NASCAR: Alon Day, Best Bully Sticks teaming for historic Richmond start

By Nick Tylwalk | Sep 22, 2018

RICHMOND, VA - SEPTEMBER 21: Alon Day, driver of the #23 Best Bully Sticks Toyota, practices for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway on September 21, 2018 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images) /

Though he’s not likely to run anywhere near the front at Richmond, Alon Day feels he’s already won just by being in Saturday night’s race.

There’s no one path that leads to the NASCAR Cup Series. The garage is full of stories of competitors who made it to the top of stock car racing in different ways, but none have a tale exactly like that of Alon Day, who will drive the No. 23 Best Bully Sticks Toyota at Richmond Raceway on Saturday night.

Truly hardcore NASCAR fans might already know Day’s name and some of his background. A native of Israel, a country without any racing tradition to speak of, Day got his start in motorsports at a young age, competing primarily in Europe. After racking up open-wheel experience in several series, he eventually made his way to Indy Lights in 2012 before turning to GT cars and then the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series, where he’s won double-digit races and a championship.

Day became the first Israeli driver to make starts in a NASCAR national series when he ran both Truck and XFINITY Series races in 2016, and BK Racing gave him his Cup Series debut at Sonoma last year. He’s been back in the Whelen Euro Series again since then, so even he was surprised to find out he’d be given a chance to race at Richmond.

“To be honest, even I don’t really know,” Day said by phone when asked about how the deal with BK Racing came together. “ I just got an email that we might get together with Best Bully Sticks, and apparently we signed a deal and we are here in Richmond. I’ve got Best Bully Sticks on my car, on my suit, and I’m super grateful for the opportunity they gave me.”

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Best Bully Sticks is the consumer brand for TDBBS, LLC, a Richmond-based business that specializes in making natural dog treats and chews. According to a company press release, it wanted to link up with Day based on his own fondness for dogs.

While perhaps on the surface an unusual pairing — and one that had no previous experience working together — Day sees some similarities between the first-time NASCAR sponsor and himself.

“I’m a driver trying to work my way up and be recognized, and it’s the same with the company, Best Bully Sticks,” he said. “[It’s] a small company, trying to make their own way up and create their own brand name. I think that’s the special thing in our combination together.”

At the same time, no one expects miracles at Richmond. Day is making his first Cup Series start on an oval track, something he acknowledges will be difficult.

“I’m coming from a road course background,” Day said. “I know I’m really good at that.

“Here, it’s definitely going to be challenging, but I’m learning. I’m trying to learn as fast as I can, as much as I can. I’m not coming here with an expectation of a top 25, top 30 or whatever. I’m more trying to learn as much as possible, do my best and finish the race with a complete car, without any problems, any stupid mistakes, and gain experience.”

He’s also realistic about his chances to run fast laps in a car that, to put it kindly, has not been much of anything but a back marker this season. The No. 23 has been driven by multiple racers in 2018, and its few decent finishes have tended to come when attrition thins out the field quite a bit.

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Racing around just trying to stay out of trouble will be a whole different challenge for Day, who is used to competing for wins in the Euro Series. Still, he is unabashedly carrying the flag for Israel when he drives, and he’s comfortable with the fact that he and his sponsor are putting themselves on the map together on Saturday night.

“Just by being here, it’s already history,” Day said. “Finishing the race, it’s going to be history. Finishing top 30 or whatever, everything’s going to be a new chapter in the history of Israeli motorsports. I’m glad for the opportunity that Best Bully Sticks gave me, because everything that happens right now, we are writing history.”