By T.J. Buffenbarger
TULSA, OK (January 10, 2024) – Corey Day used patience through multiple caution flags to win the preliminary feature during York Plumbing Qualifying Night Wednesday at the Tulsa Expo Raceway during the Chili Bowl Nationals.
Day, just 18 years of age from Clovis, California, moved up to the top of the racetrack about 1/3 of the way through the feature. While others stumbled on the top, Day was able to use that to his advantage driving to a 1.957 second lead at the finish.
“I swapped lanes with Jake (Swanson) there going down the back straightaway on the first lap and drove by him on the bottom. Then we had another restart, went to the bottom and I don’t know if my tire wasn’t warm enough or what the deal was but I blew it and I knew it’s time to get up to the curb,” said Day. “I was glad we had a curb like that to race on. That’s my style.”
Day’s victory came driving for Willie Kahne’s single car operation.
“I just can’t think Willie, Drew, Cole, and my Dad. Everyone is working so hard on this thing. Willie hasn’t been in the building in 10 years or something, so to get him back up here is really cool.”
Jake Swanson and Corey Day started on the front row for the 30-lap main event and raced side by side on the opening lap before Day took the lead using the bottom of the track on lap two, building up a 0.371 second lead.
The first caution flag appeared with four laps in when Daison Pursley did a 360 spin and kept going, but Tyler Courtney had nowhere to go and hit the hay bails at the top of turn one. Despite the hard hit, Courtney was able to join the tail of the field for the restart.
Day was able to stretch his advantage of 0.885 seconds moving to the top of the racetrack when Alex Bright brought out the second caution flag after ending up backwards between turns three and four with eight laps complete. Bright’s team was able to make repairs for him to join the tail of the field for the restart.
Day was able to drive away from Swanson during the restart, but stumbled on the cushion between turns three and four and allowed Swanson and Michael Faccinto to close. Faccinto briefly held second before Swanson took the spot back on lap 12.
Just as Day was starting to overtake slower traffic when Mitchel Moles took a hard flip between turns one and two after contact with another car, collecting Kyle Cummins. Moles was able to exit the car under his own power. Cummins was able to join the tail of the field for the restart. During the caution, Blake Hahn had to go to the work area for his right rear mud cover coming lose and restarted at the back of the field.
Day pulled away from the field briefly before another caution appeared with 20 laps in when Caleb Stelzig hooked the berm and nosed over between turns three and four. Stelzig was unable to continue.
Day pulls away as Swanson and Faccinto race for second position. Day opened a 0.933 second lead when the caution flag appeared with 21 laps in for Hahn ending up backwards between turns one and two.
Day held the restart as Faccinto was able to get around Swanson for second around the bottom on lap 22. Faccinto’s time in the final lock in position for Saturday’s finale was short lived as Swanson took the position back around the top of the track on lap 25.
Another caution flag appeared on lap 26 for Jonathan Beason getting into the fence and upside down between turns one and two. Beason was unable to continue.
Day pulled away and was never seriously challenged in route to the victory. Swanson held off Swanson, Danner, Faccinto, and Colby Copeland.
For Day, it was the first time he had been on the victory stage at the Tulsa Expo Center since he was a child.
“It’s pretty crazy. Last time I stood up here was for a shootout driller in restricted six or seven years ago,” said Day. “Times have definitely changed but glad to be back up here.”
