Part Failure Keeps Honeycutt From Going For Nashville Win

LEBANON, Tenn. – Kaden Honeycutt saw an extremely promising NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series run at Nashville Superspeedway derailed by a mechanical failure Friday night.

After qualifying eighth and racing his way up to third place in the first 35 laps of the Rackley Roofing 200, Honeycutt had to take his No. 45 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado RST to the garage abruptly when he reported smelling gear oil over the radio.

A diagnosis by his Phil Gould-led crew behind the wall confirmed that a rear-gear seal failed on the truck, necessitating repairs that cost Honeycutt numerous laps in the process.

While the 21-year-old native of Willow Park, Texas, was eventually able to return to the racetrack, his chances at any sort of a meaningful result were dashed.

Honeycutt ended up 33rd in the final results, 66 laps off the pace, and was “gutted” after feeling like he had a truck capable of contending for his first Truck Series victory.

“Man, what a tough break for us tonight,” he said. “My guys brought me another amazing truck, and I thought we really had a chance to fight for a trophy. That got cut short way too quick. I started to smell gear oil – then we completely ran out of it at the end of stage one. I knew it was only a matter of time until we would have to pull in. Ended up breaking a rear gear seal and went down a bunch of laps there.

“The positive thing we can take away is that we had a great truck, and hopefully that’ll help our notes for the next time we come here,” Honeycutt continued. “I’m appreciative of everyone at AutoVentive, Precision Vehicle Logistics, and Niece Motorsports for their support over the weekend. We’ll be better next time I’m in the No. 45 Chevy.”

While Honeycutt isn’t racing for a driver’s championship this season, the No. 45 entry remains sixth on the provisional grid for the Truck Series owner playoffs. Just three races remain before the postseason reset.

Honeycutt returns to action in the Truck Series in eight weeks’ time when NASCAR’s third-highest series visits the Milwaukee Mile for the running of the LiUNA 175.

Broadcast coverage of the event is slated for Sunday, Aug. 25 at 4 p.m. ET, live on FS1, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.

 

About Kaden Honeycutt

Kaden Honeycutt is a 20-year-old, multi-discipline racer from Willow Park, Texas, who competes part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Niece Motorsports. He also races in the zMAX CARS Tour in both the Pro Late Model and Late Model Stock Car divisions, driving for Mavrick Page Motorsports and Tom Usry Racing, respectively.

On the dirt side, Honeycutt cut his teeth in the Gulf South region of the United States, both in his home state of Texas and the surrounding areas. He first ran factory stocks and dirt modifieds before more recently branching out into dirt late model racing, attending premier events like the Wild West Shootout and in select races with the World of Outlaws Case Construction Late Model Series.

Proving his extreme versatility, Honeycutt also raced at the prestigious Chili Bowl Midget Nationals powered by NOS Energy Drink in 2023, earning a B-main finish on Championship Saturday among a field of nearly 400 entries inside Tulsa, Oklahoma’s SageNet Center.

Honeycutt has been a persistent worker on his own race vehicles, routinely helping his various teams at the racetrack, as well as in the Niece Motorsports shop through the week. He continues to push up the NASCAR ladder as a prospect to eventually reach the premier NASCAR Cup Series.

Off the racetrack, Honeycutt is passionately involved with the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, where he supports children battling pediatric brain tumors and other childhood cancers. He runs the FOJ logo on both his car and uniform, including a tribute to his adopted child Jackson, who passed away in 2020.