AVONDALE, Ariz. — The 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season has been a rollercoaster for Kaden Honeycutt — literally and emotionally.
Honeycutt was sixth in the series standings when Niece Motorsports released him after 16 races, citing information that Honeycutt had signed with a new team and manufacturer for 2026, though the specifics of the move were not released.
Preserving his eligibility for the Playoffs, Honeycutt found a fill-in ride with Youngs Motorsports for the 17th race of the season at Watkins Glen International.
Three days earlier, Halmar Friesen Racing had announced that Honeycutt would replace Stewart Friesen in the No. 52 Toyota for the rest of the season, starting Aug. 15 at Richmond Raceway. Friesen sustained season-ending injuries while driving a dirt modified race car in Drummondville, Quebec in late July.
Honeycutt made it through two Playoffs rounds, advancing on a tiebreaker at Martinsville to Friday’s Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway.
“Honestly, man, we’re playing with house money this weekend,” said Honeycutt, whose second-place finish at Martinsville was a career-best. “We’ve accomplished the goal of being here. That was the whole deal whenever me and (crew chief) Jimmy (Villeneuve) talked at Richmond.
“They just wanted to make it and have a fighting chance. The fact that we get to come here and mix it up, I feel like we’ve had speed all the Playoffs. We just get to have fun this weekend, treat it like a normal race and go out and try to win it.”
Honeycutt believes fate had a hand in his opportunity to race for the title. Admittedly, it’s an uphill battle against heavy favorite Corey Heim, an 11-time winner in a record-setting season.
“Everything happens for a reason,” he said. “I think the reason when Stewart got hurt was for me to fill in and do the job right for ‘em and show off how good this team is in this Playoff that he wasn’t able to do because of his injuries.
“I think that’s the reason why we’re here for that.”
