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Israeli racing driver Alon Day was in Florida preparing to compete in the CUBE 3 Architecture Trans Am 2 Series when the United States and Israel launched airstrikes in Iran as part of a joint offensive on Saturday.
The former NASCAR driver had a lot on his mind, thinking about his family back home as Iran launched retaliation against countries that host U.S. military bases.
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Alon Day stands in the garage during practice for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on June 23, 2017 in Sonoma, California. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
“It’s a pretty tricky situation. I’m running here in the United States and at the same time my wife and my kid and everyone is in Israel,” he told PK Press Club Digital. “It’s so complicated to think about everything. And now, when I’m a new dad, I want to be there. I want to be there with my family and everything. It’s extremely nervous to be here. My phone always rings with the alarm of ballistic missiles coming to Israel.
“It’s a little hard. I’m here on a mission and I’m very happy to have the opportunity to race here in the United States.”
The joint airstrikes were launched on Saturday, hitting several military and nuclear facilities. The Israeli army announced on Sunday morning that it had launched strikes in the “heart of Tehran”, hitting targets belonging to the Iranian terrorist regime. One of these strikes cost Ali Khamenei his life.
Day expressed hope that military operations could bring stability to the Middle East.
Alon Day receives his championship ring during NASCAR Touring Night of Champions at the Charlotte Convention Center on December 8, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Streter Lecka/Getty Images)
“Probably, yes,” he told PK Press Club Digital when asked if he thought the region would be more peaceful. “I get so many messages from random Iranians, saying ‘Thank you Israel, thank you USA. We are in different times right now.’ Something is changing. We can’t even imagine what the consequences of losing the war will be. If the Iranian people lose this war, they will have a very bad time with the Iranian regime.
“I feel like it’s a good opportunity. But I’m not a politician. I’m not a military man. I’m just a race car driver. I have a mission and the mission is to win races as much as possible for JSSI and to bring the Israeli flag here and show how great allies Israel and the United States are.”
Day, who has spent time on circuits in NASCAR’s Cup Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, said he has no plans to abandon his 2026 season.
“Listen, I was born in 1991, during the Gulf War. I went through the Intifada, Hamas, Hezbollah, everything,” he explained. “Everyone in Israel grew up in this kind of war situation. It’s very sad to say that, but we’re kind of used to it and we have to live with it.
“And that’s the way it is. I think now, especially now, it’s for good reason.”
Day praised the U.S. and Israeli military for their actions.
Loris Hezemans, driver of #50 Hendriks Motorsport, Alon Day, driver of #24 Carsport and Nicolo Rocca, driver of #22 DF1 Racing pose on stage after the FRACASSO NASCAR GP of Croatia PRO race on November 15, 2020 at Grobnik Circuit in Rijeka Croatia. (Goran Kovacic/Pixsell/MB Media/Getty Images)
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“I also want to take this opportunity to thank the American and Israeli military forces for what they are doing to keep us safe and for a better future in the fight against evil.
“I think everything is for a bright future ahead of us. I really want to take this opportunity and thank everyone, every single person who is fighting against the Iranian regime. It’s for a good reason, so I really want to thank them.”
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