Rick Hendrick makes a risky bet on Dirt Track Phenom Corey Day

Corey Day will go temporary to permanent in 2026. The soon-to-be 20-year-old California native will take on a full-time role in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series next season after making just 11 starts in the same series this year.

While his 2025 numbers won’t have statisticians running for a plaque in his honor, one place in the top 10 and one place in the top 5, this was clearly enough to get Rick Hendrick’s attention. That is no small achievement. When the man who built the most dominant team in modern NASCAR says you got something, you got something.

“Corey has impressed us with how quickly he has adapted this year,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports and chairman and CEO of Hendrick Automotive Group, which will again sponsor the effort. “He will enter 2026 with less asphalt experience than anyone in the field, but you would never know it from watching him drive. The instincts and raw talent are off the charts and he will continue to get better with more seat time.”

Day didn’t just emerge from the red clay of Oklahoma as some kind of racing miracle summoned by the gods of horsepower. He has been honing his skills in the dirt for years, continuing a family tradition. The son of an experienced racer Ronnie DayCorey first made his mark as Chili Bowl Rookie of the Year 2022went on to claim the 2023 King of the West 410 NARC Championship and a World of Outlaws Gold Cup victory, an event his father also won.

In 2024, he turned heads with 10 wins, 25 top fives and 44 top 10s in 73 starts. One of those victories was the 83rd Turkey Night Grand Prix, where he became the youngest winner in the event’s storied history, a list that includes some of the best short track racers America has ever produced.

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This year he kept things moving and collected trophies in multiple series. He earned a High Limit Racing win in Las Vegas, a World of Outlaws win in Knoxville and a third consecutive Gold Cup Race of Champions title. He even added a High Limit win at his home track, Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway, to remind everyone where it all started.

When Day isn’t throwing clay rooster tails into the stands, he’s been working on asphalt. During 23 asphalt starts in 2025, including nine in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, he showed flashes of what Hendrick saw. A pole and a career-best second place at Indianapolis Raceway Park in July proved that talent translates well when the surface isn’t brown.

Day’s full-time jump will take place under the direction of crew chief Adam Wall, who piloted Hendrick’s No. 17 Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series this year. Despite changing the driver line-up, Wall’s team achieved two wins, three poles, three second places, nine top fives and ten top tens in just 21 races, a solid foundation on which Day can build.

So in just a few months, Corey Day will climb into one of NASCAR’s most powerful rides, ready to see if his dirty instincts can carry him to victory on the sport’s biggest stage. It’s a gamble, yes, but then again, Rick Hendrick doesn’t make many bad bets.

“The opportunity to race full-time for Mr. Hendrick and Hendrick Motorsports is something I have been working toward and feel ready for,” said Day. “I have learned so much from everyone here over the past year and I am grateful for the opportunity to represent HendrickCars.com every week in 2026. Adam and the No. 17 team have shown they can win races, and I can’t wait to build on that foundation and compete for a championship.”