What’s Happening?
Kaden Honeycutt is using hard work and a diverse racing schedule to work his way up the NASCAR ladder. In 2025, Honeycutt is racing full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with Niece Motorsports. However, his route to this level was quite the ride. So, how did Honeycutt make it to the NASCAR National Series?
Honeycutt Prior to Racing on a National Stage
Kaden Honeycutt is from Aledo, Texas. He grew up racing Bandoleros, Legend cars, and Pro Trucks, gaining as much racing experience as he could in different cars.
These starts, in varying levels of racing, are a trend in Honeycutt’s career. Of course, he would advance past these levels and into the world of Late Model Racing.
In his time racing a Late Model, Honeycutt made his name in the CARS Late Model Tour, winning the 2021 Late Model Stock Rookie of the Year award. However, like many drivers before him, Honeycutt utilized solid runs in the Snowball Derby to get his name into the tight NASCAR circle.
As one of the premier Late Model Races in the country, the Snowball Derby fills Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL, with fans and talent year after year.
Honeycutt, in his 2020 attempt at the race, finished fifth, beating out drivers like Kyle Busch, Corey Heim, Grant Enfinger, and Bubba Pollard. A top five at the Snowball Derby is good, but leading 26 laps at the event is equally impressive.
In 2021 and 2022, Honeycutt entered multiple CARS Late Model Stock Races, winning two races in 2021 and one in 2022. He finished second and third in these two seasons.
While he continues to race at this level into 2024, Late Model racing is slowly becoming less of a priority for Honeycutt as he advances into the greater NASCAR National Series.
ARCA to Trucks
Of course, Honeycutt had to race in the ARCA Menards Series before working his way into NASCAR.
Honeycutt made his ARCA Menard Series debut in 2018 at the age of 15. This was around the same time his Late Model career began to gain traction, and between 2018 and 2019, Honeycutt made five starts in ARCA. In these five starts, Honeycutt scored two top-tens.
However, Honeycutt would not start another ARCA Race until 2023 due to his prior commitments in Late Models and a nine-race NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Schedule.
That 2022 Truck Series schedule included two starts with G2G Racing and seven starts with On Point Motorsports. Through nine races, the 19-year-old slowly showed statistical growth. In his first race, Honeycutt finished 34th. In his last race, Honeycutt finished ninth at Phoenix.
2023: A Major Step in the Right Direction
In 2023, Honeycutt continued his efforts in the CARS Tour, earning two second-place finishes on his way to another stellar Late Model season. However, it would be in NASCAR and ARCA that Honeycutt would make waves.
Honeycutt began the 2023 season part-time with Roper Racing, earning a ninth-place finish with the underdog team at the Bristol Dirt Race. In a major move for his career, Honeycutt would race in his first two race weekends in NASCAR at Martinsville.
A 28th-place Friday night finish in his No. 04 Truck wouldn’t dampen Honeycutt’s weekend in Martinsville. This excitement was due to Honeycutt making his Xfinity Series debut the next day with Mike Harmon Racing.
While he exited early with engine issues, this start proved that Honeycutt was beginning to be noticed by teams in NASCAR’s National Series. One team that noticed was Niece Motorsports, who signed Honeycutt to a one-race deal at Pocono.
Honeycutt finished 20th at Pocono in the No. 44 truck. However, this start opened doors for Kaden’s future in the Truck Series. This newfound recognition was not due just to his Truck Series efforts, as in four starts in the 2023 ARCA Menards Series West Honeycutt won two races.
As Honeycutt finished out the season part-time with Young’s Motorsports, the future looked bright for the now-former Late Model standout.
2024: Laying the Ground Work for the Future
2024 is yet another season in which Honeycutt has continually grown his reputation and skill on track. This year, Honeycutt competed in the CARS Tour, NASCAR Truck Series, and Xfinity Series.
In his lone Xfinity Series start with DGM Racing, Honeycutt finished 23rd at Dover. However, the Truck Series is his main focus. After earning more races with Niece Motorsports following his sole start in 2023, Honeycutt currently has two top-fives and five top-tens in ten starts.
Furthermore, he continues to race on dirt in his spare time and competes in the CARs Tour, winning the Pro Late Model division race at Orange County Speedway this spring.
Honeycutt is also known for his work in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series. Many drivers, like William Byron and Rajah Caruth, have used iRacing as a jumping-off point for their careers. In contrast, Honeycutt uses it as another outlet for growing his driver stock. This season, Honeycutt races for JR Motorsports in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series.
Kaden Honeycutt is a standout driver in a crowded NASCAR developmental system. His dedication to his craft, combined with his will to work, makes him one to watch into the future. These factors earned him a spot on our list of future NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers and, a much greater honor, a full-time ride with Niece Motorsports in 2025.
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