Kaden Honeycutt picked as Corey Heim replacement at Tricon Garage for 2026 NASCAR season

It is not easy to replace a championship-winning driver who had the most dominant season in the history of the sport. Kaden Honeycutt might be the best option in this situation, though. A lot of good things about this driver and his talent.

Before Honeycutt landed his ride at Niece Motorsports in 2024, part-time, he was taking small teams to top-10 runs. P15 at COTA and P9 at Bristol Dirt in 2023 were genuinely impressive races when you take into account he was in the Roper Racing No. 04. He took Young’s Motorsports to a top-10 at Darlington in that same year, and in Phoenix.

With a couple more years to develop, Kaden Honeuycutt has been more than impressive. His last two races of the season, P2 at Martinsville and P3 at Phoenix, showed that he’s ready to take over the No. 11 truck.

Kaden Honeycutt showed character in 2025 season

Put the Corey Heim stuff aside, and this is a great hire. Tricon Garage knows that they are going to be successful with Kaden Honeycutt. The guy is a winner. At 22 years old, he has the experience of drivers years ahead of him. Not to mention that Snowball Derby win in 2024 showed everyone just what he can do in a stock car on the biggest of stages.

The 2025 season showed the character of Honeycutt. He found himself a better opportunity but left Niece Motorsports on good terms. He then stepped into the No. 52 truck for Halmar Friesen Racing after Stewart Friesen’s injury. Honeycutt then took that team to the Championship 4.

Tricon Garage already knows this, but Honeycutt is a great driver and has a good head on his shoulders. To go through what he did in 2025 and come out better for it, that’s as impressive as any result on the track.

Kaden Honeycutt in the No. 11 means that guys like Layne Riggs and Christian Eckes have to take notice. They aren’t done battling that 11 truck yet, even if the driver is different.