Kaden Honeycutt wins Truck Series finale and 2026 championship

Honeycutt converts conservative strategy into a championship victory

Kaden Honeycutt won the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Race at Homestead-Miami Speedway and captured his first series championship. Driving the No. 11 Tricon Garage Toyota, Honeycutt gained the lead following a restart on Lap 120 of 134 and finished 1.038 seconds ahead of runner-up Christian Eckes. The victory was his fifth of the 2026 season and the fifth of his career.

Honeycutt had led the championship by 20 points entering the race and spent much of the event in the top five without making a serious push for the win. With 27 laps remaining under caution, however, he instructed crew chief Scott Zipadelli to pit for fresh tires. “I say we pit, put ’em on and go for it,” Honeycutt radioed to Zipadelli. His decision delivered the win and the title.

Riggs loses title chance after tire damage

The race had been billed as a showdown between championship leader Honeycutt and Layne Riggs, but Riggs’ challenge ended after contact with pole winner Nick Sanchez on Lap 2. The contact cut Riggs’ right rear tire, and a second shredded tire on Lap 46 caused additional trouble. A pass-through penalty for too many crew members over the wall during a pit stop left Riggs seven laps down; he finished 32nd and ended the season second, 83 points behind Honeycutt.

Riggs said the damage left him unsure what to expect from his No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford. “I thought I was good,” he said. “Next thing I knew, we got a tire down.” He also acknowledged that the team had needed an almost perfect race to win the championship.

Toyota secures another drivers’ championship

Honeycutt’s title was Toyota’s 11th in the Truck Series. He drove the same No. 11 Tricon Garage Toyota with which Corey Heim won a single-season-record 12 races and the championship in 2025. Zipadelli earned his second consecutive championship as a crew chief after guiding Heim to the previous title.

Daniel Hemric finished third for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, followed by Ty Majeski and Stewart Friesen. Heim won both stages but finished sixth. He had entered only nine of the 25 races and scored three victories while finishing 17th in the standings.

Final standings and remaining watch points

The next verifiable result is the completed championship standings. Riggs finished 83 points behind Honeycutt, while Chandler Smith finished third. The race also established Honeycutt as the season’s victory leader with five wins, ahead of Heim’s three despite Heim’s limited schedule.