Corey Day has had a rough start to his NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series career, and he knows it.
After another incident-filled weekend at Circuit of the Americas, the Hendrick Motorsports rookie took to social media to own up to his mistakes and promise to do better. NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin was quick to respond.
Corey Day Owns Up to Costly Mistakes As Mark Martin Weighs In
Day finished fifth at COTA on Saturday, but the result came with plenty of baggage. Late in the race, he tagged Connor Zilisch’s right rear while trying to work back into his line, sending Zilisch spinning.
It was a costly hit. Zilisch had been on a remarkable comeback drive after a brake rotor failure dropped him to 35th, only to have his effort wiped out in the closing laps. He ultimately finished P21. It was not the first time Day has made headlines for the wrong reasons this season.
He spun out at Daytona and took out two JR Motorsports cars at Atlanta, including the No. 7 and No. 1 entries. Even as his results have trended in the right direction, his on-track racecraft has drawn criticism.
After COTA, Day posted a heartfelt apology on X.
“P5 today at COTA. I appreciate the Hendrick 17 Team, Team Hendrick, and Hendrick Cars for bringing me fast cars week after week and believing in me,” he wrote.
“I would like to apologize to anyone I have upset these past couple weeks. I am making mistakes but I am definitely learning from them. The mistakes I’ve made the past couple of weeks are a poor reflection of myself, and what I’ve been taught my whole life. I’m going to give 100% to make sure that the things that have happened these past weekends do not happen anymore.”
Martin, one of the most respected figures in NASCAR history, shared the post and offered a measured but pointed response.
“You have completed the first step by recognizing the issue. We will be watching,” Martin wrote.
It was the kind of measured response you would expect from a veteran who has seen young drivers come and go. Acknowledging the problem is one thing. Fixing it is another, and Martin made clear that people are paying attention. Zilisch was far less diplomatic in his reaction. On team radio after the race, the JR Motorsports driver did not hold back.
“Corey Day is a hack. Absolute hack,” Zilisch said.
In a post-race interview, Zilisch kept it short but direct. “I think everyone saw what happened. I don’t need to explain myself. But really unfortunate. We were going to finish top 5 there. Same guy every week that does this. Hopefully he can figure it out.”
Day, for his part, said the contact was not intentional and admitted that the pattern of incidents is not the image he wants to project. He also said he plans to reach out to Zilisch directly to clear the air.
While the drama unfolded behind him, Shane van Gisbergen crossed the line first to win his fifth O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at COTA, adding a clean ending to an otherwise messy afternoon.
The road ahead is clear for Day. The talent is there, the equipment is there, and now the accountability is there, too. Whether he can turn words into action will define the rest of his rookie season.
