A special opportunity awaits Corey Day in this evening’s High Limit Sprint Car Series seventh-round event at Kokomo Speedway outside Indianapolis.

With reigning two-time All Star Circuit of Champion title winner Tyler Courtney still recovering from a back injury suffered two weeks ago at Eldora Speedway’s Kings Royal, the 17-year-old has been selected to fill in Clauson Marshall Racing’s No. 7BC at upcoming High Limit shows.

Not many teenaged drivers have an opportunity to climb behind the wheel of Sprint Car ride that's won back-to-back All Star titles — even if it’s in a pinch-hitting capacity — and Day’s aware of that.

“I’m excited. I’m a little nervous,” Day said. “I’m basically about every (emotion). I think it’ll be good.”

“I don’t really want to put too much pressure on myself or say that I’m going to win or run top five,” Day added. "I definitely think the car is capable of it. It’s kind of my style of track. If things go my way, I’m sure we’ll be in the hunt. But it’s tough at these races, man. You have guys like (Kyle) Larson, and Rico (Abreu) is really hard (to beat) right now. Basically every guy who’s not an Outlaw guy is there. They’re all really, really good. I’m excited for it.”

Day has never ran a Sprint Car whether winged nor non-winged at Indiana’s Baddest Bullring. Actually, he’s never ran a winged Sprint Car this far east before.

The Clovis, Calif., native is maximizing his opportunities this season around home. He’s currently leading the NARC King of the West standings over the likes of High Limit traveler Justin Sanders and Dominic Scelzi, one of Sprint Car racing’s winningest driver in recent seasons.

Day’s eight NARC wins are more than Sanders and Scelzi combined, too, which speaks to Day’s excellence in California this year.

“It’s definitely big for me,” Day said. “This is the first championship I’ve really set out to win in my career, even through micros and everything. My dad (Ronnie) and I always raced for wins. He always used to tell me, if you win enough races, the points will take care of itself. This year, we set out at the beginning of the year that we wanted to chase the (NARC) championship.

“It’s not a (World of) Outlaw championship or an All Stars championship, but there’s still preparation that goes into the team and race car aspect of things. Like getting all your spares ready in the trailer, getting your mule ready for the work area, changing little things on the race car that makes it easier. … There’s definitely been a lot of preparation that’s gone into the team and crew to get ready to chase a championship.”

It’s easy to forget that Day is only 17 years old and only a few weeks away from starting his senior year of high school. He’s supremely poised for his young age, having already contended for wins in limited World of Outlaws races.

At Eagle Raceway’s High Limit event earlier this year, he finished 10th among a stiff field of competition. Tuesday at Kokomo will be Day’s second High Limit of the year and it could be his last if Courtney returns to the seat before Aug. 15’s eighth-round series race at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, S.D.

If not, Day will get another opportunity to showcase his emerging talent, which will have to wait at least the summer of next year to hit the road as a full-fledged touring driver.

“I still have my senior year of high school to go,” Day said. “We’re still kind of stuck in California for the beginning part of the year. I don’t know what the second half of next year would bring. … Probably no tour next year just because I need to get my last year of school out of the way. Then I can go in the following year (in 2025), run something like a tour. Next year, we’ll probably (travel) more than what we’re doing this year. But I have to get school finished. And then I can go do some real racing.”

Day is currently enrolled in Clovis Unified School District’s online program and has meetings twice a month with his supervisor that oversees his academic performance. He’s thought about returning to his local high school as a normal student wouldn’t so he can “still be a kid” but the pursuits to hone his skills into an all-around driver are far more important.

He hasn’t overlooked the privileges of still being a teenager, though, and when he’s home he’ll often take trips to wake board and take boat rides with his friends at Millerton Lake in Southern California’s Central Valley.

Day doesn’t turn 18 until Nov. 28 and he’s still soaking in all the fun that comes in his last few years of being a teenager. He anticipates that one day, hopefully as a successful touring driver, life won’t be as leisurely.

“This year’s been really good for me in the race car. It’s mostly just because I’m getting to be a kid and a race car driver,” Day said. “During the week, before I left for this trip, all my friends and I were on summer (vacation). So I’d hangout with them and go to the lake; just mess around and be a kid. Then on the weekends it’s time to go to work. It’s been a good year. There hasn’t been much pressure on me really. We’ve been really good since the start of the year. Things have been flowing.”