All roads lead to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. At least they do for Kaden Honeycutt, who once again proved his versatility behind the wheel at the Snowball Derby. After posting an impressive qualifying effort and starting 2nd, Honeycutt saw all the pieces fall into place. Posing with a Tom Dawson trophy was only the latest in the stud’s Late Model wins. This drew the attention and admiration of his future Truck Series rival – Rajah Caruth.

Craftsman Truck star and Bubba Wallace mentee, Carson Hocevar, made a big impact this year. He won from the pole in Las Vegas, clinched 12 top-tens and 5 top-fives, and finished 7th on the point standings. Despite his soaring ambitions, Caruth understands that a tough rival will race at his side next season.

Rajah Caruth tips his hat to future rival

The Willow Park, Texas native, has tasted eclectic forms of success. Kaden Honeycutt’s achievements range from dirt late model wins in his home state to finding Victory Lane twice with the ARCA Menards Series West. Following his 2023 Truck Series start, Honeycutt earned two top-fives and five top-tens in ten starts at NASCAR’s third tier with Niece Motorsports. So Rajah Caruth, Hendrick Motorsports’ Truck star, took notice of Honeycutt’s latest feather in his cap. The 21-year-old driver gave the 2024 Truck champion a hard time at the Derby. He exchanged several bump-and-runs with Ty Majeski. Eventually, the latter gave in with 18 laps to go, and Honeycutt prevailed, cashing in $50,000 in prize money.

A hard-charging Stephen Nasse was a powerful obstacle as he climbed from 30th place. However, despite making a last-ditch effort on the last lap, Nasse could not overpower Honeycutt due to lack of time. The latter scored the 57th Snowball Derby win, his first at the Five Flags Speedway track.

And this remarkable speed made some jaws drop – including Bubba Wallace’s mentee. Rajah Caruth posted gleefully on X, hyping up his future rival: “AWESOME AWESOME @KadenWHoneycutt earned that.” He added his excitement for the 2025 Truck season as well. “@NASCAR_Trucks will be so competitive in 2025!”

Kaden Honeycutt‘s win came after years of effort at the Snowball Derby. The best of these appearances was in 2020 when Honeycutt qualified on the outside pole and led 26 laps before finishing 5th. Following that, he acclimatized himself to the 30-car field and ultimately won.

“I can’t believe it,” Honeycutt said in victory lane. “I never won a Super Late Model race until today. I threw up a little bit but it’s just from me being excited. Man, this is unbelievable. I can’t believe it.”

 No wonder Rajah Caruth is eagerly waiting to compete with this young speedster. His Truck Series resume is already shiny – he picked up three top 10s with three different teams last year. This spells an ability to outperform his equipment or any potential limiting factor. And Honeycutt’s Snowball win also demonstrated this valuable versatility.

Taking advantage of the weakness

Trending

HMS Legend’s Demise Has Emotional Jeff Gordon Echoing Rick Hendrick’s Humble Admission

Dale Jr’s Iconic Return With $101 Billion Partner, Outshines Kyle Larson & Chase Elliott

87-YO Richard ‘The King’ Petty on Cloud Nine, Blessed With 2 New Family Members

Despite Ditching Kyle Busch, NASCAR Driver Redeemed by Chevrolet

“How Sad & Angry I Was”: Jimmie Johnson Discloses Unwanted Emotions Before Equalling Richard Petty & Dale Earnhardt

There was a twist to the 2024 Snowball Derby race. Hoosier, the event’s tire provider, decided to put teams on ST3’s right sides, alongside the ST1’s left sides. A resounding echo of appreciation was heard among drivers, who claimed Hoosier brought quality and consistency. However, defending race winner Ty Majeski did not feel that was the case. After leading 192 laps, his No. 91 car faded – and crew chief Toby Nuttleman claimed Hoosier was the culprit. Yet Kaden Honeycutt used this caveat to his advantage and thundered forward from his runner-up spot. He held off a strong Stephen Nasse and stuck to the lead till the end.

Moreover, Rajah Caruth’s object of admiration was enthusiastic about Hoosier’s tires as well. Before the race began, he claimed the tire felt like the Hoosier F50, which was its baseline. “I think from a longevity standpoint, it will be better falloff-wise,” Honeycutt said.

He continued, “I actually think there’s going to be good cars on the short run and good cars on the long run, giving us the comers and goers compared to the old tire. I’m excited for that if that materializes.” After setting a stellar time of 16.203 seconds during qualifying, Honeycutt waited patiently to see if the lap would hold until the final car. And it did, as the pieces fell in place for his maiden Snowball victory.

Evidently, Honeycutt made the most out of whatever he had. No wonder Rajah Caruth is making a note of his upcoming rival in the Truck Series.