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Israeli racecar driver Alon Day was in Florida getting ready to compete in the CUBE 3 Architecture Trans Am 2 Series when the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes in Iran in a joint offensive on Saturday.
The former NASCAR driver had a lot on his mind, thinking of his family back home as Iran launched retaliatory action against countries that have U.S. military bases in them.
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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 kind of a tricky situation. I’m here racing in the United States and at the same moment, my wife, my kid and everybody is in Israel,” he told Fox News Digital. “It’s so complicated to think about everything. And now, when I’m a fresh 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 is always ringing with alarms of the ballistic missiles coming in Israel.
“It’s a bit tough. I’m here on a mission and I’m very happy that I have the opportunity to actually race here in the United States.”
The joint airstrikes were launched on Saturday, hitting several military and nuclear facilities. The Israel Defense Forces said Sunday morning it has launched strikes in the “heart of Tehran,” hitting targets that belong to the Iranian terror regime. One of the strikes left Ali Khamenei dead.
Day expressed hope that the military operations will be able to bring stability to the Middle East.
Alon Day is presented with his championship ring during the NASCAR Touring Night of Champions at the Charlotte Convention Center on December 8, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
“Probably, yeah,” he told Fox News Digital when asked about whether he thought the region would be more peaceful. “I’m getting so many messages from random Iranian people, saying ‘Thank you Israel, thank you United States. We are going through a different kind of era right now.’ Something is changing. We cannot even think about what the implication of losing the war will be. If the Iranian people lose this war, they’re going to have a really bad time with the Iranian regime.
“I feel like this is a good opportunity. But I’m not a politician. I’m not a military guy. I’m just a racecar driver. I’m on a mission and the mission is to win races as much as possible for JSSI and to bring the Israel flag here and to show how great allies Israel and the United States are together.”
Day, who has spent time on NASCAR’s Cup Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series circuits, said he had no plans to scrap his 2026 season.
“Listen, I was born in 1991 – the Gulf War. I’ve been through the Intifada, Hamas, Hezbollah, everything,” he explained. “Every person in Israel grew up into this, those kind of war situations. It’s very sad to say that, but we’re kind of used to that and we need to live with that.
“And it is what it is. I think now, specifically now, it’s for a good reason.”
Day praised the U.S. and Israeli militaries for their actions.
Loris Hezemans, driver of the #50 Hendriks Motorsport, Alon Day, driver of the #24 Carsport and Nicolo Rocca, driver of the #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 want to take this opportunity also to thank the U.S. military forces and the Israel military forces for what they’re doing to keep us safe and for a better future fighting against evilness.
“I think everything is for a bright future in front of us. I really want to take the opportunity and thank everybody, every person who is fighting against the Iranian regime. It is for a good reason, so I want to really thank them.”
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