NASCAR’s first Israeli driver wins 2nd straight title

The Israeli NASCAR driver dominated the season-finale at Circuit Zolder to win his second straight championship on Sunday.

By Joseph Wolkin, World Israel News

Alon Day accomplished the unthinkable. The Israeli NASCAR driver dominated the season-finale at Circuit Zolder to win his second straight Whelen Euro Series championship on Sunday.

Day led the entire 16-lap contest, capturing win No. 6 on the year for his CAAL Racing team. In doing so, he becomes the division’s second back-to-back champion.

“This car never fails and never disappoints me,” Day said following his triumph. “The car, the team, they are all unbelievable. I’m speechless. I came back from such a difficult time in the season, but I still managed to win so many races and kept bouncing back. Back-to-back: It’s just amazing.”

Day won Saturday’s opening race of the championship weekend, overtaking Frederic Gabillon for the title lead. When it was all said and done, Day’s six victories were enough to give the Israeli his second NASCAR title by a mere 14 points.

Day is one of NASCAR’s most popular international drivers.

He made his return to America in September, arriving in Charlotte, North Carolina the day before Yom Kippur. For the first time in his life, he fasted outside of Israel, and admitted that it didn’t make the day go by any quicker.

He competed in the sport’s premier division, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, for the second time, taking to the track at Richmond Raceway in BK Racing’s Toyota Camry. While he finished 38^th of 40 cars that evening, he proved that an Israeli can make it in NASCAR.

Day’s future plans are unknown. He did say he wants to return to NASCAR’s top series again this year, but it all depends on sponsorship dollars.

Certainly, this will be a popular win for one of Israel’s few race car drivers and the first Jewish one in NASCAR.