Corey Day’s O’Reilly Season Review

Corey Day left Homestead underwhelmed with his how his first full-time NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series ended.

But fifth in his first career Chase and a four-time winner in 2026 can provide meaningful momentum heading into his true first offseason.

Early Career

Day made the jump to sprint car racing in late 2020 and wasted little time making an impression. His early success quickly caught the attention of some of the sport’s bigger organizations.

In 2022, he earned Rookie of the Year honors at the Chili Bowl Nationals before recording 10 victories and receiving the Brady Bacon Award, which recognizes young drivers with exceptional promise in dirt racing.

His profile continued to rise in 2023 and 2024. Day collected 23 total victories with many accolades that followed.

Among the highlights were his first World of Outlaws victory at the Gold Cup Race of Champions, a Trophy Cup triumph at Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway and a standout performance in which he defeated NASCAR champion and mentor Kyle Larson in the High Limit Sprint Car dash at Kokomo Speedway.

He won the 83rd Turkey Night Grand Prix as well. The victory made him the youngest winner in the event’s history, dating back to 1934.

In December 2024, Day signed a development deal with Hendrick Motorsports, opening the door to a new chapter in his racing career.

He made his NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut at Martinsville Speedway in early March 2025 before competing in ten additional races that season.

His steady performances in those remaining races helped pave the way for a full-time opportunity with Hendrick Motorsports in 2026.

Day’s Delightful 2026

Day’s first full-time season in the O’Reilly Series began with a pair of growing pains. He was involved in two incidents between Daytona and Atlanta, both of which offered valuable lessons for the dirt-track standout as he adjusted to the demands of NASCAR racing.

Despite those early setbacks and a few reminders from the series’ veterans about the nuances of racing in the pack, Day’s confidence never wavered. He matched his career-best finish in just the second race of the season at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta, providing an early glimpse of what was to come.

That performance proved to be a sign of things ahead. Day rattled off a season-best eight consecutive top-10 finishes and came within striking distance of his first victory at Martinsville, establishing himself as a consistent threat near the front of the field.

The breakthrough finally arrived at Talladega Superspeedway. Day struggled to find his footing during the opening two stages as he navigated the superspeedway for the first time. However, when it mattered most, he turned up the pace and found himself in the right position on the final lap to capture his first career victory.

With the monkey off his back, Day quickly proved it was no fluke. Just two weeks later, he returned to victory lane at Dover Motor Speedway, defeating one of the series’ top concrete-track performers, Justin Allgaier, in the process. The back-to-back victories elevated him into the championship conversation.

However, the closing stretch of the regular season proved more challenging. Across the 10 races following Dover, Day recorded just five top-10 finishes and suffered three of his four DNFs on the year.

Despite the late-season struggles, Day did enough to qualify for the Chase, entering the postseason as the lone first-year driver in the championship field.

Day’s Chase

Every slump eventually comes to an end, and for Day, that turnaround came just as the Chase began. A runner-up finish at Darlington to open the postseason gave the Hendrick Motorsports No. 17 team the momentum it needed to get back on track.

However, Day’s lowest point of the Chase came just one race later at Gateway. After several run-ins with William Sawalich throughout the regular season, tensions between the two finally boiled over in St. Louis.

Their latest confrontation proved to be the breaking point. Day was left with a damaged race car and a 33rd-place DNF, but his response over the following weeks would be nothing short of remarkable.

He bounced back with a fifth-place finish at Bristol before hitting the jackpot in Las Vegas. Day captured his third victory of the season and first of the Chase, then returned to victory lane just one week later at Charlotte. The back-to-back wins thrust the 20-year-old firmly into the championship picture.

Three more top-six finishes followed, allowing Day to climb to third in the standings heading into the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He trailed Chase leader Justin Allgaier by just 23 points, giving the young driver a legitimate shot at an improbable championship.

Unfortunately, Day’s title hopes ended almost as quickly as they began.

On Lap 8, Day attempted to clear himself around Rajah Caruth but was unsuccessful, sending his No. 17 hard into the outside wall and ending his championship bid.

He ultimately finished 25 laps down in 34th, bringing a heartbreaking end to an otherwise remarkable first series campaign.

He closed the season with four victories, 12 top-five finishes, 22 top-tens, a 9.6 average starting position and a 12.82 average finish.

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