Corey Day has come under plenty of criticism lately. The 18-year-old rookie was involved in not one, but two on-track incidents at Kansas Speedway. Touted as the next Kyle Larson, the California native faced the wrath of NASCAR fans after colliding with Andy Jankowiak in the final lap of the ARCA Menards Series. He was also forced to retire early from the Kubota Tractor 200 after Matt Mills’ No. 42 Chevy made contact with his car in the final stage.

While it might seem like the entire NASCAR community is against him, Corey Day has at least one supporter. His idol Kyle Larson has publicly backed the youngster despite recent incidents in Kansas.

Kyle Larson urges patience with Rick Hendrick’s star

It was a weekend of highs and lows for Corey Day. He secured his best ARCA Menards Series finish yet with fourth place but faced a post-race clash with Andy Jankowiak after a last-lap incident. The drama continued in his second Truck Series race, where a Lap 77 collision with Matt Mills ended his run early.

Despite backlash from NASCAR fans, Day will take solace in public defense. The Hendrick Motorsports driver drew parallels with his career, telling Frontstretch’s Stephen Stumpf, “I think you can look at my first few Truck starts and really like Homestead, I think you know, like I wreck the field you know, pulling a similar move. I think though when you’re young and don’t come from a stock car background, you know, you got to learn a lot and I think that was really his first time being in different aero situations.”

Larson also highlighted that on-track incidents in Kansas will be a valuable learning experience for Corey Day as he looks to secure a long-term future in NASCAR. The 2021 Cup Series winner went on to say, “I’m sure he took a lot away from the day yesterday and you have a better understanding of kind of how to position your car and how to take runs or not, take every run, stuff like that. He’s obviously got an extreme amount of talent and you know, I think he’s got a lot of hype but at the same time, he’s so new to stock cars that he’s really learning and having to learn quickly.”

Corey Day, coming from a sprint racing background, is rapidly adjusting to NASCAR. At just 18, he’s bound to make mistakes early on, but Hendrick Motorsports‘ decision to sign him as a development driver shows their confidence in his potential. Jeff Gordon has also backed him to succeed at the highest level of stock car racing. However, can he meet these high expectations, or will he crumble under pressure?

Frequently compared to Kyle Larson, even dubbed “basically me” by Larson himself, Day needs to avoid being overwhelmed by the weight of those comparisons. Instead, the McAnally-Hilgemann Racing driver must focus on steady growth, taking his career step-by-step, instead of succumbing to media and fan pressure. A long-term perspective will be crucial if he aims to reach the Cup Series.

Larson has faith in Corey Day’s talent

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After a topsy-turvy race weekend for Corey Day, all he needed was to hear words of encouragement from Kyle Larson. That’s exactly what happened as the Hendrick Motorsports driver publicly expressed faith in the 18-year-old’s abilities, despite the youngster facing criticism from fans. It was exactly the type of boost Day needed and will be a good motivator for the rookie ahead of Truck Series races at Homestead-Miami and Martinsville Speedway later this year.

Highlighting Corey Day’s best attributes that make him one of the brightest motorsports prospects, Kyle Larson said, “I think he’s got a good feel for grip and the tire and you know, he can live kind of on the limit. A lot like me. So yeah, I think he’s just, whether that being a sprint car or just in a short amount of starts of having a stock car, he’s young and he learns quickly so he’ll be good.”

Patience will be key for Corey Day if he aims to fulfill his potential in stock car racing. With age on his side and plenty of prominent figures in NASCAR backing him, the youngster has plenty to look forward to in his career. His immediate aim should be to get good results in his remaining two Truck Series races and hope to secure a full-time seat with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing.

By doing so, not only will he be able to adapt to the demands of stock car racing, but he can then progress into the Xfinity and Cup Series in the future.