The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday (June 6) was the second time this season that Kaden Honeycutt let a teammate slap him around as they fought for the win.
He came out on the losing end of both races.
At Rockingham Speedway on April 3, Honeycutt lost to Corey Heim after another TRICON Garage driver, Tanner Gray, impeded his progress on the final lap. That finish was a more “classic” sequence: a lapped vehicle unintentionally getting involved in the fight for the win that just so happened to be a team truck.
But Saturday’s final lap at Michigan was not. Going into turn 1 on the race’s final circuit, Heim moved Honeycutt up the track, blocking him as he tried to make a move to Heim’s right-rear.
For the second time this year, Honeycutt was stymied by a driver who isn’t racing for the championship.
“Thank God it was a company truck, because I wouldn’t have lifted in that situation,” Honeycutt said. “Just sucks. I’ve given so many away this year.”
Honeycutt’s self-deprecating nature shone through in that interview, as did the fire in his belly to win. Heim didn’t care about how the move looked.
“Just get thicker skin and deal with it,” Heim said. “That’s honestly my advice to him.”
Heim’s words may come across as shallow, but it’s hard to say he’s not correct. Honeycutt is immensely talented as has cemented himself as one of two true Truck Series contenders in 2026, but he’s also lost two races because he didn’t play as rough as Heim did.
Heim is not a full-time Truck Series driver. He’s not chasing a championship, nor is he auditioning for another ride, given that he’s signed a deal to go Cup racing with 23XI Racing next season.
Yes, he is a TRICON teammate to Honeycutt. But he also raced him similarly at Rockingham and has now denied him two victories that would have him tied with Layne Riggs for the series lead.
Heim reportedly has two Truck Series races left this season. It’s not outrageous to think he and Honeycutt could race for the win in both of those. But regardless of who Honeycutt is racing for the rest of the season, he ought to take notes from how Heim raced him.
What Honeycutt seems to be missing — perhaps the only thing he is missing — is a killer instinct and the ability to be ruthless when a win is on the table.
Ruthlessness is not always necessary. Nor is over-aggression. A clean race for the win between two drivers is a thing of beauty.
But in the rough and tumble world of modern NASCAR, especially the Truck Series, winning races takes the ability to tear up some sheet metal without climbing out of your vehicle with the weight of the world in guilt on your shoulders. Had Honeycutt driven Heim similarly and not backed down at either Rockingham or Michigan when driven aggressively, he could have an extra win or two in the bank.
Sure, Heim might’ve been ticked, and understandably so. But there’s little to lose in Honeycutt’s situation and everything to gain.
He’s an uber-talented racer who seems destined to one day race in the Cup Series, where an aforementioned killer instinct is even more valuable. Tepidity is valuable to an extent, but it won’t win you many races.
To quote Frank Underwood from “House of Cards”: “If you don’t like how the table is set, turn over the table.”
I’m not suggesting that Honeycutt needs to go out and right-rear hook everyone who looks at him sideways or that he needs to turn into Dale Earnhardt. But what he should strive to do is to find a little more aggression when the chips are down.
Honeycutt will be racing for wins for the rest of the season. He’ll be racing for the championship at season’s end.
But at the end of the day, if he doesn’t at least take a leaf out of Heim’s book, it’ll be a sign to the field that there are few repercussions to knocking the Truck Series title favorite out of the way and into the wall.
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.
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