Honeycutt Wins Homestead, Claims First Truck Series Title
Kaden Honeycutt celebrates winning the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series title Friday night. (Danny Hansen/Nigel Kinrade Photography)
By Jacob Seelman, SWN News Editor
HOMESTEAD, Fla. (Nov. 6, 2026) – The title-deciding venue might have changed, but the end result to the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season looked virtually identical to what it was one year ago.
Just as his predecessor Corey Heim did in 2025 at Arizona’s Phoenix Raceway, Kaden Honeycutt wheeled the No. 11 Safelite Toyota Tundra TRD Pro to victory on a late restart in Friday night’s Truck Series Championship Race, this time held on the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway in South Florida.
With a run off the outside that he converted into a successful crossover run, Honeycutt outdueled Christian Eckes following the final green flag of the night on lap 121 of 134.
It took him almost two laps to clear Eckes for good, but once he did, Honeycutt drove into the night. The 23-year-old Texan led the final 13 laps – and 15 overall – en route to his fifth career Truck Series victory, all of which have come this season.
But Honeycutt’s most recent triumph was easily the biggest of his racing career at any level, as it put the finishing flourish on his first Truck Series championship – coming in just his second full-time season.
After title rival Layne Riggs suffered two flat right-rear tires before halfway and fell multiple laps off the pace, Honeycutt was able to cruise most of the way before pouncing for all the hardware when it mattered most. His final margin was a hefty 83 points over Riggs, who led the series with seven wins.
Those wins couldn’t stop a masterful Chase run for Honeycutt, however, who never finished worse than 14th in the seven postseason races and posted a stellar average finish of 4.7, including three victories.
As Honeycutt parked on the frontstretch to celebrate, climbing out of the same truck that Heim carried to a title one year earlier with the exact same team, it was clear the moment was about far more than just a driver who made it on grit and determination.
Honeycutt immediately pointed to the crew members swarming him, reinforcing that this championship was due to their effort as much as his own.
“Man, this is amazing. I’ve worked so damn hard to be here. Thank you to every owner, thank you everybody that’s let me drive the race car for them, whether it was dirt, asphalt, road course, (it) doesn’t matter. That is because of you guys I'm sitting right here with this group behind me as champions. I’m so out of breath; I wish I could talk harder.
“Thank you, fans, for showing up. We just won Homestead and the damn championship!”
Of note, Heim did sweep the first two stages, leading at laps 30 and 60 in his final race as the reigning Truck Series champion. In fact, Heim led 45 laps total, second only to Eckes’ 46 circuits out front.
But Heim scrubbed the wall in turns three and four coming back to seven to go, fading down the order late and leaving Eckes as the last remaining challenger with a chance to stop Honeycutt at the front.
Eckes tried to close in, but couldn’t get closer than a second back in the waning moments. He finished second for the fourth time in the last six races as Honeycutt celebrated both a race win and a season title.
Daniel Hemric took the checkered flag third, followed by Ty Majeski and Stewart Friesen. Heim ended up sixth ahead of Chandler Smith, Jake Garcia, Grant Enfinger, and Corey LaJoie.
Riggs’ heartbreaking season finale ended in a 32nd-place finish, six laps down after two unscheduled pit stops for his tire issues at laps 16 and 45.
That effectively allowed Honeycutt to save his truck for go-time at the end, and when he found himself on the front row for the night’s final restart, he put all his cards on the table like he had all season long.
“The first half of the race I did not want to push it too hard. It fell in our hands,” Honeycutt noted. “I put my nuts on the dash and wanted to win the race.
“Thanks to the whole team. I love them so much.”
Honeycutt will be feted for his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship on Tuesday night, Nov. 10 during the NASCAR Awards at The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Miami.
