Corey Day may have won back-to-back races at Las Vegas and Charlotte, but he is in no mood to ease the pressure on his rivals as The Chase heats up. The Hendrick Motorsports driver, who will make his Cup debut in 2027, is now just seven points behind leader Sheldon Creed with four races remaining in the ongoing O’Reilly Auto Parts Series season.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
As a result, he wants to keep attacking until he emerges on top, and he seems to have an ambitious target for the remaining races.
In an interaction with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio posted on X on Tuesday, the HMS driver said, “Now we’re in the hunt, but at the same time, we’re not going to take our foot off their neck. I think we’ve got everyone right where we want them right now. It’s just a matter of keeping the momentum rolling forward.
“I’d love to win these next four races and just put it to rest. Obviously, that’s going to be difficult, but I know that we’re bringing the cars capable of doing that.”
There is no need for him to change his preparation or ask his team to take a different approach. Day won at Las Vegas after holding off Carson Kvapil in a tense late-race battle, then followed it with another victory at Charlotte. Those results helped him regain 85 points on the championship lead in just two races.
At Charlotte, Day had to overcome a penalty for driving through too many pit boxes during a stage-break stop. He restarted 30th but charged through the field, reaching seventh by the end of Stage 2.
Eventually, with just 10 laps to go in the race, Day made a bold three-wide move on Jesse Love and Justin Allgaier, taking the lead before holding off Love to win by 0.728 seconds, thus registering his fourth victory of the season.
“I think the 2 got really loose from what I could see up there in front of the 7, and that kind of messed them both up,” Day said of the pass. “That was just enough for me to get a good run and take my run.”
This was proof of Day’s willingness to seize an opportunity rather than to wait for it. Although a poor restart briefly put him behind Love and Allgaier, he recovered when it mattered.
Day’s recent results are also changing the narrative around him. Earlier in the season, crashes and mistakes during his transition from dirt racing led some fans to question his abilities and his readiness for NASCAR’s national series. However, his latest performances have shown that he can turn his speed into victories under pressure.
He had already demonstrated his potential with a late pass for a victory at Dover for his second O’Reilly win. But the Las Vegas and Charlotte wins carry added significance because they came during the Chase, when poor finishes can have an immediate impact on a driver’s championship position.
The Charlotte race weekend was even more notable for Day. After losing track position because of the pit-road penalty, he worked his way back toward the front and delivered when the race was on the line. With four races left in the season, the ability to recover becomes key. Day cannot control what Creed or Love do in the coming races, but he can continue putting himself in a position to win.
Day moved into third place after Charlotte, sitting seven points behind leader Creed. Love is second, just two points behind Creed, leaving the top three in each other’s crosshairs in the standings.
More importantly, the small points gaps mean the order could change quickly. A victory at Phoenix would give Day another opportunity to take the lead, while a poor finish could undo some of the ground he has made up over the last two weeks.
Day is not pretending that winning every remaining race will be easy. Instead, his confidence comes from the work his team has already done and the cars it continues to provide.
“Super cool that we’ve made up as many points as we have these past couple (weeks),” he said.
The statement reflects the ever-unpredictable nature of racing. In a matter of two successive wins, Day has gone from chasing the leaders to becoming someone worth looking out for. He now has a genuine chance to fight for the championship, instead of waiting for an opportunity later in the season.
Hence, Day chooses to stick to the working formula; keep preparing, keep racing for victories and make the drivers ahead of him respond. With only seven points separating him from the lead, Day has every reason to maintain that pressure.
For Creed and Love, the challenge is no longer just protecting their positions. They must also find a way to stop Day from continuing his charge.