Downed beer and all, Kaden Honeycutt basks in glow of first NASCAR Truck win

Honeycutt certainly earned the beverage after holding off one of the best road course racers in NASCAR over the final two laps en route to his first career win. 

"Going toe-to-toe with [Zilisch] on that last restart, I was just trying to get to his right and just stay there as much as I could," Honeycutt said. "It was really awesome. Just shows how good our truck really was all day."

What win means for Kaden Honeycutt

The win is even more special for Honeycutt, given the pressure that was placed on him, perhaps unfairly, going into the season. Honeycutt took over the No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota Tundra that Corey Heim drove to 12 wins and the championship in 2025.

That pressure was somewhat evident at Texas on May 1, where a frustrated Honeycutt said that he needed to learn how to win after finishing third. There was a sentiment of self-deprecation around the 23-year-old driver. 

Even after his first career win, Honeycutt's modesty is still there, as evidenced by his answer when asked if he could be considered one of the top prospects in the sport.

"I think I need to win a little bit more to do that," Honeycutt said. "There's a couple races this year I've [given] away just not doing the right things. Coming to that last restart, I think I was in a mood of, 'I'm tired of giving these races up. It's time to win.' I grit my teeth and got after it. I did not want to lose again."

Friday was a banner day — and one that ended with a crisp, cold and foamy celebration — for Honeycutt, who also won the ARCA Menards Series race at Watkins Glen earlier Friday and extended his lead in the Truck Series standings to 29 points over second-place Chandler Smith.

Quotes provided by NASCAR Media.