By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer
Two-time NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Champion Alon Day is now a Monster Energy athlete.
With the support of Monster Energy, the Ashdod, Israel native will drive the No. 24 PK Carsport Chevrolet Camaro in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. The move puts Day behind the driver’s seat for one of his fiercest rivals, Belgian Anthony Kumpen.
Day and Kumpen account for 30 victories in 73 races in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Pro division. Kumpen won the championship in 2014 and 2016. He finished runner-up in the final standings to Day in 2017.
The new challenge gives Day excitement for the upcoming season:
“I’m excited! It’s a fresh challenge. With CAAL we won so much and we were so close I consider them as my family, but now this new decade brings a new challenge and new energies to go chase the third championship with a great team like PK Carsport.
“Becoming a Monster Energy athlete is a dream come true. Every athlete would love to be sponsored by Monster Energy and the fact they choose me is just fantastic and a milestone in my career. I want to make them happy and win as many races I can. I want to be on a different level.”
In 2019, Day won three races and had six podium finishes. However, late season mechanical gremlins relegated the 28-year-old to sixth in the final points standings. It was the first time Day had finished outside the championship picture.
Although PK Carsport has not announced who will drive the No. 24 in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Elite 2 Championship, they announced earlier this month that Julia Landauer will compete for the team. It has yet to be announced what car Landauer will drive.
PK Carsport will have the unique distinction of the only NASCAR Whelen Euro Series team to have two NASCAR Next graduates.
Day has high expectations for the team that has two NASCAR Whelen Euro Series Pro and two Elite 2 Championships:
“I expect to be competing at the front of the field in Valencia and I feel great about this new beginning. It will take some time to settle in but we all know PK Carsport is one of the best teams if not the best team in EuroNASCAR.
“I know it because we fought against each other for a long time. But when two adversaries share the same passion for winning, they can get together and become even stronger together. And this shows how beautiful this sport is.
“We will work very hard with Anthony, the team and my teammates and I’ll push myself with the training, the simulator, the gym. I will give the absolute best I can, I want to keep building my legacy and add to the #24 PK Carsport Chevy’s legacy with Monster Energy.”
In NASCAR’s three National Series, Day has six combined starts. He turned heads in 2016 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course behind the wheel of the MBM Motorsports No. 40 Dodge. Day spent the bulk of the race in the ‘zombie-Dodge’ within the top-10. Ultimately, he finished 13th after a spin in the final corner on the final lap.
In addition to Day and Kumpen being rivals, both are in the Monster Energy athlete family. Kumpen, now in an ownership role, is a former Monster Energy athlete.
“We are very excited to have Alon with us,” Kumpen explained. “He’s such a skillful driver! I’ve been a Monster Energy athlete myself in the past and now Alon is the second to receive Monster Energy’s support and that’s a great honor. Monster is really a cool brand and they do a lot for the sport.
“I am very happy Monster brought us together and I am looking forward to another great season. The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series keeps growing at a fast pace and that’s one of the reasons why many big sponsors are joining the series with top-level drivers and teams. I can’t wait for the season to start!”
The NASCAR Whelen Euro Series begins at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain April 25.