A back-to-back streak of bad luck stings indeed. Rick Hendrick’s team mostly had a thumping good 2025 season. Most notably, Kyle Larson clinched his second NASCAR Cup Series championship after narrowly defeating season-favorite Denny Hamlin. As 2026 rolls into view, a blooming talent akin to Larson’s is set to join the ranks. However, Hendrick’s recruit slammed into an unexpected roadblock at the Chili Bowl before his season could start.
Rick Hendrick’s new racer laments
“Last year, we were terrible. Just going off on what we had in 2024,” Corey Day told journalist Matt Weaver. “Just kind of playing with it. You know you do something different than outdoors when you come to this building. So we’re trying to figure out what works best for your car. We were one end of the spectrum that first practice session and then the other in there. Just kind of trying to find our limits at both ends.”
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Chili Bowl’s practice day commenced on 11th January, Sunday, and Corey Day almost fell prey to an accident. Wheeling the No. 41 Factory Kahne midget car, Rick Hendrick’s new driver did not have a smooth ride maneuvering the turns on the dirt track of Tulsa, Oklahoma. At one point, his vehicle almost flipped over. According to FloRacing, an announcer apparently gave a foresight about his ill-handling car.
This seems similar to Corey Day’s 2025 Chili Bowl campaign, which was also chaotic. Handling treacherous track conditions, Day had the front tires off the ground on the exit of turn 2 multiple times late in the qualifier race. The Californian did not have the pace to keep up with frontrunners Emerson Axsom and Daison Pursley. As a consequence, he found himself outside of row four for the main event.
What’s more, Rick Hendrick‘s young racer has a fuzzy idea about what went wrong. “We wish we really knew how. We don’t know. I think that track had a lot of grip in it last year compared to the year prior. Just the curb was really thick and grippy. And it would suck in. Whereas the year before was kinda powdery, and it would crumble and wasn’t completely that way. So I think its like in the middle of both of those.”
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Nevertheless, Corey Day is focused: “I don’t really care as long I’m locked come Saturday night.”
As the 19-year-old navigates his Chili Bowl aspirations, he also looks forward to a grand NASCAR entry despite certain doubts.
Harboring a wild history
Last November, Rick Hendrick announced that Corey Day will drive for Hendrick Motorsports full-time in 2026. Wheeling the No. 17 HMS Chevrolet in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, marking his first full-time entry. Day packs a lot of heat, having started 11 races already in 2025, with a jaw-dropping 4th-place finish in Las Vegas. However, his sprint car racing history has given him a competitive itch that may turn haywire at times.
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“I’m used to 30-lap sprint car races, and I caught myself in the middle of the year getting mad in the car if we weren’t good stage one or if I was backing up, I’d do something stupid. Telling myself, ‘Just hold on until a pit stop,’” Corey Day said.
More specifically, Day was concerned about resorting to short-run explosiveness instead of proper race execution. Dirt racing conditions drivers to attack in small, intense sprints. In contrast, NASCAR demands patience, pit-road strategy, and letting the car pick up pace over a race. So the impending transition is concerning Day.
Nevertheless, a sufficient battery of enthusiasm may be enough for Rick Hendrick’s recruit. Let’s wait and see how he performs.
The post Rick Hendrick’s NASCAR Recruit Breaks Silence on Chili Bowl Curse as Misfortune Clouds Title Hopes appeared first on EssentiallySports.
