Kaden Honeycutt - North Carolina Education Lottery 200 Race Preview
Race: North Carolina Education Lottery 200 (134 laps / 201 miles) | Race 11 of 23
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway
Location: Concord, North Carolina
Date & Time: Friday, May 24th | 8:30 PM ET
Tune-In: FOX Sports 1 | Motor Racing Network (MRN) | Sirius XM Ch. 90
No. 45 R.D.C. Shoe Company Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Kaden Honeycutt | Crew Chief: Phil Gould
- Honeycutt Returns: After stepping out of the No. 45 Chevrolet for the past two races with Ross Chastain taking over the driving duties, Kaden Honeycutt returns to make his fifth start of the season for Niece Motorsports. In Honeycutt's last race at Kansas Speedway, he earned his best-career finish with a fourth-place result.
- Honeycutt's Charlotte Stats: Kaden Honeycutt will make his first-career start at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Friday's North Carolina Education Lottery 200.
- Gould's Charlotte Stats: Phil Gould has two top-fives and four top-10 finishes in a total of five Truck Series starts at Charlotte. Gould's personal-best result came in 2021 when Carson Hocevar finished in the runner-up spot, and last year, his team finished fourth. In 11 Xfinity Series races, Gould has one top-five and four top-10s with a best run of fifth (Brian Scott; Spring, 2014).
- On the Truck: Honeycutt's No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado RST will race with support from R.D.C. Shoe Company. R.D.C. is owned by a disabled United States Marine Corps veteran who sells patriotic-designed tennis shoes to support Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, as well as foundations that support military heroes. In every box of shoes, a Medal of Honor recipient card is placed in the box that tells the story of that recipient.
- Family Ties to the Military: Kaden's family has plenty of ties to the military. His paternal grandfather, Jimmy Honeycutt, served in the U.S. Air Force, and his maternal grandfather, Douglas Brown, along with his uncle, Kevin Honeycutt, both served in the U.S. Army.
- Tune-In: Honeycutt and team owner, Al Niece, will be featured in a pre-race interview during the showing of the NASCAR Race Day show on FS1 at approximately 8:15 PM ET before the race.
- Recapping North Wilkesboro: Ross Chastain and the No. 45 team experienced a rear gear pinion failure in the practice session on Friday afternoon, but the crew was able to make repairs and prep for the race. As the rain canceled qualifying, Chastain was slated to start the highest of the Niece Motorsports drivers in third. Chastain fought for the lead in stage one, but later dropped to 11th with varying strategies. The loss of track position hurt the No. 45 team, and they dropped to 19th at the end of stage two. A late pit stop helped the team gain some positions to finish in 15th place.
- Points Rundown: Despite running only a partial schedule, Kaden Honeycutt has stayed inside the top-25 in the driver points standings with only four starts. He currently sits in 23rd position, 11 points behind Mason Massey in 22nd.
- Owner Points Outlook: The No. 45 Niece Motorsports team dropped two positions in the owner points this week following their 15th-place finish in North Wilkesboro. Now shown in ninth, the team is eight points behind the No. 71 Spire Motorsports team. They are locked into the owner Playoffs by virtue of Ross Chastain's victory in Darlington.
- Quoting Honeycutt: How much of a benefit has it been to lean off Ross Chastain over the past two weeks that you haven't raced?
“I definitely have learned a lot from Ross. Him and I have had some great conversations that help validate why the truck handles a certain way. I haven’t raced at Charlotte before, but I know that our truck is going to be good. It’s the same one we raced with at Kansas, and Phil and the guys have been really good here the last three years, so it’s up to me to learn how to go fast out there. I need to be able to give the right info we need to make the right adjustments and have a shot to win it.”
- Quoting Gould: Why is Kaden's versatility in racing different vehicles so important in the Truck Series?
“I think that definitely helps him. He studies a lot, and he’s always in the game. Really, he’s fast in anything he drives, so I don’t expect Charlotte to be any different. I’ve always thought that Charlotte has ben really similar to Darlington, and we’ve had a good history there. Our setup should be good, and I think he’ll be quick at adapting to it, so hopefully he can go out there on Friday night and have a good run.”
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 R.D.C. Shoe Company: R.D.C. Shoe Company is a disabled veteran-owned company that produces and sells patriotic tennis shoes. Founded after the September 11th attacks in 2001, R.D.C. was created to bring patriotism to consumers by offering uniquely-designed shoes draped in the stars and stripes of the American flag. Every purchase arrives in a commemorative shoe box accompanied with a card that tells the story of a Medal of Honor recipient. A portion of all sales proceeds is given back to charitable organizations that support the families of fallen soldiers. These organizations include the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, the Woody Williams Foundation, Wreaths Across America, Special Operations Wounded Warriors, Warrior Rising, Folds of Honor, and Ree Medical. To learn more, please visit www.RDCShoes.com.