SOUTH BOSTON, Va. — One month ago, Kaden Honeycutt suffered one of the most heartbreaking losses in his racing career.
While battling for the win in the Throwback Classic at Hickory Motor Speedway, zMAX CARS Tour officials determined Honeycutt jumped a late-race restart while battling Tristan McKee for the lead. A frustrated Honeycutt parked his car shortly after being administered the penalty, knowing a $50,000 paycheck escaped his grasp.
In his first race back with the CARS Late Model Stock Car Tour, Honeycutt survived a chaotic Autos By Nelson Race Night to earn his first victory in the series since 2022.
Joining Honeycutt in Cook Out Victory Lane was Keelan Harvick, continuing his recent streak of momentum in the CARS Pro Late Model Tour
Although wins have eluded Honeycutt in a Late Model Stock over the past couple of years, the veteran racer has still enjoyed plenty of success on the CARS Tour platform that includes a PLM Tour title.
Despite this, Honeycutt wanted nothing more than to deliver Tom Usry Racing a checkered flag on the LMSC Tour. After enduring several near misses that extended beyond the CARS Tour, everything fell into place for Honeycutt to score a cathartic victory at South Boston Speedway on Saturday.
“It feels so good,” Honeycutt said. “I haven’t won since 2022. I know that’s insane to think even think about. I’ve been so close the past three years on winning so many races. This one is for [car owner] Kenneth Packer, R&S freaking Race Cars and this whole damn team. We don’t run a lot, but when we do, we contend for wins.”
Honeycutt has never doubted the potential of his No. 17 Late Model Stock, but circumstances kept them away from wins. The program’s breakthrough triumph at South Boston required Honeycutt to stay patient and take advantage of the attrition in front of him.
While running in third, Honeycutt witnessed Mini Tyrrell spin Tristan McKee from the lead following a hectic battle between the two. Tyrrell was assessed a penalty because of the contact, leaving Honeycutt to fend off a talented crowd of competitors that included Conner Jones, who was in search of his first win in nearly a year.
Jones’ aggressive charge during an overtime finish did not deter Honeycutt, who scored his fourth LMSC Tour win and ninth overall on the CARS Tour platform. There were times when Honeycutt was unsure he would get another LMSC Tour win, but he expressed his gratitude towards the support system that has kept him grounded no matter the situation
“I’ve been working on myself so much,” Honeycutt said. “I feel like I’ve let myself go in situations that have lost me a lot of races and good finishes. Everyone that has my back, they’ve been working on me forever and they never give up on me. I can’t say [enough] how much I appreciate that.
Jones methodically climbed his way up from a 15th place starting spot to position himself behind Kaden Honeycutt for a two-lap sprint to the finish. Although he found a couple of opportunities to pounce, Jones ultimately settled for second, his best performance of the current CARS LMSC Tour season so far.
“I definitely feel like I could have drove it into [turn] three a little farther,” Jones said. “When [Honeycutt] dove to the bottom, I thought he was going to wash up into the wall. If he does that, I don’t want to be right there on him. I gave him a little room and it didn’t work out in my favor.”
No driver has been more dominant in the CARS PLM Tour during the summer than Keelan Harvick.
The son of 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion and CARS Tour co-owner Kevin Harvick has now visited victory lane in three of the last four races he has entered. Earning another victory at South Boston Speedway on Saturday evening required Harvick to fend off current PLM Tour points leader Ben Maier across several restarts.
“I just wanted to do this for [Rackley W.A.R.],” Harvick said. “They always bring me a fast car and it’s really cool every time I get to bring them a trophy back home to the shop. I just can’t thank them enough.”
Each race has only served to bolster Harvick’s confidence behind the wheel, which was on full display as he fought to maintain control of the lead over Maier. The two young prospects rarely lost sight of one another throughout the first 75 laps, but Harvick finally gained the upper hand and drove away from Maier for the victory.
Relying on a year’s worth of Pro Late Model experience was a crucial factor in Harvick being able to enjoy another successful evening. While the transition into the discipline has featured plenty of highs and lows for Harvick, he considers himself a much more refined driver compared to when he made his first Pro Late Model start months ago.
“[My spotter] Robert Arch said to go as fast as I could, but I didn’t want to spin out, because that would be embarrassing,” Harvick said. “I just pushed it to the limit. There’s a lot to get used to [in a Pro Late Model] as the race goes on, but it’s definitely a fun challenge.”
The finish:
Kaden Honeycutt, Conner Jones, Carson Loftin, Landen Lewis, Mason Diaz, Lanie Buice, Tristan McKee, Kade Brown, Trevor Ward, Landon Huffman, Ryan Wilson, Chase Burrow, Landon S. Huffman, Isaac Kitzmiller, Donovan Strauss, Brandon Pierce, Mini Tyrrell, Connor Hall, Ronnie Bassett Jr., Deac McCaskill, Brandon Lopez, Doug Barnes Jr., Parker Eatmon, Ryan Millington, Mason Bailey, Kyle Dudley, Chad McCumbee.
