ROSSBURG, Ohio — Corey Day doesn’t get to drive sprint cars too often these days, but he sure makes the most of the opportunities when they come.
The Clovis, Calif., native spends most weekends wheeling for Hendrick Motorsports in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series as he climbs through the elite levels of pavement racing. But he’ll never forget where he came from. Sprint cars remain close to heart, and he jumps back in the Jason Meyers Racing ride whenever time permits.
As luck would have it, Day’s duties with “Mr. H” weren’t required this weekend with the tour taking it off. The timing couldn’t be better with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series invading Eldora Speedway for the 43rd Kings Royal. Action opened on Friday with The Knight Before the Kings Royal, and Day’s 2026 season debut with The Greatest Show on Dirt ended in victory lane.
The 20-year-old survived several restarts during a chaotic 30-lapper and fended off a charge from Aaron Reutzel to get the job done and bank $25,000. Reutzel took one peek to Day’s inside midway through the race, but Day closed the door, got his elbows up, and took off after the challenge on his way to the win.
“Yeah, it was tough,” Day said. “When you lead those races like that, you get to lapped traffic for only a couple laps and it’s really hard to gauge how good where you’re running on the track is. I thought that when I got to traffic and moved to the top I made really good speed, but it was close enough to what I was doing on the bottom that I was really unsure. Then someone got a run on me on the bottom of (Turn) 1 there before the last caution. I didn’t know if it came from the top. I kind of missed the bottom, so I also didn’t know if it came from them hitting the bottom. But I would’ve rather had my speed up around the top, and if I would’ve seen a nose I could’ve gotten down rather than the other way.”
Day’s triumph was his fourth in only 10 sprint car races this year. It was his second this week at Eldora to go along with a Wednesday Double Down Duel$ main event. He’s now got four career victories in 44 career World of Outlaws starts. Momentum is on Day’s side as his focus now turns to chasing the Kings Royal crown and $200,000 in riches.
Aaron Reutzel finished second in the Ridge and Sons Racing No. 87 after starting in the third row. Like Day, he’ll chase his first Kings Royal title Saturday.
Garet Williamson continues to bang on the door of his first World of Outlaws win as he put the Fischer Motorsports No. 23 on the final step of the podium. It’s his fourth top three in the last seven series races.
Brady Bacon and Rico Abreu completed the top five.
The finish:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 14M-Corey Day[1]; 2. 87-Aaron Reutzel[5]; 3. 23-Garet Williamson[2]; 4. 21H-Brady Bacon[3]; 5. 14-Rico Abreu[10]; 6. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[4]; 7. 2-David Gravel[15]; 8. 1S-Logan Schuchart[25]; 9. 9-Daison Pursley[17]; 10. 17GP-Brock Zearfoss[18]; 11. 10-Ryan Timms[7]; 12. 15-Donny Schatz[26]; 13. 5B-Karter Sarff[19]; 14. 41-Carson Macedo[11]; 15. (DNF) 21-Brian Brown[8]; 16. (DNF) 51-Ashton Torgerson[12]; 17. (DNF) 7BC-Tyler Courtney[6]; 18. (DNF) 19-Brent Marks[16]; 19. (DNF) 27-Emerson Axsom[21]; 20. (DNF) 26-Justin Peck[14]; 21. (DNF) 5-Brenham Crouch[9]; 22. (DNF) 24D-Danny Sams III[24]; 23. (DNF) 55-Kerry Madsen[13]; 24. (DNF) 42-Sye Lynch[20]; 25. (DNF) 83-Michael Kofoid[23]; 26. (DNF) 17-Spencer Bayston[27]; 27. (DNS) 13-Tanner Holmes
