“He’s better than I am “: Kyle Larson lauds sprint car prodigy Corey Day’s “run harder than anybody” prowess ahead of debut Truck race

Kyle Larson recently praised Corey Day ahead of his NASCAR Craftsman Series debut at Bristol Motor Speedway on Thursday, September 19. The seasoned Hendrick Motorsports driver remarked that the young standout from High Limit Racing is far more accomplished than he was at the same age.

On Monday, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing announced their decision to enlist the 18-year-old talent for a four-race endeavor this season, with sponsorship from HendrickCars.com. Day is scheduled to appear in his #81 Chevy at Bristol and Martinsville, and later in the #91 at Kansas and Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Kyle Larson, who has observed Day's skills firsthand in his own High Limit Racing series and the Midweek Money sub-series where Day currently holds third place, spoke highly of his capabilities, noting:

"He’s basically me. He’s better than I am, or I was obviously at that age. He is in a lot better rides than I was at that age. His race craft, his maturity on the track, off the track, like all that, he’s really, really good. He can run harder than anybody on the race track and be in control. So, he’s definitely the next kid coming up that probably will make it."

On the other side, Corey Day also holds Kyle Larson in high esteem, mirroring the admiration the NASCAR veteran has for him. Despite competing against each other week after week in the same series [High Limit Racing], Day shared that their interactions about his career transition have been minimal. Before their upcoming sprint car races, Day expressed:

"Man, I haven’t much, you know because we are still competitors in this. I don’t think he wants to give me all his secrets, but I do study him a lot. I don’t know if he knows but I study him immensely because you know, he’s the best."

Back in July, Day made his ARCA Menards Series debut at Salem Speedway, and on Thursday night he will be making his second ARCA Menards Series appearance and is set for double duty. After that, he will also travel to the renowned Eldora Speedway to participate in two nights of racing at the 4 Crown Nationals for High Limit Racing in his Sprint Car.

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Kyle Larson's 2024 NASCAR Cup playoff season so far

Kyle Larson began the 2024 playoff season at Atlanta Motor Speedway, positioned at the top of the playoff standings table. However, his race took a turn for the worse on lap 56. While running third, Larson's car became loose in the middle of a turn.

His attempt to correct the mishap drove him into the SAFER barrier, triggering a chain reaction in which Chase Briscoe also got caught. Briscoe, making his way forward from P14 place, collided with the rear of Larson's car, leading to significant damage that ended the race for both drivers.

Larson concluded that race in 37th place, while Briscoe was awarded the P38 position. In the second playoff race at Watkins Glen, where Kyle Larson started 20th steered the track to end Stage 1 in 8th place and Stage 2 in 27th. But a pit road mishap towards the end of Stage 2 led to his reversal. While Erik Jones was receiving assistance in his pit box, Larson attempted to enter his adjacent box but inadvertently crowded Jones’s crew, resulting in a penalty for interference.

It forced Kyle Larson to restart from the back of the pack, and he ultimately finished the race in 12th place. The finish saw Larson slip down to 9th in the playoff standings.