(photo credit Leon Hammack)

I caught up with young Corey Day at The Las Vegas NASCAR weekend. It was designed as a follow up interview to our first meeting in the Spring at Las Vegas Motor speedway. In the first meeting I was asking questions of Corey that would educate the readers of his background growing up and his indoctrination into the racing world. It was an enlightening interview back then with Corey.

Below is the second chapter into Corey Day and an evaluation of his 2025 NASCAR and sprint car racing season.

WorkingOnMyRedneck: We’re gonna do a little looking back over the 2025 race season and just see how things have gone for you. When we talked last time, here in Vegas, you were at the beginning of the year, and you really didn’t know what to expect for NASCAR. How would you evaluate how you’ve been doing, both in the trucks and in the XFINITY series this year?

Corey Day: I think I was like a B plus in the truck series. I actually figured the truck out pretty good. In the XFINITY car, I’m still lacking a little bit of seat time, probably a B minus right now, but hopefully after this race and then Martinsville and Phoenix, it’ll be better.

WorkingOnMyRedneck: Do they drive significantly different?

Corey Day: Yeah they’re really different, just with, like, the feel and the steering wheel, the motors are different, and both of them, the trucks are way, like, more aero sensitive than the Xfinity cars are. So that’s a lot different to learn that race craft, whereas you know sprint car racing, you just don’t want to follow someone. But learning like the side draft and all that stuff, the stock car stuff has been a challenge for me because it’s just a whole different side of the racecraft thing.

WorkingOnMyRedneck: You are coming up on the end of you first full year under the umbrella of Rick Hendrick and HMS racing. So you have gotten your feet wet in the pavement world of racing, and getting your senses about you in “the big league”. Now that you are embarking on a career with “the big dogs” of the sport, who have you or can you lean on at HMS for that kind of knowledge.

Corey Day: Kyle Larson, as much as I can for sure, Josh Wise and Scott Speed are a big help to the Chevy program. So all these guys move my career as well as my crew chief, Adam (Wall), and Jeff Gordon. They’ve been around it for a long time. So they all know what they’re talking about.

WOMR: What’s been your biggest surprise in NASCAR so far?

Corey Day: There’s been a lot of them! Really, it’s hard to pinpoint just one of them. However, I think the quality of competition is a big surprise! I know that I’ve raced with some of the best sprint car drivers in the world, and those guys are all really, really good. But these guys (NASCAR race car drivers) are amazing at what they do. For sure, I’d say the depth of competition from first to twentieth is tough in Xfinity and Cup races. In the Trucks Series, maybe first through fifteenth, are tough competitors as well. All those guys can have a really good day and win the race. Whereas in sprint cars, races I feel like that number is much smaller. So, yeah, I feel that the depth of competition in NASCAR is steep.

WOMR: Of the tracks you’ve raced in NASCAR so far this year, do you have a favorite one that you’ve raced.

CD: Yeah, I like Kansas; it’s a lot of fun. The mile and a half stuff is my favorite. I’d say Vegas is cool, as well. I had a lot of fun here in the truck earlier this year. Homestead is really cool. Bristol is my favorite short track. But, yeah, probably Kansas is my over all favorite track.

WOMR: Why are the mile and a half race tracks high on your lists of favs?

CD: The mile and a half has speed, lot of throttle time, you go fast! Driving a sprint car you drive it with the throttle, right? So I struggle with the short tracks like Martinsville, places that you have to use a lot of brake, because there’s a technique to it, and I’ve never had to to learn that before. So I have to learn that and I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better with the braking techniques. But these bigger tracks, you drive the car!

WOMR: Does driving the simulator really help with learning breaking techniques and the personality of the different race tracks?

CD: Yes it does. The pedals that are in the sim are really, really close to how they feel in the race car. So just getting that same feel is- it’s really good. Just training your foot basically really helps. So it’s feeling the same thing as you know every time. It’s just like learning how to throw a baseball or catch one, or swing a bat. It’s the same learning thing. You gotta train your braking foot.

WOMR: Which tracks didn’t you like, or are your least your least favorite race track?

