MADISON, Ill.- Hendrick Motorsports doesn’t have a driver development program per se.
As team president Jeff Andrews put it, Hendrick is committed to the “Corey Day Development Program,” as evidenced by the long-term contract awarded to the driver earlier this week.
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“I think, for us, guys like this don’t come along very often, so when a talent like Corey Day presents itself …,” Andrews said. “We knew the (learning) curve was going to be steep, but we’ve been really proud of his progress and the things he’s accomplished on track and who he’s become off-track and part of our team and our culture.
“It’s a lot of things that led to the decision of going forward with the long-term development of Corey Day.”
The 20-year-old driver certainly has exceeded expectations in his first full season in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. He picked up his first victory at Talladega in April and followed that with a second win at Dover in May.
“I think back to when I signed my first deal two years ago, and I was just hopeful that there would be another one, much less another long-term one,” Day said Saturday at World Wide Technology Raceway. “Really cool.
“I’m really excited for what’s to come for me in my career. I also talked about the fact that I never really thought I would be much more than just a sprint car guy, which I was fine with that, but it’s really cool to see where my career is at now.”
The driver from Clovis, California, grew up racing on dirt, but he has handled the transition to pavement adroitly. There hasn’t been one “light bulb” moment, rather a steady progression.
“I didn’t expect that one day I would show up at the track and get the pole and win the race,” Day said. “I knew that it was going to be tough and that I was going to learn things at different paces.”
Day’s new contract includes a plan to run a handful of NASCAR Cup Series races next season in addition to competing for the O’Reilly Series championship. Because of limitations under the current charter agreement, Hendrick is unable to run a fifth car, even on a limited basis.
Consequently, Day will drive a Spire Motorsports Chevrolet in his Cup Series events, Andrews said.
Beyond 2027, Day’s future with the organization lacks specifics, but the new contract speaks to Hendrick’s belief in the young driver, especially after the signing of Connor Zilisch to succeed Alex Bowman in a Cup car, starting in 2028.