Race drivers, like all athletes (argue with a wall, Stephen A. Smith) are inherently competitive and are always striving to get better.
Look at any great athlete, regardless of sport, and you’ll find a hard-working, talented individual who was always pushing themselves.
But there comes a point where some athletes push themselves so hard that it’s hard to imagine they’re enjoying their occupation, which I’d argue is up there as one of the most fun jobs one can have. Being a high-level athlete is pressure-packed, yes, but also a treat.
That’s what I say this to NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Kaden Honeycutt: Take it easy on yourself, man.
Honeycutt, a 22-year-old driver from Willow Park, Texas, stepped into the No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota Tundra in 2026, taking over the ride that defending series champ Corey Heim drove to 12 wins and the title in 2025. That, of course, came with some pressure.
But Honeycutt has taken any pressure that was already there and inflicted more upon himself, as evidenced by his post-race interview at Texas Motor Speedway on May 1.
“Disappointing for sure,” Honeycutt said. “I just gotta figure out how to win. There’s no other excuse for it. When I got to the lead, I didn’t protect on Carson (Hocevar) right, just gave up my left-rear. He ran me out of the groove in [turns] 3 and 4, as suspected. When I got to Kyle (Busch), I accidentally gave him the top. Just gotta learn how to win with fast race trucks. It’s eating me alive.”
Honeycutt gave that interview after finishing third behind a pair of Cup drivers in Hocevar and Busch. And oh by the way, he’s leading the Truck Series standings through seven races in a year where the field is separated by razor-thin margins up and down the standings.
Honeycutt leads the series in top fives (four) and is tied for the series lead in top 10s (five). He’s also scored the most stage points (72) of any driver in the Truck Series field.
So why, then, is he so hard on himself?
The answer is obvious: As previously mentioned, he’s driving a truck that was driven to previously unforeseen levels of excellence in 2025 by Heim.
But Heim is one of the top prospects in NASCAR who has performed in pretty much every ride he’s gotten in the top three series. Heim’s accomplishments from a season ago are no reason for Honeycutt to keep bashing himself over the head every week.
Honeycutt’s own perceived shortcomings about his ability behind the wheel likely stem from the fact that, despite being a consistently solid driver in the Truck Series, he’s yet to win. Not winning, especially after coming close on a number of occasions, can wear on any driver, especially one driving such a good truck.
In reality, Honeycutt has no reason to worry. As fast as he is on a weekly basis, a victory seems inevitable (just ask Sheldon Creed, who finally won at Atlanta in the O’Reilly Series after 15 runner-up finishes). It’s running up front consistently that leads to winning consistently.
When you look at the big picture of the 2026 Truck Series season, there’s more of a reason for Honeycutt to pat himself on the back. As mentioned before, he’s leading the series standings, but he’s also on a similar trajectory to Heim a season ago.
Over the first seven races of 2025, Heim had four top fives, six top 10s and a single win at Las Vegas. That’s a similar stat line to Honeycutt’s first seven races of 2026 (four top fives, five top 10s).
Had Honeycutt not been involved in a crash at Bristol involving Heim and Christian Eckes, he would’ve at least scored a sixth top 10, if not his first career win.
Heim didn’t go on what the kids call a “generational run” until the final 18 races of 2025, winning 11 en route to a series title. Interestingly enough, his second triumph of the year came in race No. 8.
Does a win await Honeycutt in race eight of 2026 at Watkins Glen International on Friday (May 8)? In all honesty, probably not. The field features Shane van Gisbergen, Connor Zilisch and Ross Chastain, among others, who will be incredibly tough to beat.
But even if he doesn’t win at Watkins Glen, Dover, or any other Truck race for the rest of 2026, Honeycutt has plenty of reasons to keep his head up.
A member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA), Samuel also covers NASCAR for Yardbarker, Field Level Media, and Heavy Sports. He will attend the University of Arkansas in the fall of 2025.