Corey Day says William Sawalich 'made himself look stupid' with Gateway run-in

William Sawalich. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Corey Day says William Sawalich 'made himself look stupid' with Gateway run-in

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Sep 12, 2026 10:42 PM ET

William Sawalich has nothing to lose regarding the race for the 2026 NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series championship hunt and made that clear by dealing a crushing blow to Corey Day's title hopes Saturday at Gateway.

Sawalich was turned by Day at Darlington on Sept. 5 and was not happy with the Hendrick Motorsports driver, telling him to go and do something not very pleasant to himself, according to a post-race interview from Day.

When the two tangled again in Saturday's Chase race at Gateway, Sawalich sent another message.

Day made contact with Sawalich as the two raced on the backstretch, which Sawalich didn't take very kindly to. Sawalich doored Day as the two raced down the backstretch, which led to Day spinning off the front bumper of Justin Allgaier and taking a vicious lick into the inside wall.

"I think he made himself look stupid enough for me to need to say anything."@corey_day_ comments on the incident with @WilliamSawalich. pic.twitter.com/6FVQCI7sPk
— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) September 13, 2026

Corey Day responds after incident with William Sawalich

Day was okay but finished the race in 33rd and slipped to eighth in the standings, 69 points back of points leader Sheldon Creed going into the Sept. 18 race at Bristol.

Day was relatively composed in his interview with the CW when asked about the incident, but still took a shot at Sawalich.

"I think he made himself look stupid enough for me to [not] need to say anything," Day said.

Day was then asked if he was planning on having a conversation with Sawalich during the week.

"I don't plan to," Day said. "It's like talking to a wall."

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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