Corey Day runs down Allgaier to win NASCAR O'Reilly race at Dover

Driving the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, he ran down the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet of Justin Allgaier, passing him for the lead as they split the lapped car of Blake Lothian.

Day didn't lead a single lap until passing Allgaier with four laps to go, driving away to take the win. After the race, Allgaier had a conversation with Lothian in what looked like a teaching moment after his indecision gave Day the chance to pounce on Allgaier.

Behind Day and Allgaier, Sam Mayer finished third, William Sawalich fourth, Austin Hill fifth, Brandon Jones sixth, Carson Kvapil seventh, Ryan Sieg eighth, Sammy Smith ninth, and Anthony Alfredo tenth. 

A first @MonsterMile start leads to a first Dover win. pic.twitter.com/IoXTH0lQlL

— NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts (@NASCAROReillyAP) May 16, 2026

Stage 1

Ross Chastain led the race from pole -- his first pole position in the O'Reilly Series since 2018. Jones tried to take it from on the opening lap, but got loose under him into Turn 3.

Early in the race, Brent Crews got up into the wall after contact from Ryan Sieg. Jeb Burton lifted in reaction, and Parker Retzlaff got run over trying to slow up for Burton. Both of their cars were destroyed, while Lavar Scott also suffered nose damage. 

Jones snatched the lead away from Chastain on the ensuing restart, and led the rest of the stage. He won Stage 1 over Chastain, Mayer, Gray, Caruth, Kvapil, Sawalich, Day, Love, and Allgaier.

.@Parker79p and @JebBurtonRacing take big damage after a domino effect crash. pic.twitter.com/6belPjCVg1

— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) May 16, 2026

Stage 2

Jones had a slow stop, putting Chastain back out front with Gray alongside him for the restart. 

Chastain maintained control until the next caution, with Blaine Perkins backing his car into the Turn 3 wall in a significant impact.

There was no change for the lead in the restart that followed, but Gray could not hold onto second as Caruth passed him. He then proceeded to run down his teammate, challenging Chastain for the lead.

While it was close, Chastain managed to hold the lead and win Stage 2 over Caruth, Gray, Love, Mayer, Kvapil, Day, Allgaier, Sawalich, and R. Sieg.

Stage 3

Love won the race off pit road over Caruth, with Chastain sliding back to third.

On the restart, Caruth slid up into Love as they battled for control in Turn 3, making significant contact. Love got up into the wall and Caruth got sideways, both losing several positions while also sustaining damage. 

.@Taylor_Gray goes around while pushing for the lead to bring out yet another caution. pic.twitter.com/fw6YgcMXGN

— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) May 16, 2026

Chastain was suddenly back in control of the race, but on the restart, Sawalich managed to pass him.

Caruth was involved in another incident, this time with H. Burton, triggering the next yellow. Sammy Smith tried to take Caruth and Burton three-wide, and those two collided, spinning through Turn 4.

With this yellow being right on the edge of the fuel window, Allgaier chose to come down pit road, also to check a potential loose wheel.

On the restart, things got tense in the battle for second with Gray getting into Chastain. The pole-sitter sideways into the wall at the exit of Turn 4, but straightened it out. Gray spun as he got hit from behind by Mayer, slamming the inside wall.

Most of the field took the opportunity to pit as the JRM team worked to repair the damaged car of Chastain.

.@Taylor_Gray goes around while pushing for the lead to bring out yet another caution. pic.twitter.com/fw6YgcMXGN

— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) May 16, 2026

Suddenly, Austin Green and Andrew Patterson were out front, and a handful of cars stayed out with them. Among that group was Allgaier, who charged into the lead on the restart. 

The eighth caution of the race flew for Garrett Smithley, who went for a spin. Allgaier continued to lead in the run that followed, with Sawalich settling into second.

Smithley was the cause of the next caution as well, as a flat tire caused him to spin and ripped the right-rear fender apart.

The race resumed with 34 laps to go, and Allgaier held the lead.

The battle for second was interesting, with Mayer getting the upper-hand on Sawalich, only for Day to pass them both. He then set his sights on Allgaier, going high around a lapped car as Allgaier was forced low, and snatching the lead with just four laps to go.

