How does one follow the greatest season in NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series history?
That’s a cross that only Kaden Honeycutt must bear, as he works these next seven races to chase down a championship with the same No. 11 Safelite Toyota Tundra TRD Pro team that won a record 12 races and the title last Fall with Corey Heim.
The format this season is completely different, and Honeycutt himself has some experience being in a post-season-like situation, having made the Playoffs and advanced to the Championship 4 with Halmar Friesen Racing — which encompassed seven of the eight starts he made for the team after being let go by Niece Motorsports.
While there’s inevitably some pressure for Honeycutt to live up to the record-breaking campaign that Corey Heim and TRICON Garage put together last season, there’s one major part of the equation that his competition may underestimate; he’s working with that same championship-winning team.
“It’s definitely very valuable. [Scott Zipadelli] has brought a lot to the table as far as my race craft and improving things that I’ve needed to be better at, and I feel like the races that we’ve won outside of the Truck Series is because of Scott,” Kaden said Tuesday during Chase Media Day. “He’s taught me a lot of things on race craft, managing a race, how to manage sim, and things like that.”
“I feel like I’ve given up a couple of races for him that I could’ve won, but we have seven weeks to go out and win him another championship. I don’t think there’s one weak spot on our schedule going into this Chase, so looking forward to it, and hopefully we can win it all.”
Honeycutt is the second seed in the Chase for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Championship and coming into the post-season opener at Bristol Motor Speedway (Thursday, September 17), the driver of the TRICON Garage No. 11 sits 25 points behind Layne Riggs, who has been the closest to having a Corey Heim-esque season this year, with six wins.
The Willow Park, Texas-native isn’t overly concerned with what he needs to do during this seven-race stretch to beat Riggs and Front Row Motorsports, and instead is focused inward on putting forward the best effort he possibly can.
“Honestly, I don’t really compare myself to anybody,” Honeycutt added. “We’re racing 35 other trucks on the racetrack to win every week, and that’s kind of the mindset. What this team sets on is we go out to win no matter who’s in front of us, a Chase guy or a non-Chase guy; it doesn’t matter. We go out and try to win the race, and the points take care of themselves after that.”
“That’s just Scott and the guys’ idea, and that’s my idea as well; all we focus on is 35 other trucks to beat every week.”
Honeycutt will begin a potential run for the 2026 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series on Thursday at Bristol Motor Speedway with the UNOH 250.
