CHICO, Calif. — There was no stopping Corey Day on Saturday night.
The 18-year-old native of Clovis, Calif., put down one of the biggest beatdowns in Mike Curb Gold Cup Race of Champions history, leading all 40 laps completely uncontested aboard his Jason Meyers Racing, Driven2SaveLives, Sander Engineering No. 14 winged sprint car.
The end result was the biggest payday of his career — $100,070 — and a second-consecutive title in the race that means most to him.
It’s a fitting repeat as Day is the first back-to-back champ since some other California teenage sensation last did it in 2011-12, that being Kyle Larson. Day also matches his car owner, Jason Meyers, as a two-time champion of the event with his scores coming in 2010 and 2013.
It’s his sixth Kubota High Limit Racing victory of the season and sends him to the Pacific Northwest with even more momentum ahead of next week’s $100,000-to-win Sage Fruit Skagit Nationals.
Following Day to the line in second-place was Rico Abreu, who held the bridesmaid spot for the entirety of the 40-lapper but just couldn’t match Day’s intense pace. Abreu earned $25,000 for the runner-up effort in Chico.
Closing out the podium for the second time this year with Kubota High Limit Racing was Chris Windom. His Vermeer Motorsports, NOS Energy Drink No. 55 collected $15,000 for placing third in the Gold Cup.
The finish:
Feature (40 Laps): 1. 14-Corey Day[1]; 2. 24-Rico Abreu[2]; 3. 55-Chris Windom[4]; 4. 17W-Shane Golobic[5]; 5. 8-Cory Eliason[8]; 6. 83-James McFadden[9]; 7. 88N-DJ Netto[11]; 8. 13-Justin Peck[13]; 9. 35KM-Tyler Thompson[12]; 10. 92-Andy Forsberg[14]; 11. 17AU-Jamie Veal[20]; 12. 5-Spencer Bayston[6]; 13. 0-Tim Kaeding[24]; 14. 7B-Sean Becker[16]; 15. 83T-Tanner Carrick[22]; 16. 18-Dylan Bloomfield[19]; 17. 49-Brad Sweet[23]; 18. 17-Kalib Henry[18]; 19. 1C-Chance Grasty[15]; 20. 2X-Justin Sanders[7]; 21. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[21]; 22. 26-Zeb Wise[17]; 23. 88-Tanner Thorson[3]; 24. 24C-Chase Johnson[10]
Â