Event CoverageNASCARO'Reilly Auto Parts Series

Corey Day outruns Justin Allgaier in final laps at Dover’s Monster Mile

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Corey Day, driver of the #17 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series BetRivers 200 at Dover Motor Speedway on May 16, 2026 in Dover, Delaware. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

By Holly Cain / NASCAR Wire Service

DOVER, Del. (May 16, 2026) – Twenty-year-old Californian Corey Day took the lead from veteran Justin Allgaier with four laps remaining to claim his second career NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victory Saturday in the BetRivers 200 in his first Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway start.

Allgaier, a three-time winner already this season and the current championship leader, looked poised to add yet another trophy at Dover’s famed Monster Mile, but ultimately Day was able to run up high against the outside wall – he and Allgaier splitting Blake Lothian’s lapped car – with Day pulling ahead of the three cars and driving away from Allgaier.

It was enough momentum to propel Day’s No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to .461-second victory over Allgaier, who led a race high 71 of the 200 laps, and it answers Day’s career first victory at the series’ largest track, Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway coming only three weeks ago.

“Man, I was hoping that’s how it would play out, I saved so hard there early in the last run once we put on tires and the yellow came out and I thought, awe, this is just going to be a caution fest and it was all for nothing, but oh man, it all just worked out good,” said an elated Day, who screamed congratulations to his crew on the cool-down lap. His “mentor” reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, sitting in the pit stand, was all smiles watching the outcome.

“This one feels really, really good,” Day said. “The Talladega one [win] was unexpected at a superspeedway, but we earned this one.”

Already a series best three-race winner this season, Allgaier’s effort Saturday boosted his championship points advantage to an amazing 175 points over Haas Factory Team’s Sheldon Creed, who finished 18th.

Allgaier acknowledged he was disappointed – perhaps frustrated – with a lapped car playing such a crucial role in deciding Saturday’s outcome.

“Good teaching moment,” Allgaier said after speaking with Lothian on pit road. “He kind of made a move to inside then back outside and I just didn’t know which lane he was going to go in. And unfortunately, it allowed the 17 (Day) to get to my outside.

“But hats off to Corey and that whole 17 team. He was running me down there at the end. Proud of our team. It wasn’t the day we wanted early on, but the team worked really hard all day long.

“Just disappointed to walk out of here with a second after leading that many laps at the end, but hats off to Corey and everyone on that team.”

The race featured nine caution periods and a lot of short-run strategy.

Creed’s Haas teammate Sam Mayer finished third. Joe Gibbs Racing’s William Sawalich was fourth and Richard Childress Racing’s Austin Hill claimed fifth place – the perennial championship contender’s best finish since a runner-up showing on the Austin road course back in March.

JGR’s Brendan Jones won the first stage and NASCAR Cup Series regular, Ross Chastain won the second stage after pacing the field four different times for a combined 68 laps. His shot at a trophy ended just past race’s midpoint when he and JGR’s Taylor Gray collided and spun out.

JR Motorsports Carson Kvapil finished sixth and extended the team’s top-10 streak to an amazing 71 races. Ryan Sieg, Sammy Smith and Anthony Alfredo rounded out the top-10.

The O’Reilly Auto Parts Series moves to the 1.5-mile Charlotte Motor Speedway for next Saturday’s Charbroil 300 (5 p.m. ET on the CW, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). NASCAR Cup Series fulltime William Byron is the defending race winner.

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race – BetRivers 200
Dover Motor Speedway
Dover, Delaware
Saturday, May 16, 2026

  1. (3)  Corey Day, Chevrolet, 200.
  2. (13)  Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 200.
  3. (6)  Sam Mayer, Chevrolet, 200.
  4. (8)  William Sawalich, Toyota, 200.
  5. (17)  Austin Hill, Chevrolet, 200.
  6. (2)  Brandon Jones, Toyota, 200.
  7. (7)  Carson Kvapil, Chevrolet, 200.
  8. (11)  Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 200.
  9. (18)  Sammy Smith, Chevrolet, 200.
  10. (27)  Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, 200.
  11. (20)  Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 200.
  12. (26)  Austin Green, Chevrolet, 200.
  13. (1)  Ross Chastain(i), Chevrolet, 200.
  14. (4)  Rajah Caruth, Chevrolet, 200.
  15. (21)  Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 200.
  16. (9)  Harrison Burton, Toyota, 200.
  17. (24)  Kyle Sieg, Chevrolet, 200.
  18. (12)  Sheldon Creed, Chevrolet, 200.
  19. (31)  Andrew Patterson, Chevrolet, 200.
  20. (22)  Dean Thompson, Toyota, 200.
  21. (28)  Patrick Staropoli #, Chevrolet, 200.
  22. (16)  Brent Crews #, Toyota, 200.
  23. (10)  Jesse Love, Chevrolet, 200.
  24. (25)  Myatt Snider, Chevrolet, 200.
  25. (32)  Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 199.
  26. (33)  Blake Lothian, Toyota, 199.
  27. (34)  Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, 199.
  28. (35)  Dawson Cram, Chevrolet, 198.
  29. (19)  BJ McLeod(i), Chevrolet, 195.
  30. (37)  CJ McLaughlin, Chevrolet, 193.
  31. (30)  Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, 189.
  32. (5)  Taylor Gray, Toyota, Suspension, 183.
  33. (38)  David Starr, Chevrolet, Vibration, 62.
  34. (29)  Blaine Perkins, Chevrolet, Accident, 59.
  35. (36)  Logan Bearden, Ford, Brakes, 30.
  36. (23)  Lavar Scott #, Chevrolet, Engine, 23.
  37. (15)  Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, Accident, 10.
  38. (14)  Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, Accident, 10.

Average Speed of Race Winner:  99.917 mph.
Time of Race:  2 Hrs, 14 Mins, 6 Secs. Margin of Victory:  0.461 Seconds.
Caution Flags:  9 for 54 laps.
Lead Changes:  12 among 10 drivers.
Lap Leaders:   R. Chastain(i) 1-17;B. Jones 18-48;S. Mayer 49;R. Chastain(i) 50-52;T. Gray 53;R. Chastain(i) 54-94;R. Caruth 95;J. Love 96-99;R. Chastain(i) 100-106;W. Sawalich 107-121;A. Green 122-125;J. Allgaier 126-196;C. Day 197-200.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Justin Allgaier 1 time for 71 laps; Ross Chastain(i) 4 times for 68 laps; Brandon Jones 1 time for 31 laps; William Sawalich 1 time for 15 laps; Jesse Love 1 time for 4 laps; Corey Day 1 time for 4 laps; Austin Green 1 time for 4 laps; Rajah Caruth 1 time for 1 lap; Sam Mayer 1 time for 1 lap; Taylor Gray 1 time for 1 lap.
Stage #1 Top Ten: 20,9,41,54,88,1,18,17,2,7
Stage #2 Top Ten: 9,88,54,2,41,1,17,7,18,39