When Hendrick Motorsports announced that Connor Zilisch will take over the No. 48 car in 2028, questions began surrounding Corey Day’s Cup future. He was linked heavily to be the next big superstar driver to take over an HMS car, in case there was a vacancy. Instead, Mr. H and his team opted for Zilisch, who’s not lived up to the hype so far in 2026. 

But, this isn’t going to be the only opportunity Day will have to break into the Cup Series. And his mentor, Kyle Larson, shared his vision for the young driver. “You just got to trust the process and go win. I mean, winning takes care of everything,” Larson said on the Door Bumper Clear podcast. “So, he’s done well this year. He’s progressed so much, I think, compared to anybody in the field. So, do I think he could get in a Cup car next year and be good? Yeah. But I think there’s still a lot to learn next year in the O’Reilly series to be extra prepared when you get to Cup.”

Day has won at Talladega and Dover this season. Overall, he has recorded six top-five and 15 top-10 finishes. However, his strong start to the season is what has kept him in fifth place, as he hasn’t won a race or finished in the top five since Charlotte in May. It’s worth noting that Day isn’t a traditional stock car racer, he comes from a sprint car racing background, just like Larson. With just 56 NASCAR starts, there’s room for growth and improvement for the 19-year-old. 

“Corey’s got the talent, but he’s got what 50 stock car races maybe, right? Yeah, I think if the seat was open for him to do it, he would just do fine. I probably had the same amount of races when I got to Cup, and I struggled. I didn’t win a race for a few years. It’s just different these days, and you gotta trust the process,” Larson added. 

Larson’s point is not that Day lacks the talent to compete in Cup. Quite the opposite, in fact. The 2025 Cup champion believes Day could perform well if given the opportunity next year itself. But there lies a difference between just racing in the Cup Series and actually succeeding there.

Connor Zilisch provides a recent example of why that distinction matters. Zilisch made the transition from the O’Reilly Series to Cup in 2026 with enormous expectations surrounding him, considering he won 10 races at the level. Yet his rookie campaign has been plagued by DNFs, difficult weekends and inconsistent results. Those struggles have inevitably raised questions about whether he was moved into Cup too quickly. Hendrick appears determined to avoid that situation with Day.

After announcing Zilisch as his driver for the 2028 Cup Series lineup, Rick Hendrick addressed why they are taking a cautious approach with Day.

“First of all, Corey Day is a tremendous talent, and our plan is for him to be in our future for a long time,” he said in a press conference. “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. And we have plans for him that go well beyond the next couple of years. So when the timing’s right, he’ll move up.

If Day spends another season turning his O’Reilly Series experience into wins, Larson believes the argument for his promotion will become impossible to ignore. When that moment arrives, the formula will be simple: take what worked in O’Reilly and keep winning in Cup.

Larson’s message about Day is ultimately about patience and consistency, two things the veteran himself has been looking for during his own difficult stretch. While he believes Day can become a Cup Series driver, Larson also knows firsthand how important it is to build momentum and keep it going. That was clear at New Hampshire, where Larson finally showed signs of getting back on track.

Kyle Larson finally finds momentum

Larson has been winless in the Cup Series since May 2025. For a driver of his caliber, that is an agonizingly long time without a trip to Victory Lane. And it’s not like he has been particularly close, either.

For much of the year, the No. 5 driver has dealt with Chevrolet’s balance issues while also battling his own share of bad luck. In the last three races, he crashed in two of them — at Indianapolis and Iowa — finishing 39th and 33rd, respectively. That made New Hampshire’s redemption all the more important for him heading into the Chase.

Larson started the afternoon strongly, winning the opening stage and earning crucial points. He remained near the front for much of the race despite the constantly changing conditions at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, ultimately crossing the finish line fifth.

“Hopefully we can just continue to build on it,” Larson said after the race. “Still have a lot of growth left to get to where we’re leading laps consistently and challenging for wins. It’s good now these last two weeks to have a solid finish, just got to continue to work hard. We’ve been doing that for the past two years it seems, and eventually I think it will come around. If you can’t win them, then just try to be consistent.”

That result may not have been enough to satisfy a driver of Larson’s caliber. But the bigger picture was much more encouraging. The No. 5 Chevrolet showed good pace throughout the afternoon instead of relying on strategy or late-race circumstances. Larson also turned that speed into a solid points haul with the Chase now just one race away.

It was his second consecutive solid finish, something that has been hard to achieve during his recent slump. Larson knows there is still work to do. He admitted that the team needs to find more speed before it can consistently lead laps and challenge for wins.

But the timing of the improvement could be important. The Chase will reset the championship battle, and Larson doesn’t need to enter NASCAR’s postseason as the favorite. He just needs his team moving in the right direction.

Consistency can provide that foundation. If the No. 5 team can keep building on its recent progress, Larson could enter the Chase with much more confidence than he had a few weeks ago. For a driver chasing another championship, that momentum may be just as important as a single victory.