CD: Martinsville for that reason (the braking thing). It’s just a narrow track, and the bottom is the preferred line. And I’m still not great at braking the car. So, I do like that I’m not good at it, yet. So that is the challenge, to get better at braking.

WOMR: So if you’re not good at something it makes you work harder, right?

CD: Yes, sir.

WOMR: What’s the biggest lesson, so far, that you learned this year in your stock car?

CD: I can’t pinpoint just one lesson. I learned that the races are longer than 30 laps, right? There’s a different driving style in these races than there is to a sprint car race. What I’m learning here in NASCAR is that, if you’re not good at stage one or stage two, that’s okay. You get it fixed up at the stage two stop, and then you got a chance for the third stage. Whereas in the sprint car, you got what you got when you roll out on the track. So with sprinters, it’s everything you can do in the seat from the drop the green until the checkered flag. It’s all on you, and also it is a very short race, compared to NASCAR. So, I’d say, probably learning how to manage my race when your car isn’t right and you’re needing some adjustments has been the biggest challenge.

WOMR: Is it tricky trying to learn how to communicate needs of the race car to the crew chief? Since you are not in the NXS ride every week, how do you build that communication skill level?

CD: I’m pretty involved in the sprint car side of things, the set up and my feedback. So I’ve worked a lot on my feel for the race car, and then how I translate that to my crew chief over the past five years. I feel pretty confident with my feedback. I feel like I can do a pretty good job at telling them what I need.

WOMR: Let’s talk a little 2025 dirt track successes. I don’t know if you remember, but I’m going to ask you anyway. You told me in the spring that there was one track or race that you really want to win in the sprint car. Do you remember what you said?

CD: Yes I do. It is the Nationals (the Knoxville Nationals in Knoxville, Iowa). This year I won an Outlaw race there. Yeah, I didn’t win the Nationals, but I did win an Outlaw race at Knoxville in August!

WOMR: Did it mean something that you beat David Gravel at Knoxville for your very first win at that track?

CD: Oh yes it did! The guy’s a really good sprint car driver. They’ve been the best car in the country all year, for sure. So, yeah, it’s cool to beat him. It is cool to do it (beat Gravel) being a part time sprinter driver, too.

WOMR: I’m sure Jason (Meyers), your car owner enjoyed it.

CD: Yeah, yeah that was a cool weekend!

WOMR: Doing a little more research since our last talk, you kind of like Chico, (Silver Dollar Speedway) don’t you?

CD: Yeah I love Chico.

WOMR: Being a three time winner of the Gold Cup at Chico, you do know with whom you are in good company also having that distinction?

CD: Yes. That was crazy. Anytime you can be in the same sentence with Steve Kinser, the king, that is big stuff!. That is talking about one of his records? It is something that you only dream can happen. So, yeah, that was really cool!

WOMR: Do you have anything on the record for your 2026 racing schedule?

CD: Yeah, but that is still classified!

WOMR; Just so you know, when I was an Air Force pilot I had a security clearance that was up to and including “Wild Ass Rumor Control” so you can tell me! But, would it be safe if I said you will probably be driving this car (HMS #17 Xfinity car) a little more in ’26?

CD: Maybe?

Well that concludes my interview with Corey Day at Las Vegas.

But as the Sun set over LVMS, Corey drove through the field of competitors in the HMS # 17 to log a fourth place finish in the Focused Health 302 Saturday in Vegas. That was his best finish in the Xfinity series ro date.

After following Corey’s NASCAR progress this year it appears that his transition from slinging dirt with the best sprint car drivers in the country, to learning how to manipulate these high speed 3500 pound “door slammers” on pavement, is progressing along very nicely. With mentors like Jeff Gordon and Kyle Larson for racing skills and coupled with Josh Wise and Scott Speed for fitness, Corey Day has an excellent shot at racing on Sundays for Mr. H within the next couple of years.

Just as a reminder, if you haven’t heard of this young talented race car driver, I would strongly suggest that you keep your eyes and ears peeled for Corey Day. It appears to this reporter that Corey Day may, in the near future, be mentioned in the same sentence with the likes of his mentors, Kyle Larson and Jeff Gordon.

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!