Earlier this year, something wild happened at The Dirt Track in Las Vegas. Under the lights and after a rain delay, 19-year-old Corey Day didn’t just show up, he stole the show. Daryn Pittman led early, Kyle Larson lurked late, but it was Day who crossed the line first. The dirt phenom held off two of the best sprint racers in the country, Larson and Brad Sweet, and dramatically sealed the win. Larson, who rarely hands out compliments, couldn’t help himself this time.
“He’s better than I was at that age,” he said. For Day, that moment wasn’t just a highlight, it was a start. Larson had already vouched for his raw talent. He had already paved the way by helping Day join Hendrick Motorsports as a development driver. And that race? It was the first real sign that the kid might live up to the hype. Day, who had grown up idolizing Jeff Gordon, now found himself on the Hendrick ladder. And that too with some compliments from 2021 Cup Series champion Kyle Larson. That’s a lot of weight on the shoulders of a teenager, especially one jumping from dirt ovals to high-speed superspeedways.
The hype was real, but so were the growing pains. For the next few starts, results were hard to come by. A couple of 15th-place finishes had some questioning if Day could take the leap. But last night in Nashville, Corey Day flipped the script again. Racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, he delivered his best performance yet, fifth place in a tight field. However, it has been a journey of learning and skill development, and Day is aware of it.
Kyle Larson’s teenage find turns heads in Nashville!
Friday night at Nashville Superspeedway was a turning point. After starting fifth due to qualifying rainouts, Day stayed near the front all race long. He ran smoothly, avoided wrecks, and showed the kind of race craft NASCAR veterans spend years mastering. In the final laps, he slipped back a couple of spots but still brought home a fifth-place finish. It was his first top 10 and also his first top five in a national NASCAR series. For the young Californian, it felt like everything finally clicked.
“It feels really good. I’m usually not this happy to run fifth, but this has been a hard-earned fifth place for sure. Just owe it to these seven guys to bring them a good finish. We’ve had multiple times where we’ve been fast and I’ve either messed up or circumstances haven’t gone our way, so it feels really, really good to finally bring them a top five, with a clean truck too,” Day said after the race. But then came the words of wisdom. When asked about what his biggest learning has been so far, he mentioned the art of slowing down while maintaining the position. “That’s been a big learning curve,” he added.
. @corey_day_ earns first NASCAR top five at Nashville – “I’m usually not this happy to run fifth” pic.twitter.com/YPf4y3T4nC
— Frontstretch (@Frontstretch) May 31, 2025
The numbers are starting to match the praise. With a truck that stayed clean and consistent all night, Day outdrove veterans and gained respect from the NASCAR paddock. He’s no longer just “Kyle Larson’s dirt guy”; he’s now seen as a serious contender. From Rick Hendrick to Jeff Gordon, key figures in the garage are watching closely. In six truck races this season, he has three top 15 finishes, and in two Xfinity races, he has a top 20 finish.
What makes Day’s rise more impressive is that he’s juggling two high-level racing disciplines. Just like Kyle Larson, he races in the day in the Xfinity series and then moves to the Sprint track at night. It’s the same formula Kyle Larson used to become one of the most versatile drivers on the planet. And Corey Day is following that blueprint to perfection. He knows it keeps him sharp. “I think just that keeps me sharp. It helps me go back to the pavement stuff as well,” he said about racing sprint cars. Notably, he has an equal number, i.e., 22, of Dirt and Pavement races scheduled this year. And before the next Truck race, he now goes for a ride in the Xfinity series on Saturday.
Corey Day takes on Byron’s Xfinity ride!
Corey Day’s Saturday in Nashville isn’t just another race, it’s a test of nerves, skill, and patience. He’ll be driving the No. 17 Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series, the same car William Byron drove to victory in Charlotte just a week ago. He also finished runner-up at COTA in the same No. 17 car that Day will drive in Nashville. Byron is now done with Xfinity for the year, and the seat opens up for Hendrick’s 19-year-old rising star. It’s a massive opportunity, and Day knows it.
So far, his Xfinity results haven’t been flashy. He finished 21st at Martinsville and 16th at Texas. But the experience has been valuable. With every lap, he learns more about the rhythm, the weight of the cars, and the flow of longer races. “Whereas NASCAR is not like that. You’ve got to set yourself up for the third stage. You don’t have to go try and win it in the first 10 laps. That’s definitely a big change,” Day said earlier this year. That’s the mindset he’s bringing into Nashville.
The car is fast. The team is proven. And the moment is big. But Day isn’t trying to be Byron. He’s trying to be the best version of himself. With seven more Xfinity starts scheduled this year, including marquee tracks like Sonoma, Bristol, and Phoenix, the path is clear. What comes next depends on how well he executes. This also puts his fight for Cup debut as No.17 Xfinity team will rotate drivers like Rajah Caruth and Jake Finch in upcoming races, and with each opportunity, a better result will improve Day’s chances.
The post Kyle Larson’s 19-Year-Old Replacement Drops 6-Word Wisdom After Career-Best NASCAR Finish appeared first on EssentiallySports.