The post-race inspection at Charlotte Motor Speedway verified Corey Day as the winner of the Blue Cross NC 300. However, two additional teams received penalties following the race.
The No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet passed inspection without issues, making Day’s fourth NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victory of the 2026 season official. However, inspectors found one lug nut that was not safe and secure on both the No. 26 and No. 39 cars.
Speedway Digest reported the findings early Monday morning, confirming that Dean Thompson and Ryan Sieg’s teams would lose pit selection for the next race at Phoenix Raceway. The inspection results added another development to a weekend already affected by rain, a schedule change, and a dramatic finish at Charlotte.
NASCAR Post-Race Inspection Confirms Corey Day’s Victory at Charlotte
Corey Day overcame an early pit-road penalty to win the Blue Cross NC 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Rain washed out Saturday’s scheduled activities, forcing NASCAR to move the 200-lap O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race to Sunday night after the Cup Series event.
Day won Stage 1 but was penalized for driving through too many pit boxes. The penalty moved him to the back of the field at the beginning of Stage 2.
The 20-year-old driver from Clovis, California, worked his way back through the field before making his move on the final restart with 10 laps remaining. He went three-wide with Jesse Love and Justin Allgaier before diving underneath both drivers on the backstretch.
Day cleared his rivals and held off Love to win by 0.728 seconds. He led 55 laps to his first career victory at Charlotte, his fourth win of the season and his second straight win after Las Vegas.
NASCAR Finds Lug-Nut Issues on Two Cars
Although the NASCAR post-race inspection confirmed Day’s victory, inspectors identified safety issues on two other cars.
“Post-race inspection in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series garage is complete. There were no issues. Day is the winner. Note, the Nos. 26 and 39 had one lug nut not safe and secure. The team will lose pit selection at Phoenix.”
The No. 26 Sam Hunt Racing Toyota, driven by Dean Thompson, finished 14th. Ryan Sieg’s No. 39 RSS Racing Chevrolet finished in 17th place.
Both teams will lose pit selection for the next NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Phoenix Raceway. The penalty means they will not have their usual opportunity to choose their preferred pit stalls.
NASCAR’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series uses five lug nuts per wheel. Properly securing the lug nuts remains a key safety requirement during pit stops. The Charlotte inspection findings did not change the race results, and Day’s victory remained official.
NASCAR Championship Standings Tighten Before Phoenix
The Blue Cross NC 300 also affected the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship battle, with four races remaining in the season.
Love finished second in the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, while points leader Sheldon Creed recovered to take third in the No. 00 Haas Factory Team car. Allgaier finished fourth after leading 54 laps, and Carson Brown secured a career-best fifth-place result.
Creed holds a two-point lead over Love in the standings. Day moved up two positions to third and now trails Creed by seven points after his Charlotte victory.
The series heads to Phoenix Raceway next, where teams will prepare for another important race in the championship fight. Thompson’s and Sieg’s teams must also adjust to losing pit selection after the lug-nut findings.
With the title battle still close, Day’s Charlotte win gives him another opportunity to challenge Creed and Love as the season approaches its final four races.
NASCAR Post-Race Inspection Delivers Bad News for Two Teams at Charlotte