NASCAR O'Reilly Dover Results

cla	#	driver	manufacturer	laps	time	gap	int	pits	laps led	retirement	pts	best time	best lap
1	17	Corey Day	Chevrolet	200	2:14'05.224			5	4			24.222	134
2	7	Justin Allgaier	Chevrolet	200	2:14'05.685	0.461	0.461	6	71			23.960	134
3	41	Sam Mayer	Chevrolet	200	2:14'07.723	2.499	2.038	6	1			24.211	107
4	18	William Sawalich	Toyota	200	2:14'10.486	5.262	2.763	6	15			23.868	107
5	21	Austin Hill	Chevrolet	200	2:14'11.185	5.961	0.699	6				24.456	136
6	20	Brandon Jones	Toyota	200	2:14'12.917	7.693	1.732	6	31			24.068	2
7	1	Carson Kvapil	Chevrolet	200	2:14'14.887	9.663	1.970	6				24.313	135
8	39	Ryan Sieg	Chevrolet	200	2:14'14.964	9.740	0.077	6				24.454	135
9	8	Sammy Smith	Chevrolet	200	2:14'16.657	11.433	1.693	9				24.686	110
10	96	Anthony Alfredo	Chevrolet	200	2:14'16.753	11.529	0.096	12				24.740	58
11	44	Brennan Poole	Chevrolet	200	2:14'17.900	12.676	1.147	7				24.668	2
12	87	Austin Green	Chevrolet	200	2:14'18.096	12.872	0.196	8	4			24.944	127
13	9	Ross Chastain	Chevrolet	200	2:14'18.557	13.333	0.461	9	68			23.966	2
14	88	Rajah Caruth	Chevrolet	200	2:14'19.000	13.776	0.443	8	1			24.154	2
15	51	Jeremy Clements	Chevrolet	200	2:14'21.638	16.414	2.638	6				24.426	136
16	24	Harrison Burton	Toyota	200	2:14'22.194	16.970	0.556	7				24.256	134
17	28	Kyle Sieg	Chevrolet	200	2:14'23.040	17.816	0.846	8				24.695	4
18	00	Sheldon Creed	Chevrolet	200	2:14'25.038	19.814	1.998	8				24.434	4
19	32	Andrew Patterson	Chevrolet	200	2:14'25.322	20.098	0.284	8				24.696	56
20	26	Dean Thompson	Toyota	200	2:14'25.533	20.309	0.211	6				24.353	135
21	48	Patrick Staropoli	Chevrolet	200	2:14'25.594	20.370	0.061	8				24.800	108
22	19	Brent Crews	Toyota	200	2:14'28.805	23.581	3.211	9				24.438	134
23	2	Jesse Love	Chevrolet	200	2:14'29.175	23.951	0.370	12	4			24.400	71
24	91	Myatt Snider	Chevrolet	200	2:14'29.297	24.073	0.122	8				25.044	134
25	02	Ryan Ellis	Chevrolet	199	2:14'07.459	1 Lap	1 Lap	7				25.006	109
26	55	Blake Lothian	Toyota	199	2:14'09.004	1 Lap	1.545	10				25.144	106
27	07	Josh Bilicki	Chevrolet	199	2:14'31.522	1 Lap	22.518	8				25.176	108
28	35	Dawson Cram	Chevrolet	198	2:14'20.284	2 Laps	1 Lap	11				25.303	2
29	92	BJ McLeod	Chevrolet	195	2:14'30.560	5 Laps	3 Laps	16				24.797	55
30	42	CJ Mclaughlin	Chevrolet	193	2:14'27.127	7 Laps	2 Laps	10				25.260	2
31	0	Garrett Smithley	Chevrolet	189	2:14'42.290	11 Laps	4 Laps	14				25.017	109
32	54	Taylor Gray	Toyota	183	2:11'58.916	17 Laps	6 Laps	10	1			24.065	107
33	53	David Starr	Chevrolet	62	1:47'46.108	138 Laps	121 Laps	7				25.265	38
34	31	Blaine Perkins	Chevrolet	59	37'59.127	141 Laps	3 Laps	4				24.791	9
35	38	Logan Bearden	Ford	30	19'25.258	170 Laps	29 Laps	4				25.122	3
36	45	Lavar Scott	Chevrolet	23	16'26.167	177 Laps	7 Laps	11				24.850	8
37	27	Jeb Burton	Chevrolet	10	4'12.509	190 Laps	13 Laps	3				24.862	8
38	99	Parker Retzlaff	Chevrolet	10	4'12.786	190 Laps	0.277	3				24.559	9