Being a teenager can be difficult.
Between balancing classes, homework, friends and being part of sports teams, it becomes a young adult’s first foray into staying on top of a tight schedule.
Now imagine entering senior year trying to stay on top of schoolwork during the week and attempting to kickstart a career competing against grown adults aboard a bellowing 410 sprint car on the weekends.
That’s the life of second-generation sprint car standout Corey Day.
The 17-year-old, who secured the NARC 410 Sprint Car Series championship two weeks ago, has basked in the limelight of his recent accomplishment. Though schoolwork still remains of the essence.
“I’m actually sitting here doing school right as I’m talking to you,” Day laughed. “So, it’s not terribly hard to balance. Luckily, I have a teacher who, she’s actually a fan of sprint cars. So she kind of knows what goes on with me and she’s super lenient about my work when I’m going to be gone racing.”
We all wish our teachers were as enthralled with racing as we were.
Day has grown accustomed to a specific schedule that works for him, which ensures success in both aspects of life.
“I usually just try and get it all done like on on a Sunday or a Monday, so I don’t really got to worry about it the rest of the week,” Day told SPEED SPORT. “Some weeks that happens and others it doesn’t. There’s times when it’s difficult to balance, but for the most part, I get it done.”
Getting it done in the classroom has certainly translated to the race track, as Day wheeled Jason Meyers Racing’s No. 14 race car to a whopping nine victories in NARC competition alone.
To add to his impressive season, Day led a series-high 160 laps, 40 more than his closest competitor.
“Yeah, that was really cool. That’s kind of what we set out to do as a team this year, at the beginning of the year,” Day began. “We wanted to race for a championship. All my guys hadn’t done that since Jason ran for a championship.
“I hadn’t really went after a championship. I went after a championship in micros, but nothing in sprint cars. It’s a whole different game, of course. It was cool to be able to do that.”
Day’s title was special for his entire family. His father, Ronnie Day, solidified the same accomplishment 23 years ago.
“Really, really cool to be able to do that, add my name to the list of champs with my dad, he was a past champ,” Day said.
While Day’s travel outside the West Coast has been limited during the school year, he made the most of his opportunities once the summer hit.
Among the highlights included achieving a lifelong dream – winning a World of Outlaws race.
Day led all 40 laps to win the 69th Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway.
It was a moment he still looks back on fondly.
“It was pretty surreal,” Day reflected. “When you grew up going to races like I did or race micros or anything that you want to be an outlaw one day, or you want to win an outlaw race.
“So, that’s been my goal forever. My goal originally was to hopefully beat Gio’s (Scelzi) record and be the youngest to do it. I actually got close but wasn’t able to do it there. I feel like it kind of slipped my grasp for a while there.
“I wasn’t even able to get a try at it or wasn’t even close. I knew this year when they came to California with the year we’d been having, I knew that it was time for it to happen and just needed to go after it hard,” Day continued.
“We did. Should’ve had two there, at Hanford as well. But, I kind of slipped on it there. It was just really cool.”
Topping off his stellar season included a powerful 20th-to-first drive in the 29th edition of the Trophy Cup at Thunderbowl Raceway. Ironically, Day’s father won the first Trophy Cup in 1994.
From a broad perspective, Day’s season has been nothing short of spectacular.
The catalyst for Day and team owner Jason Meyer’s success stems from a tight-knit team they’ve established together.
“Everyone’s been really working well together this year,” Day explained. “Our team dynamic’s really good. Me and Shane (Bowers, crew chief) are working really good together as well. I kind of spent all offseason, beginning of the year, just studying with him and with Stefan (Sidur).
“Stefan has been one of my good friends for the past five years.
“He’s been working with us on the 14 for the past two years now. Me, him and Shane, we’re just friends just going racing, so, that’s really cool to do,” Day continued.
“We did a lot of studying this offseason with race cars and with what everyone else has been doing. Just kind of just found where we needed to be.”
Fans looking to see Day in more extensive action with the World of Outlaws or High Limit Racing will have to be patient as he continues to finish up his final year of high school.
Heading into the 2024 season, Day expects a similar slate to this year on the West Coast, with another Midwest tour during the summer months.