In 2023, Kaden Honeycutt wasn’t sure if he would continue racing as a professional race car driver. However, his talent caught the eye of former racer Al Niece, and he’s now handed him a full-time ride at Niece Motorsports for 2025. This was a life-changing moment for the young driver. “Before I got connected with Al (Niece) and Cody (Efaw), last year, I thought my career was over.” But, before he could shift his attention to full-time Truck Series racing, he etched his name in the history books by winning the 57th Annual Snowball Derby race.

He had to dig deep and ruffle some feathers to claim the Tom Dawson trophy and $50,000 cash prize. Honeycutt undoubtedly knew that if he wanted to have a shot at winning the race, he needed to make the most of the chaotic restarts. And that is exactly what he did with 21 laps to go in the race. Up front, he knew he had to trade blows with 2024 Truck Series champion Ty Majeski, and boy, it was quite a battle.

Kaden Honeycutt couldn’t contain his excitement after winning the Snowball Derby

Let’s just say the two drivers traded more than just paint off each other’s race cars after Noah Gragson’s spin brought out a late-race restart. On the very first corner, Kaden Honeycutt made a divebomb move, hugging the inside line and shoving Ty Majeski out of his way to take the lead. But Majeski wasn’t going to give up his advantage that easily; he retaliated back and regained his advantage. Both of them roughed each other up and were even, and they decided to race clean thereafter.

However, it was clear the No. 21 car was quicker than the No. 91, and Honeycutt made the transfer on the backstretch. The two cars were side by side coming onto the front stretch, but Honeycutt had speed, which allowed him to steer clear of Ty Majeski. He wasn’t out in the clear just yet, as ARCA Series driver Stephen Nasse was gaining ground on the #21 car, lap after lap.

With 1 to go, Nasse reached the back bumper of Honeycutt and gave it a good go and looked like this would be it. Yet, Another lead change.

But Kaden Honeycutt played smart as he checked up before Nasse could put his bumper to use. The trick worked; Nasse had to hit the brakes while Honeycutt was in the clear to take the checkered flag. Now it’s hard to say if Honeycutt was trying to pull off a Noah Gragson 2.0, but he threw up all over his firesuit. Explaining himself, the 21-year-old stated, “I’ve 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.”

Well, NASCAR fans will prepare themselves to learn more about Honeycutt as he makes his full debut. But some insiders, like Freddie Kraft, already knew about his talents.

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Freddie Kraft congratulates Honeycutt on his historic win

Plenty of talented race car drivers are eager to make their mark on the NASCAR stage. However, very few of them get the opportunity to do so, and Kaden Honeycutt certainly feels he was lucky to get a big break with Niece Motorsports. He was plying his trade in the CARS Tour, where he almost bagged the title in 2021, which was his debut season. But he had to contend with a runner-up position.

Notably, the Truck Series is where he got the much-needed exposure, especially with Niece Motorsports. Despite running on a part-time basis in 2024, Honeycutt featured in 14 races, driving the No. 45 Chevy Silverado truck. With two top-5s and four top-10s, he clearly indicated he can compete for wins if provided with the right opportunity, and he’s bagged that with a full-time run for 2025.

His Snowball Derby win propelled him into the spotlight. For a lot of NASCAR fans, Honeycutt’s rise seems like a surprise, but Bubba Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Kraft, knew about him all along. “Said it multiple times when asked this year, @KadenWHoneycutt is one of the most underrated drivers in NASCAR. The Snowball Derby has launched many drivers into the spotlight. This kid deserves it.” Kraft shared this on X.

It will be interesting to see how Ty Majeski and Honeycutt race each other after today’s back-and-forth. There was nothing malicious between the two, but the Snowball Derby might have sown the seeds of a thrilling rivalry for the 2025 season.