Kaden Honeycutt takes clean victory at Phoenix, extends championship lead

Kaden Honeycutt secured his fourth victory of the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series on Friday at Phoenix Raceway, where the competition remained largely incident‑free. Only brief cautions occurred during Stage 1 and a debris alert in Stage 2.

The win extended Honeycutt’s points lead, putting him 39 points ahead of rival Layne Riggs, who finished third. Christian Eckes took second place, marking his third consecutive runner‑up finish.

“My pit crew did a great job, man,” Honeycutt said. “I credit them entirely for this win. This is amazing—finally winning at Phoenix! I can’t say enough about crew chief Scott Zipadelli and the whole team: David, Tim, Chuck, Adam, Cube, and everyone else who works so hard on these trucks. I’m fortunate to drive for Toyota Racing and TRICON, and I’m incredibly grateful for their support and dedication. It’s an incredible feeling.”

Kaden Honeycutt, No. 11 TRICON Garage

Photo by: Meg Oliphant / Getty Images

Honeycutt also unveiled a new tradition, pledging to donate a helmet to a different young fan after each race victory.

Ty Majeski, who won both Stage 1 and Stage 2, finished fourth, while Jake Garcia completed the top five. The remainder of the top ten included William Sawalich, Daniel Hemric, Gio Ruggiero, Grant Enfinger, and Brent Crews.

Stages 1 and 2

Layne Riggs seized an early three‑second lead at the start, while Dawson Sutton received a penalty for a breach of the starting procedure.

Ty Majeski advanced to second and began closing the gap to Riggs. After a close contest that involved a lapped truck, Majeski edged out Riggs to claim Stage 1.

The final order for Stage 1 was Majeski, Riggs, Landen Lewis, Honeycutt, Chandler Smith, Christian Eckes, Ben Rhodes, Tanner Gray, Gio Ruggiero, and Jake Garcia.

Riggs fell behind championship contender Honeycutt on pit road, but Majeski preserved his lead. During the restart, Majeski kept Honeycutt at bay to retain the advantage.

Tanner Gray was forced into an unscheduled pit stop to repair damage and a tire rub.

A caution flew on the final lap of the stage, prompted by a tire carcass from Ben Rhodes that had entered the racing surface.

Majeski secured Stage 2 under the caution, with Honeycutt, Christian Eckes, Layne Riggs, Jake Garcia, Gio Ruggiero, Chandler Smith, Daniel Hemric, Landen Lewis, and William Sawalich completing the top nine.

Stage 3

Stewart Friesen took just two tires, giving him the race lead for the subsequent restart.

Landen Lewis dropped significant track position on pit road while the team diagnosed a mechanical issue, and Chandler Smith was penalized to the rear for exceeding the allowed number of crew members over the wall. The crew also aimed to repair a nose hole.

On the restart, Majeski was hindered by Friesen restarting directly ahead, which allowed Honeycutt to assume the lead with Eckes close behind.

The field struggled to close the gap to Honeycutt, never managing to get within a second of his lead despite their efforts.

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