PENSACOLA, F.L.- Just three months ago, Kaden Honeycutt was on top of the short track racing world as he celebrated a career-defining win in the 57th Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway.
In the months prior, Honeycutt had won multiple CARS Tour races, claimed the series’ Pro Late Model championship and secured a full-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series ride with Niece Motorsports.
But those paled in comparison to the Snowball Derby, an accomplishment in American stock car racing held above nearly anything else. The crown jewel of late model racing. It’s the hardest one to win. An event that can change a racer’s life.
Honeycutt did just that, walking out of Five Flags Speedway this past December as Snowball Derby champion to cap off what he’d probably tell you was the biggest year of his racing life.
Three months later, the feeling of reaching short track racing immortality still lingered as Honeycutt made his return to the Pensacola, Fla., half-mile with the ASA STARS National Tour.
“Yeah it was awesome,” Honeycutt told Frontstretch following the ASA STARS Race. “[Wesley] Weeder told me that you kind of hear the walls talk to you. He was definitely not lying about that.
“I just love this place, it’s been a huge part of my life, it’s really cool. … Now we’re going to work even harder to go back-to-back and (do) whatever it takes to do that.”
Honeycutt had a quiet day with the STARS Tour, qualifying 16th and only managing to climb to eighth by the end of the 200 lapper. Considering the car was nearly identical to how it was set up for the Derby, the lack of performance was a bit of a head scratcher for his team – one that may have been fueled by mechanical issues.
“We really just struggled all day,” Honeycutt said. “We didn’t fall back any, just had a hard time making passes. … We basically ran what we ran here in December and just wanted to work on it and see what this tire did, see what we needed to work on.
“We just looked at it, went through some stuff. There’s oil and stuff sitting on the car. Took the axle out and the thing was burnt, like completely. I don’t know, I think we probably had some issues with some mechanical stuff.”
Moving forward, Honeycutt will be focused on the CARS Tour above anything else in the late model ranks. He’ll compete in both Pro Late Model and a Late Model Stock action during his downtime with the Truck Series. The fleeting moments when he is behind the wheel of a Super Late Model will come at Five Flags Speedway.
“I’ll be doing CARS Tour stuff,” Honeycutt said. “I think I’ve got five Late Model Stock races left and then I’ll do four Pro Late Model races.
“The only Super stuff we’ll do is here, because we really just wanna win the Derby,” he added. “We’ll be here for Super stuff, I really doubt we’ll do anything besides that.”
The only thing that could lure him to Five Flags in another car would be a Truck Series date. But while a NASCAR venture to the iconic short track remains a pipe dream, it’s one the Texan would love to see come to fruition.
“Man I wish we did run here,” Honeycutt said. “I know why we can’t, just because of the SAFER barriers and the pit wall. (But) it would be really cool.
“It would be just like (North Wilkesboro Speedway) from two years ago, really worn out. No drive off, no nothing. You’d be sliding around, it would be really awesome. … I wish we got to run a Truck race here. Old surface is good racing, that’s just the way I see it.”
Chase began working with Frontstretch in the spring of 2023 as a news writer, while also helping fill in for other columns as needed. Chase is now the main writer and reporter for Frontstretch.com's CARS Tour coverage, a role which began late in 2023. Aside from racing, some of Chase's other hobbies include time in the outdoors hunting and fishing, and keeping up with all things Philadelphia sports related.