Chili Bowl Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink
York Plumbing Qualifying Night
Tulsa Expo Raceway
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Wednesday, January 10, 2024
OERB Heat Race #1 (8 Laps)
1. 1A-Trey Osborne[2]
2. 83M-Rylan Gray[3]
3. 8J-Jonathan Beason[1]
4. 86-Daison Pursley[7]
5. 7M-Mike Hess[8]
6. 80D-Keith Martin[5]
7. 2F-Casey Friedrichsen[4]
8. 4H-Caleb Padgett[9]
9. 23T-Tristan Lee[6]
OERB Heat Race #2 (8 Laps)
1. 52-Blake Hahn[2]
2. 4B-Chelby Hinton[1]
3. 22X-Steven Shebester[3]
4. 71K-Kale Drake[8]
5. 48N-Wout Hoffmans[6]
6. 22J-Zach Hampton[9]
7. 7MF-Chance Morton[5]
8. 31S-RJ Corson[7]
9. 15F-Brandon Dean[4]
OERB Heat Race #3 (8 Laps)
1. 57-Tyler Courtney[3]
2. 41-Corey Day[6]
3. 91X-Danny Wood[2]
4. 7X-Jerry Coons Jr[5]
5. 1-Sammy Swindell[8]
6. 14M-Ben Worth[4]
7. 44B-Branigan Roark[7]
8. 53R-Sean Robbins[1]
OERB Heat Race #4 (8 Laps)
1. 55A-Jake Swanson[5]
2. 6D-Isaac Chapple[6]
3. 27W-Colby Copeland[8]
4. 938-Bradley Fezard[2]
5. 7J-Shawn Jackson[3]
6. 35H-AJ Hernandez[1]
7. 49-Dillon Welch[4]
8. M1-Colby Stubblefield[7]
OERB Heat Race #5 (8 Laps)
1. 19T-Mitchel Moles[1]
2. 3G-Kyle Cummins[2]
3. 73D-David Gasper[5]
4. 16C-David Camfield Jr[6]
5. 96X-Logan Mitchell[8]
6. 9P-Kevin Cook[7]
7. 17X-Kurt Stellhorn[4]
8. X-Charlie Louden[3]
OERB Heat Race #6 (8 Laps)
1. 5U-Michael Faccinto[3]
2. 71-Jade Avedisian[8]
3. 23P-Preston Lattomus[7]
4. 2B-Tanner Berryhill[2]
5. 75G-Daniel Whitley[4]
6. 99K-Robert Carson[1]
7. 7L-Jarrad Warhurst[6]
8. 81K-Dekota Gay[5]
OERB Heat Race #7 (8 Laps)
1. 45S-Caleb Stelzig[3]
2. 60X-Garet Williamson[6]
3. 81C-Colten Cottle[7]
4. F5-Devin Simmons[2]
5. 7DK-Darren Kauffman[8]
6. 4F-Chad Frewaldt[5]
7. 251-Johnny Brown Jr[4]
8. 21R-Chase Young[1]
OERB Heat Race #8 (8 Laps)
1. 08K-Brody Wake[3]
2. 3W-Brandon Waelti[2]
3. 67K-Brent Crews[6]
4. 23K-Kyle Simon[4]
5. 71M-Paul May[5]
6. 17L-Wyatt Rotz[1]
7. 08J-Jace McIntosh[7]
8. 218-Robert Speak[8]
OERB Heat Race #9 (8 Laps)
1. 1I-Briggs Danner[1]
2. 25M-Alex Bright[4]
3. 68W-Chance Crum[2]
4. 5D-Michael Stewart[8]
5. 22R-Gage Laney[6]
6. 70-Cade Cowles[3]
7. 20S-John Sarna[5]
8. 25B-Steve Buckwalter[7]
Team Toyota Qualifier #1 (10 Laps)
1. 19T-Mitchel Moles[2]
2. 55A-Jake Swanson[6]
3. 83M-Rylan Gray[1]
4. 60X-Garet Williamson[5]
5. 3W-Brandon Waelti[7]
6. 1A-Trey Osborne[3]
7. 45S-Caleb Stelzig[4]
8. 91X-Danny Wood[9]
9. 22J-Zach Hampton[10]
10. 1-Sammy Swindell[8]
Team Toyota Qualifier #2 (10 Laps)
1. 1I-Briggs Danner[2]
2. 41-Corey Day[6]
3. 52-Blake Hahn[3]
4. 27W-Colby Copeland[5]
5. 73D-David Gasper[1]
6. 4B-Chelby Hinton[7]
7. 68W-Chance Crum[9]
8. 08K-Brody Wake[4]
9. 23K-Kyle Simon[10]
10. 96X-Logan Mitchell[8]
Team Toyota Qualifier #3 (10 Laps)
1. 86-Daison Pursley[1]
2. 71K-Kale Drake[2]
3. 25M-Alex Bright[3]
4. 7X-Jerry Coons Jr[9]
5. 57-Tyler Courtney[5]
6. 6D-Isaac Chapple[6]
7. 48N-Wout Hoffmans[10]
8. 16C-David Camfield Jr[7]
9. 7DK-Darren Kauffman[8]
10. 23P-Preston Lattomus[4]
