NASCAR Driver “Surprised” by Shocking Late-Season Release From Team

What’s Happening?

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Kaden Honeycutt was taken by surprise following his release from Niece Motorsports earlier this week, though he says that he understands the team’s decision.

🗣️ "I love everybody that works there, I love my No. 45 crew that worked extremely hard for me all year still."

💼 @KadenWHoneycutt talks about his departure from @NieceMotorsport and what the remainder of 2025 holds in store.

Full Interview 👉 https://t.co/WGRTG5gnEd pic.twitter.com/OoHoVN8ZR1

— SiriusXM NASCAR Radio (Ch. 90) (@SiriusXMNASCAR) August 8, 2025

Honeycutt, who is in his first full-time season of Truck Series action, is out of Niece Motorsports’ No. 45 truck after just 16 races. However, this decision was not made due to poor performance but rather a need to prepare for the future, with the team citing that Honeycutt “signed a contract to race with a different Truck Series organization and OEM in 2026.”

Following the announcement on Monday, Honeycutt spoke little about the matter and posted a short statement to X, thanking Niece for the opportunity. While this decision to cut ties with their full-time driver before the end of his contract was shocking to both fans and Honeycutt, the 22-year-old recently said he understands their reasoning.

In a recent interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Honeycutt said that when he decided to move to a new team and OEM in 2026, he wanted to “give Niece as much time as possible to plan for the next year.” Upon notifying the team of his plans, Niece, of course, opted to move on from Honeycutt, a decision that caught Honeycutt off guard, though there appears to be no hard feelings.

“I was surprised by the decision, but I completely understand and respect it totally,” Honeycutt said. “I love everybody that works there, I love my crew, my 45 crew, that worked extremely hard for me all year.”

Honeycutt, who sits sixth in Truck Series points, is still in pursuit of a playoff spot, having found a ride for this weekend and the rest of the season. He will race for Young’s Motorsports this weekend in their No. 02 truck, after which he will race for Halmar Friesen Racing for the rest of the season, filling in for an injured Stewart Friesen.

The latter of the two, a Toyota team, will be his debut for his rumored new OEM, Toyota. Multiple reports suggest Honeycutt is bound for a return to the Truck Series next season with TRICON Garage, though neither Honeycutt, Toyota, nor TRICON has confirmed this arrangement.

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