Corey Day Bio
Corey Eric Day (born November 28, 2005) is an American professional dirt track and stock car racing driver from Clovis, California. He competes full-time in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, driving the No. 17 Chevrolet Camaro SS for Hendrick Motorsports. Before moving into NASCAR’s national touring series, Day built his reputation as one of the top young sprint car talents on the West Coast.
Day is a former King of the West Sprint Car Series champion, a multi-time Gold Cup winner, and a Turkey Night Grand Prix victor, with a résumé that bridges dirt track tradition and modern stock car racing. His progression from micro sprints to Hendrick Motorsports has made him one of the most closely followed young drivers in American motorsports.
Early Life and Background
Corey Eric Day was born on November 28, 2005, in Clovis, California, and grew up immersed in the world of West Coast racing. His family has long ties to the sport, with his father, Ronnie Day, regarded as a West Coast racing legend. That family environment gave Corey an early and direct introduction to competition, first behind the handlebars of a dirt bike.
He began racing dirt bikes at a young age, but the sport proved dangerous. At nine years old, he broke his arm in a competitive dirt bike crash, an injury that effectively ended that chapter of his career. The setback redirected his energy toward the family business of four-wheeled racing, and the Clovis native soon turned his attention to open-wheel competition.
After working through the early stages of grassroots racing with the support of his family, Day chose to try sprint car racing. The move laid the foundation for everything that followed, giving him a foundation in dirt track craft and tire management that would later translate to paved ovals.
Path to NASCAR
Day began driving sprint cars in 2016, racing in the USAC Restricted Micro Sprints for his family-owned team. He ran eleven races in his first season, posting a best finish of third at Keller Auto Raceway. The early results hinted at the pace he would develop over the following seasons as he moved into larger and more powerful equipment.
He steadily built a reputation on the West Coast sprint car circuit, collecting wins and championships while still a teenager. In 2021, Day earned his first career USAC National Midget Series victory at Circle City Raceway, becoming the youngest driver ever to win a USAC National Series event. The milestone announced him nationally as a dirt track star in the making.
In 2023, he added the King of the West Sprint Car Series title and the Make-A-Wish Trophy Cup championship to his résumé, and the next year he captured the Turkey Night Grand Prix. Those dirt track results put him on the radar of NASCAR team owners, and his transition to stock cars began with a late-model start at Hickory Motor Speedway in April 2024, where he won in only his second career start for JR Motorsports.
Corey Day Career
Early Career (2016-2022)
Day’s first chapter as a sprint car driver began in the USAC Restricted Micro Sprints in 2016, when he was just ten years old. Racing for his family-owned team, he showed immediate speed, recording a podium finish at Keller Auto Raceway during his eleven-race debut season. The foundation of those early years came from countless laps on California dirt tracks.
As he matured, Day progressed into higher-profile sprint car and midget divisions, sharpening his race craft against seasoned veterans. The breakthrough came in 2021, when he became the youngest driver to win a USAC National Series event with a victory at Circle City Raceway. That record-setting win established him as one of the premier young talents in American dirt racing.
ARCA Menards Series Breakthrough (2024-2025)
On July 24, 2024, it was announced that Day would run three races in the ARCA Menards Series for Pinnacle Racing Group, with primary sponsorship from HendrickCars.com, including stops at Salem, Bristol, and Kansas. In his debut at Salem, he started fifth and finished fifteenth after a late-race incident with Toni Breidinger. At Kansas, he ran inside the top five and finished fourth, a result that drew attention for the on-track contact with Andy Jankowiak on the final lap.
On January 9, 2025, Day’s ARCA schedule expanded through a deal with Spire Motorsports to run four races in the No. 77 car, beginning at Daytona. The partnership reflected his growing stock car résumé and provided additional seat time on intermediate and superspeedway layouts.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Breakthrough (2024-2025)
On September 16, 2024, it was announced that Day would make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at Bristol Motor Speedway for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, driving the No. 81 truck. He started twenty-second and finished eighteenth in his first national series start. He ran three additional races that season at Kansas, Homestead, and Martinsville, earning a best finish of sixteenth at Homestead.
On January 9, 2025, Day announced an expanded Truck Series schedule for the year, running eight races for Spire Motorsports in the No. 7 truck. The increased schedule gave him a fuller sample of stock car racing’s third national touring series, with a focus on building consistency on intermediate tracks.
