Israel’s Alon Day has eventual sights set on the Monster Energy Series

Alon Day wants more opportunities to race in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series – and he hopes his newly earned title will help. The 26-year-old driver is back in Tel Aviv, Israel -- his native country -- after winning his second straight NASCAR Whelen Euro Series championship on Oct. 22. Day's title-clinching win at Circuit Zolder was his seventh win of the 2018 Euro Series season. The title didn't come without a fight, though. "It was a pretty intense year. It was definitely harder than the first year," Day told NASCAR.com in a phone conversation. "The first four races of the season, I won all of them and then I got disqualified in one of those post-race inspections … And I did another driving mistake which almost cost me the championship. So many small mistakes, so many kinds of punches that I got throughout the year that made everything much more difficult. To be very honest, until the very last moment, until I crossed the line, I didn’t think I would win that championship. “… I’ve been in such a difficult situation … which actually makes winning much sweeter. I’m super happy, so happy for me, for my team, for my country, for everybody. I’m extremely happy.” Day also made his second Monster Energy Series start this season and his first at an oval track (at Richmond Raceway in September). He made history running his first Cup race in 2017 at Sonoma Raceway, as he became the first Israeli driver to start in NASCAR's premier series. Day has also made two pairs of Xfinity and Camping World Truck starts (2016). “What I learned is that ovals are hard; road courses are easier,” he said, laughing. “That’s the main thing. I’m a road course specialist, I came from road courses. For me, driving an oval was very challenging. But that was a good experience. I learned a lot when I raced in Richmond. I can’t even describe it in words because I had so many things going on that weekend. I wasn’t prepared for that. I didn’t think it was going to be that hard on me. “So, I would love in the future to do more races. I don’t care which team. I just want to drive in the Cup level. It was amazing. I hope also this championship will open some more doors.” Day is accustomed to breaking down barriers; he began his career wheeling go-karts in Europe with his father’s support. When he started in 2002, his native country of Israel had “no motorsports.” “We had nothing. Absolutely nothing. It was desert, literally,” he said with a chuckle. “We had only go-karts … I’m so fortunate and happy that my dad realized my abilities or my potential and invested the money … “Without my dad sending me out of Israel, sending me to Europe to race there, I don’t think we would be having this conversation right now.” Day’s presence in NASCAR now is important; for himself, the sport and Israel. “We are not really big in motorsports but we are getting there … slowly,” he said of his country. “You can see before I started racing in NASCAR, nobody probably knew what NASCAR was here in Israel. And now they actually are broadcasting the races. I won the Athlete of the Year back in 2016 … So that showed how big NASCAR became here in Israel. “It’s nice to see that there’s so much support behind me and when I won the race, I got so many messages, people all over Israel, even from the government and ministers, people like that congratulating me. It’s a big thing. “Every time I carry the Israel flag, I’m carrying the whole country behind me.” Day also hopes to change others’ perspectives about Israel with his success in motorsports, explaining that sports “change everything.” “I think by having me there, while I was racing (in NASCAR), I tried to change minds about Israel,” he said. “A lot of people really realized that and appreciated that … “When you think about sports, you don’t think about war. The only war I have is on the race track … I show different sides about Israel and show that we are not only a weapon country or whatever you want to call it or whatever you think about it. We are also good in sports and other things.” One day, he would love to carry the Israeli flag fulltime in the Monster Energy Series – but he knows what it will take to make that dream happen. “That’s obviously the goal, but I have to be very realistic and know about what’s coming out with sponsors and things like that,” he said. “So, I would say that’s the ultimate goal, but I know it’s very challenging and it’s not going to be easy and it’s still a long process. “I will work as hard as I can for that.”