Kaden Honeycutt - NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Championship Race Preview
Race: NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Championship (150 laps / 150 miles) | Race 23 of 23
Track: Phoenix Raceway
Location: Avondale, Arizona
Date & Time: Friday, November 8th | 8:00 PM ET
Tune-In: FOX Sports 1 | Motor Racing Network (MRN) | Sirius XM Ch. 90
No. 45 AutoVentive / Precision Vehicle Logistics Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Kaden Honeycutt | Crew Chief: Phil Gould
- Honeycutt's Phoenix Stats: Kaden Honeycutt has made two prior NCTS starts at Phoenix Raceway, resulting in two top-10 finishes. In 2022, Honeycutt finished ninth, and last year, he bested that result with an eighth-place run. He has also made one ARCA Menards Series West start at this track, finishing ninth in last year's season finale.
- Gould's Phoenix Stats: Phil Gould has called five NCTS races at Phoenix Raceway since joining Niece Motorsports in 2019. Gould is responsible for all three of the team's top-10 finishes, including two ninth-place results as his personal best. In 12 NXS starts atop the pit box, Gould secured four top-10s with a best run of sixth in fall, 2016 with Ryan Reed.
- On the Truck: Honeycutt's No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from AutoVentive and Precision Vehicle Logistics.
- Recapping Martinsville: Kaden Honeycutt and the No. 45 team had their promising night cut short due to a tire failure at Martinsville Speedway. Honeycutt qualified ninth and secured two top-10 stage finishes (seventh and ninth, respectively). However, during the closing laps of the race, the right front tire's bead melted resulting in a hard crash in turn one. The Moore's Venture Foods team finished 33rd in the penultimate race of the season.
- Double Duty: Before the Truck Series race, Honeycutt will compete in the season finale for the ARCA Menards Series West driving the No. 23 Chevrolet SS for Sigma Performance Services. Honeycutt is a two-time winner in ARCA West, having won at All American Speedway and Madera Speedway in 2023.
- Owner Points Outlook: Entering the season finale, the Niece Motorsports No. 45 team sits 10th in the owner points standings. The team is just 12 points behind Spire Motorsports' No. 7 team in ninth.
- Quoting Honeycutt: With two top-10s in two starts, why do you tend to run so well here?
“I’m not really sure, but I think Phoenix has just been a really good track for me personally the last couple years for whatever reason. I feel like I have gotten much better at the track. We have always finished well no matter what happens at the end of it. It usually tends to be really crazy, and if you stay out the mess, you can almost bank on a good finish. We are going to focus on trying to win the race like we always do. It’s the last race of the year, but that doesn’t mean we are just going to go overkill on everyone. We are still going to see if we can win the race the right way without messing anything up. So that way next year, we get the same respect going into Phoenix if we are in that situation.”
- Quoting Gould: Do you view this race as a test heading into the offseason for next year?
“I mean, if we can end the year on a high note, that always helps the offseason for us. I think the biggest thing on my mind is building our notebook for next time we come here. Obviously, with Kaden running full-time next year, the goal is for us to be in position to be in the Championship 4 the next time we race here, so if we can figure some things out and have a good run, that’ll help us.”
About Niece Motorsports: Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2024, Niece Motorsports enters its ninth season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as X @NieceMotorsport.
About AutoVentive: AutoVentive is an industry-leading Software as a Service (SaaS) applications developer providing customized solutions to the automotive logistics industry. The company is part of Liberty Hill Equity Partners, LLC, a Cincinnati-based private equity firm.
About Precision Vehicle Logistics: Precision Vehicle Logistics is a customer-focused group of professionals committed to service excellence in finished vehicle logistics. Precision offers a unique combination of talented experience, industry-leading software and systems, and a network of partners and resources to deliver customized solutions to the world’s leading automakers.
