Saturday’s NASCAR O’Reilly Series race transformed into a high-stakes masterclass as veteran Kyle Larson and rising star Corey Day battled for supremacy in nearly identical HendrickCars.com Chevrolets. While the “youngster” proved he belongs at the front of the pack, it was the mentor who ultimately parked it in victory lane.
The Showdown
Driving the No. 88 for JR Motorsports, Larson capitalized on a late-race restart to seal the win. Day, pilot of the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy, led nine laps during the final stage and secured an eighth-place finish—his fourth consecutive top-10 result.
The two drivers, both products of the dirt-track circuit, spent much of the afternoon trading paint. Larson, who has long touted Day’s potential, was visibly impressed by the 20-year-old’s car control.
“Corey was fun to watch,” Larson remarked. “He did a good job. I don’t know if you could see on-boards of him, but he was sideways. It was cool to see.”
Day’s Steady Ascent
After rolling off 11th, Day showcased a “quiet and steady” approach that has become his trademark. His progression through the stages earned him valuable points:
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Stage 1: 8th place (3 points)
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Stage 2: 7th place (4 points)
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Final Stage: Led 9 laps; finished 8th
Day’s shining moment came with 60 laps remaining when he ripped the high side to pass Taylor Gray for the lead. He held the point until a caution involving Gray and Sheldon Creed bunched the field back up.
The Closing Laps
The race was decided during a chaotic restart featuring a mix of tire strategies. Larson, restarting third, maneuvered through a congested pack to seize the lead. While Day initially followed in his tire tracks, he eventually faded slightly in the closing laps as Larson pulled away to a three-second margin of victory.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway Results
March 14, 2026
|
POSITION
|
START
|
LED
|
BEHIND
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
K. Larson
|
2
|
47
|
Winner
|
|
2 |
C. Briscoe #19
|
23
|
2
|
2.557
|
|
3 |
S. Creed #00
|
3
|
1
|
6.155
|
|
4 |
J. Allgaier #7
|
9
|
48
|
6.364
|
|
5 |
S. Smith #8
|
4
|
0
|
9.124
|
|
6 |
J. Love #2
|
7
|
36
|
9.680
|
|
7 |
C. Zilisch #1
|
17
|
0
|
10.484
|
|
8 |
C. Day #17
|
11
|
9
|
12.058
|
|
9 |
W. Sawalich #18
|
14
|
0
|
12.946
|
|
10 |
A. Hill #21
|
13
|
0
|
14.969
|
|
11 |
C. Kvapil #9
|
18
|
0
|
17.231
|
|
12 |
P. Retzlaff #99
|
12
|
0
|
20.096
|
|
13 |
B. Jones #20
|
5
|
4
|
21.743
|
|
14 |
K. Sieg #28
|
29
|
0
|
22.728
|
|
15 |
D. Dye #52
|
27
|
0
|
25.778
|
|
16 |
J. Williams #92
|
32
|
0
|
26.737
|
|
17 |
H. Burton #24
|
24
|
0
|
27.125
|
|
18 |
C. Custer #0
|
16
|
0
|
30.002
|
|
19 |
R. Caruth #32
|
8
|
0
|
31.262
|
|
20 |
B. Poole #44
|
26
|
0
|
1 Lap
|
|
21 |
P. Staropoli #48
|
22
|
0
|
1 Lap
|
|
22 |
B. Perkins #31
|
33
|
0
|
1 Lap
|
|
23 |
J. Bilicki #07
|
38
|
0
|
1 Lap
|
|
24 |
J. Clements #51
|
10
|
0
|
1 Lap
|
|
25 |
A. Green #87
|
19
|
0
|
1 Lap
|
|
26 |
L. Scott #45
|
30
|
0
|
1 Lap
|
|
27 |
J. Burton #27
|
15
|
0
|
1 Lap
|
|
28 |
M. Maggio #91
|
37
|
0
|
1 Lap
|
|
29 |
J. Gase #55
|
36
|
0
|
1 Lap
|
|
30 |
R. Ellis #02
|
35
|
0
|
2 Laps
|
|
31 |
D. Thompson #26
|
25
|
0
|
2 Laps
|
|
32 |
N. Byrd #42
|
34
|
0
|
2 Laps
|
|
33 |
R. Sieg #39
|
20
|
0
|
3 Laps
|
|
34 |
A. Alfredo #96
|
31
|
0
|
3 Laps
|
|
35 |
S. Mayer #41
|
1
|
32
|
4 Laps
|
|
36 |
C. Smith #5
|
28
|
0
|
16 Laps
|
|
37 |
T. Gray #54
|
6
|
21
|
52 Laps
|
|
38 |
N. Sanchez #25
|
21
|
0
|
59 Laps
|
