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Hendrick Motorsports signs 19-year-old dirt star Corey Day to development deal

JHby:Jonathan Howard•about 21 hours•

Jondean25

Rick Hendrick Jeff Gordon
Kelly Jordan / USA TODAY NETWORK

Today, Hendrick Motorsports and Corey Day made it official. The teenage dirt superstar is now a Hendrick development driver. Day had picked up sponsorship from HendrickCars.com in 2024 as he raced in ARCA and the NASCAR Truck Series for the first time.

Corey Day won more races in the High Limit Racing series than any other driver in 2024. He didn’t clinch the championship, but he showed why many think he’s the best NASCAR prospect from the dirt world since Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson.

Those ties to Hendrick and Larson are not a coincidence either. Larson is a co-owner in High Limit and has taken an interest in Day’s development. Well, now they are more or less teammates.

Corey Day had really good ARCA races at Bristol and Kansas. His Truck Series starts did not wow anyone, but he ended up with three top-20 finishes in four attempts. Coming from a dirt racing background, open-wheel at that, there is going to be a learning curve.

However, it is clear that Hendrick Motorsports sees something in Day. They don’t just sign anyone to a contract, development driver or full-time.

The deal will put Corey on pavement almost 30 times in 2025. He will get a number of starts in Xfinity, Truck, ARCA, and the Trans-Am Series.

Corey Day impressed the right people at Hendrick

Corey Day might be the next big thing, and his skills impressed two of the most talented stars Hendrick has had. All it took was an endorsement from Larson and this guy named Jeff Gordon for Rick Hendrick to get on board.

It also doesn’t hurt that, like Larson (and Gordon even if he grew up in Indiana), Day is from California. Something about those West Coast drivers.

“When Kyle Larson and Jeff Gordon say someone is the real deal, it certainly gets your attention,” Mr. H said, via Hendrick Motorsports. “Corey comes from a great racing family and in a short time has shown a level of talent that sets him apart. What he’s already accomplished at this point in his career speaks volumes, and it’s been impressive to see how quickly he’s adapted to pavement. We’re excited to welcome him to our team.” 

While the deal was announced today, it was signed more than a month ago, back on December 6, 2024. That is hard to keep a secret for a month.

Corey Day will participate in the ARCA Daytona pre-race practice today and tomorrow. He is driving the No. 77 car for Spire Motorsports.