Hendrick Motorsports Era (2024-Present)
On December 6, 2024, Day signed a multi-year contract with Hendrick Motorsports, one of the most decorated organizations in NASCAR history. In 2025, he ran eleven races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for HMS in the No. 17 car, balancing those duties with his Truck Series program at Spire Motorsports. The dual schedule allowed him to gain experience across both national series under the Hendrick umbrella.
On November 7, 2025, Hendrick Motorsports announced that Day would run full-time in the now renamed O’Reilly Auto Parts Series for the 2026 season, continuing in the No. 17 Chevrolet. The promotion confirmed his status as a long-term developmental piece for the organization and a driver to watch in NASCAR’s second tier.
Driving Style and Strengths
Day’s driving style is shaped by his dirt track roots, where throttle control, car placement, and patience in traffic are essential. He excels on tracks that reward rhythm and mechanical grip, and his sprint car background gives him strong instincts in close-quarter racing. Working with the resources and engineering depth of Hendrick Motorsports has allowed those raw skills to translate quickly to stock car competition.
Notable Races and Milestones
Day’s milestone list includes his 2017 Tulsa Shootout Restricted A-Class win, his record-setting 2021 USAC National Midget Series victory at Circle City Raceway, the 2023 King of the West championship, and the 2024 Turkey Night Grand Prix. His late-model debut win at Hickory Motor Speedway in April 2024 and his Truck Series debut at Bristol later that year marked his arrival on the NASCAR ladder.
Corey Day Career Wins
Corey Day’s career win list spans sprint cars, midgets, late models, and the NASCAR ladder, with championships and signature events on both dirt and pavement. The following highlights are drawn from his verified accomplishments across multiple disciplines.
Sprint Car and Midget Highlights
Day’s sprint car résumé features the 2023 King of the West Sprint Car Series title, the 2023 and 2024 Gold Cup Sprint Car championships, and the 2024 Make-A-Wish Trophy Cup championship. He added a Turkey Night Grand Prix win in 2024 and a Tulsa Shootout Restricted A-Class victory in 2017, while his 2021 USAC National Midget Series win at Circle City Raceway made him the youngest driver to win a USAC National Series event.
He also competed full-time in Kubota High Limit Racing in 2024 with Jason Meyers Racing, scoring wins at RPM Speedway, Red Dirt Raceway, Riverside International Speedway, I-70 Motorsports Park, and Lake Ozark Speedway. That season showcased his versatility on dirt ovals of varying sizes across the country.
Other Wins and Performances
In stock cars, Day won a late-model feature in only his second career start at Hickory Motor Speedway in April 2024, driving the No. 88 for JR Motorsports. The win announced his stock car potential and helped open the door to his ARCA, Truck, and Xfinity opportunities with Pinnacle Racing Group, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, Spire Motorsports, and Hendrick Motorsports.
Corey Day Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Corey Day comes from a long-established racing family based in Clovis, California. His father, Ronnie Day, is regarded as a West Coast racing legend, and the family’s support has been central to Corey’s development as a driver. The family-owned team that ran his early USAC Restricted Micro Sprints laid the groundwork for everything that followed.
Personal Life
Corey Day is an American racing driver based in his home state of California. Outside of his NASCAR commitments with Hendrick Motorsports, he continues to balance dirt track appearances with his rising stock car career.
2025 Season Performance
Day’s 2025 schedule reflected his rapid ascent through the NASCAR ladder. He ran eleven races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for Hendrick Motorsports in the No. 17 Chevrolet, while also expanding his Truck Series program to eight races with Spire Motorsports in the No. 7. The combination gave him a mix of superspeedway, intermediate, and short track work across both national series.
Earlier in the year, he also returned to the ARCA Menards Series with Spire Motorsports, running the No. 77 car beginning at Daytona as part of a four-race plan. Balancing three national-level programs as a teenager underscored the organization’s confidence in his long-term potential.
With Hendrick Motorsports announcing on November 7, 2025 that Day would move to the renamed O’Reilly Auto Parts Series full-time in 2026, the 2025 campaign served as a transition year, building experience, refining communication with his crew, and preparing for a championship-level run the following season. His momentum, combined with HMS engineering depth, positions him as a rising name to watch in NASCAR’s second tier.