Israel’s Day hoping to build on NASCAR Cup Series debut

“I think we did the best in the circumstances,” said Day after the race in Sonoma.

By ALLON SINAI
ISRAELI DRIVER Alon Day (photo credit: NASCAR VIA GETTY IMAGES/COURTESY)
ISRAELI DRIVER Alon Day
(photo credit: NASCAR VIA GETTY IMAGES/COURTESY)
Israel’s Alon Day was pleased with his performance in his Monster Energy NAS CAR Cup Series debut on Sunday and believes he will come back even stronger.
The 25-year-old ended the Toyota/Save Mart 350 at the Sonoma Raceway in California in 32nd place, becoming the first Israeli to compete in a Cup Series race. Day, who was driving the BK Racing No. 23 EarthWater Limited Toyota Camry, is already looking forward to competing in the Cup Series once more, with his next opportunity likely to come in Watkins Glen, New York, at the start of August.
“I think we did the best in the circumstances,” said Day after the race in Sonoma.
“Unfortunately we got hit on turn 11 and lost half of the car. I tried my best.”
Day was hoping for a top- 10 finish, but said he still learned a lot from the experience.
“The speed was there especially at the end of the race.
The EarthWater guys did an amazing job,” he added. “I hope to come back stronger.
I definitely learned a lot. I realize that I’m capable of keeping pace with almost every car out there. We did our best and we’ll get better.”
Day was coming off a win in a NAS CAR Whelen Euro race in England and will continue competing in Europe in the meantime. Day has his sights set on becoming a full-time Cup Series driver in the near future. He is the first driver from outside of North America to be selected for the NAS CAR NEXT program, an initiative that features NAS CAR’s future stars.
The Sonoma course is one of only two road races in the NAS CAR Cup Series, with Watkins Glen being the other.
Kevin Harvick won the Toyota/Save Mart 350, his first cup series win this year and his first in 17 races at Sonoma.
“We definitely checked the most important one off and that’s the cup series,” he said. “You gotta cherish the weekends when they’re like this because they don’t always go as smooth as this.”
Clint Bowyer came in second, posting his ninth top 10 finish in 12 races in Sonoma and his sixth top 10 finish this year.
Brad Keselowski, who led for 17 laps, finished third, notching his second top 10 finish in eight races in Sonoma.