Corey Day has two wins, 15 top-10 finishes, and a spot secured in the Chase for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. He sits fifth in the standings with one race left in the regular season. However, for Hendrick Motorsports, he wasn’t the first choice to replace Alex Bowman in the No. 48 car.
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That seat has already been confirmed for Connor Zilisch, as revealed earlier this week. Ever since rumors surfaced about Bowman’s potential exit from the team, Corey Day had been linked to the No. 48 ride. Therefore, Zilisch’s confirmation raised a few eyebrows. However, judging by Rick Hendrick’s comments, Day will remain a preferred option for the organization.
“First of all, Corey Day is a tremendous talent, and our plan is for him to be in our future for a long time. People don’t realize he’s only been on pavement about half a year, and so it’s going to be good to watch him grow. We have plans for him that go well beyond the next couple of years. So when the timing’s right, he’ll move up,” Rick Hendrick said in a press conference. And there’s a reason why he doesn’t want to rush Day’s transition to Cup racing.
Day comes from the sprint car and dirt racing world. He’s won the Chili Bowl Nationals and the 2023 Sprint Car Series championship, and this is his first full-time year racing on pavement. A couple of wins in the O’Reilly Series isn’t enough to warrant a big switch to racing on Sundays. But looking at the current situation, a path to Cup racing looks slim for Corey, at least in an HMS car.
Rick Hendrick confirmed that Day is part of a long-term plan at Hendrick Motorsports. But how exactly does that work? Spire Motorsports looks like a sensible option, as the team has an alliance with HMS. The No. 7 and No. 71 teams are two that aren’t locked into long-term deals. Michael McDowell, in particular, could be the one who loses his seat.
Carson Hocevar and Daniel Suarez have both won this season and are likely to be part of the 10-race Chase for the championship. On the flip side, McDowell is 21st in the standings and hoping for a miracle to make the postseason title run. So, there’s still a path for Corey Day to make his Cup dreams come true, but it won’t necessarily be with Hendrick Motorsports.
Connor Zilisch, who landed the No. 48 ride, raced with JR Motorsports despite being signed to Trackhouse Racing. So, these kinds of deals have been worked out between Chevy teams before. Plus, HMS is unlikely to make changes to its driver lineup, with Kyle Larson, at 34, being the oldest of the group. HMS also likely wants to avoid repeating the mistake Trackhouse made with Zilisch by rushing his progression to Cup racing.
After winning 10 races in the O’Reilly Series in 2025 and finishing second in the standings, Trackhouse Racing signed Zilisch, bringing plenty of pressure to deliver. However, he has struggled throughout the season and sits 34th in the standings, with eight DNFs and just one top-10 finish. It’s been a tough rookie season for him, and frankly, no one saw this coming.
It’s not entirely Zilisch’s fault, of course. It’s been a difficult season for Trackhouse Racing, as the team has struggled to find speed for months. The organization’s only two wins have come at road courses, both with Shane van Gisbergen. So, a rookie learning the Cup Series while his team is experiencing a slump isn’t the ideal situation.
It’s a win-win situation for Hendrick Motorsports. They managed to lure one of the brightest talents in the sport to their team while also continuing to nurture Day, who could eventually take one of the rides at HMS in the near future.