Hendrick to run full 2026 NASCAR O'Reilly season with Corey Day

The NASCAR Xfinity Series, which will be rebranded as the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2026, will have Hendrick Motorsports on the grid every weekend.

The No. 17 Hendrick Chevrolet will compete for the championship with Corey Day, an acolyte of Kyle Larson, behind the wheel. The 19-year-old ran eleven races with HMS this year, finishing as high as fourth at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Hendrick entered the No. 1 7 car in 21 of 33 races during the 2025 season.

Hendrick, which just won its 15th NASCAR Cup Series title, hasn't been full-time in the secondary division since 2006. The team has 27 wins in the O'Reilly Series, placing as high as second in the driver points in 2004 with Kyle Busch driving.

Corey Day, Chevrolet

Photo by: Jordan Bank / Getty Images

“Corey impressed us with how quickly he adapted this year,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “He’ll go into 2026 with less pavement experience than anyone in the field, but you’d never know it by watching him drive. The instincts and raw talent are off the charts, and he’s going to keep getting better with more seat time. Corey has a tremendous future, and we’re proud to have him represent HendrickCars.com.”

Day is a dirt racing ace, and was named the Chili Bowl Rookie of the Year in 2022, before winning the 2023 King of the West 410 NARC Championship. He is a three-time and World of Outlaws Gold Cup winner, and the 2024 Turkey Night Grand Prix victor.

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