Team Toyota Qualifier #4 (10 Laps)
1. 3G-Kyle Cummins[1]
2. 67K-Brent Crews[3]
3. 5U-Michael Faccinto[5]
4. 71-Jade Avedisian[6]
5. 8J-Jonathan Beason[9]
6. 5D-Michael Stewart[2]
7. 81C-Colten Cottle[4]
8. 22X-Steven Shebester[8]
9. 7M-Mike Hess[7]
10. 22R-Gage Laney[10]
D-Main #1 (10 Laps)
1. 31S-RJ Corson[3]
2. 49-Dillon Welch[5]
3. 23T-Tristan Lee[6]
4. 20S-John Sarna[1]
5. 17X-Kurt Stellhorn[2]
6. 21R-Chase Young[4]
DNS: X-Charlie Louden
D-Main #2 (10 Laps)
1. 25B-Steve Buckwalter[3]
2. 81K-Dekota Gay[4]
3. 251-Johnny Brown Jr[5]
4. 218-Robert Speak[2]
5. 53R-Sean Robbins[6]
6. 2F-Casey Friedrichsen[1]
7. 15F-Brandon Dean[7]
Smileys Racing Products C-Main #1 (12 Laps)
1. 938-Bradley Fezard[1]
2. 75G-Daniel Whitley[3]
3. 4F-Chad Frewaldt[5]
4. 7J-Shawn Jackson[4]
5. 31S-RJ Corson[11]
6. M1-Colby Stubblefield[7]
7. 17L-Wyatt Rotz[9]
8. 49-Dillon Welch[12]
9. 4H-Caleb Padgett[10]
10. 35H-AJ Hernandez[8]
11. 70-Cade Cowles[6]
12. F5-Devin Simmons[2]
Smileys Racing Products C-Main #2 (12 Laps)
1. 2B-Tanner Berryhill[1]
2. 80D-Keith Martin[4]
3. 14M-Ben Worth[5]
4. 44B-Branigan Roark[6]
5. 08J-Jace McIntosh[7]
6. 25B-Steve Buckwalter[11]
7. 7L-Jarrad Warhurst[9]
8. 81K-Dekota Gay[12]
9. 99K-Robert Carson[8]
10. 7MF-Chance Morton[10]
11. 71M-Paul May[2]
12. 9P-Kevin Cook[3]
The Enjoy Illinois 300 NASCAR Cup Series Race at World Wide Technology Raceway on Sunday, June 2 B-Main #1 (15 Laps)
1. 1A-Trey Osborne[3]
2. 83M-Rylan Gray[1]
3. 3W-Brandon Waelti[2]
4. 16C-David Camfield Jr[8]
5. 73D-David Gasper[4]
6. 23P-Preston Lattomus[9]
7. 81C-Colten Cottle[5]
8. 7M-Mike Hess[11]
9. 48N-Wout Hoffmans[7]
10. 938-Bradley Fezard[13]
11. 08K-Brody Wake[6]
12. 7J-Shawn Jackson[16]
13. 75G-Daniel Whitley[14]
14. 22J-Zach Hampton[10]
15. 96X-Logan Mitchell[12]
16. 4F-Chad Frewaldt[15]
The Enjoy Illinois 300 NASCAR Cup Series Race at World Wide Technology Raceway on Sunday, June 2 B-Main #2 (15 Laps)
1. 8J-Jonathan Beason[2]
2. 4B-Chelby Hinton[4]
3. 5D-Michael Stewart[5]
4. 45S-Caleb Stelzig[3]
5. 91X-Danny Wood[7]
6. 1-Sammy Swindell[9]
7. 23K-Kyle Simon[10]
8. 68W-Chance Crum[6]
9. 2B-Tanner Berryhill[11]
10. 22X-Steven Shebester[8]
11. 6D-Isaac Chapple[1]
12. 14M-Ben Worth[13]
13. 22R-Gage Laney[12]
14. 44B-Branigan Roark[15]
15. 7DK-Darren Kauffman[16]
16. 80D-Keith Martin[14]
York Plumbing A-Main (30 Laps)
1. 41-Corey Day[2]
2. 55A-Jake Swanson[1]
3. 1I-Briggs Danner[5]
4. 5U-Michael Faccinto[3]
5. 27W-Colby Copeland[9]
6. 71K-Kale Drake[12]
7. 71-Jade Avedisian[6]
8. 57-Tyler Courtney[16]
9. 67K-Brent Crews[7]
10. 7X-Jerry Coons Jr[15]
11. 5D-Michael Stewart[22]
12. 3W-Brandon Waelti[21]
13. 83M-Rylan Gray[19]
14. 3G-Kyle Cummins[11]
15. 52-Blake Hahn[13]
16. 86-Daison Pursley[10]
17. 25M-Alex Bright[14]
18. 60X-Garet Williamson[8]
19. 4B-Chelby Hinton[20]
20. 1A-Trey Osborne[17]
21. 16C-David Camfield Jr[23]
22. 8J-Jonathan Beason[18]
23. 45S-Caleb Stelzig[24]
24. 19T-Mitchel Moles[4]
Lap Leaders: Swanson 1, Day 2-30