 and one leading 5 surface, it was plainly sufficient to get the attention of Rick Hendrick. That’s no little task. When the guy who constructed the most dominant group in modern-day NASCAR states you have actually got something, you have actually got something.
” Corey impressed us with how rapidly he adjusted this year,” stated Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports and chairman and CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group which will again be sponsoring the effort. “He’ll enter into 2026 with less pavement experience than anybody in the field, however you ‘d never ever understand it by enjoying him drive. The impulses and raw skill are off the charts, and he’s going to keep improving with more seat time.”
Day didn’t simply appear out of the Oklahoma red clay like some sort of racing prodigy summoned by the gods of horse power. He’s been honing his abilities in the dirt for many years, continuing a household custom. The kid of veteran racer Ronnie Day, Corey initially made his mark as Chili Bowl Novice of the Year in 2022, then declared the 2023 King of the West 410 NARC Champion and a World of Outlaws Gold Cup triumph, an occasion his daddy likewise won.
In 2024, he turned heads with 10 triumphes, 25 leading fives, and 44 leading 10s in 73 starts. Amongst those wins was the 83rd Turkey Night Grand Prix, where he ended up being the youngest winner in case’s storied history, a list that consists of a few of the best short-track racers America has actually ever produced.
This year, he kept the dirt flying, gathering prizes throughout numerous series. He notched a High Limitation Racing win in Las Vegas, a World of Outlaws accomplishment at Knoxville, and a 3rd successive Gold Cup Race of Champions title. He even included another High Limitation triumph at his home track, Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway, simply to advise everybody where all of it began.
When not tossing rooster tails of clay into the stands, Day has actually been putting in deal with asphalt. Throughout 23 pavement begins in 2025, consisting of 9 in the NASCAR Artisan Truck Series, he revealed flashes of what Hendrick saw. A pole and a career-best second-place surface at Indianapolis Raceway Park in July showed that the skill equates simply great when the surface area isn’t brown.
Day’s full-time leap will come under the assistance of team chief Adam Wall, who ran Hendrick’s No. 17 Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series this year. In spite of turning a lineup of chauffeurs, Wall’s group handled 2 wins, 3 poles, 3 runner-up surfaces, 9 leading fives, and 10 leading 10s in simply 21 races, a strong structure for Day to develop on.
So, in a couple of brief months, Corey Day will climb up into among NASCAR’s most effective trips, all set to see if his dirt-born impulses can bring him to triumph on the sport’s greatest phase. It’s a gamble, yes, however, Rick Hendrick does not make numerous bad bets.
” The chance to race full-time for Mr. Hendrick and Hendrick Motorsports is something I have actually been pursuing and feel I’m all set for,” Day stated. “I have actually discovered a lot from everybody here this previous year, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to represent HendrickCars.com weekly in 2026. Adam and the No. 17 group have actually revealed the capability to win races, and I can’t wait to develop on that structure and contend for a champion.”
Source: Forbes.
