Corey Day won Focused Health 302 after late duel at Las Vegas
NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 4, 2026
Day wins
Corey Day won the Focused Health 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, taking control of the race and holding off Carson Kvapil to the finish by 0.287 seconds. The victory was Day’s third career NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series win, and it came after he led a race-high 136 of the 201 laps. Day also won Stage 1, giving him a strong start to a race that kept tightening late. He spent much of the night at the front, and when the pressure built in the closing laps, he found a way to answer it. Kvapil stayed close enough to challenge at the end, but Day handled the final sprint and crossed the line first after a race that demanded patience and speed.
Day’s pole
Day set the tone before the green flag even waved, winning the pole with a 29.858-second lap at 180.856 mph. He edged Sheldon Creed by 0.019 seconds for the top starting spot, then turned that advantage into early control of the race. The pole gave Day the clean air and track position he needed to build momentum, and he used it to lead a large share of the event. The race did not stay settled for long, though. The lead changed hands four times in the final 12 laps, and Day briefly lost control of the top spot with 13 laps remaining after running tight in the closing laps. He recovered quickly and reclaimed the lead with two laps to go, then out-drag-raced Kvapil to the line to secure the win.
Standings shift
The finish also reshaped the championship race with five events left. Kvapil moved up to second in the standings, 19 points behind Creed, after his runner-up finish. Day climbed to fifth and sat 41 points behind Creed, keeping himself within striking distance as the season moves into its final stretch. Jesse Love moved to third in the standings, while Justin Allgaier dropped to fourth after a crash ended his night early. Allgaier got caught up with Brandon Jones on Lap 55 and finished 34th. That incident took a major contender out of the running and opened the door for others to move up in the title picture. Day’s win gave him the strongest possible response, and the standings now reflect how much ground he gained with a race that demanded speed, control and a strong finish.
