Kaden Honeycutt beats NASCAR Cup Series stars to emerge victorious in the Snowball Derby

Kaden Honeycutt has emerged victorious in the prestigious Snowball Derby race at Five Flags Speedway. Honeycutt beat NASCAR Cup Series stars like Noah Gragson and David Gilliland to earn $50,000 and the super late model bragging rights.

Honeycutt is a 21-year-old professional stock car racing driver who previously ran a part-time schedule in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Ahead of a full-time drive next year, he won the 300-lap Snowball Derby for the first time in his racing career.

During the 57th Annual Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway, Kaden Honeycutt started the race second behind two-time event winner Ty Majeski. The two Truck Series drivers exchanged leads until Honeycutt held it with 18 laps remaining.

With five laps remaining, the Texas native defended the lead from the charging Stephen Nasse. While his fellow competitor closed the gap, the No. 21 pilot crossed the line first to win the race and bring home the Tom Dawson trophy.

As mentioned, the winner gets a $50,000 prize, with the first and second-runner-ups earning $25,000 and $12,500, respectively.

Kaden Honeycutt, Stephen Nasse, and Ty Majeski finished in the top three.

Meanwhile, NASCAR Cup Series driver Noah Gragson finished 19th after starting 28th around the half-mile track. David Gilliland, who had over 330 starts in the premier series, had a P26 finish after starting in P12.

For the 2025 Truck Series season, Kaden Honeycutt will drive the No. 45 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado full-time. It will mark the young driver's full rookie season in NASCAR.

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Kaden Honeycutt reacts to full-time promotion in Truck Series for 2025

Last October, Kaden Honeycutt made his feelings known about driving full-time in the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Honeycutt was grateful for the opportunity and felt optimistic after a strong part-time run this year.

In a statement, the 21-year-old driver said:

“I can’t even begin to explain how much this opportunity means to me."

Honeycutt admitted losing hope in his racing career last year. However, Niece Motorsports took him in, giving him the confidence to continue racing for wins.

“We’ve had some good runs this year, and I know what our team is capable of. Heading into 2025, I really think we'll have a great shot at competing at a high level on a weekly basis. I can’t say thank you enough to Al, Cody, and everyone at Chevrolet for this. It’s going to be a great year together," Honeycutt added.

During the 2024 season, the Texan scored two top-five finishes in the No. 45 Chevrolet truck. He bagged two P4 finishes in two different races at Kansas Speedway (Heart of America 200 and Kubota Tractor 200).

Moreover, the driver had six top-10 finishes including a P7 in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway. He only had two DNFs in 14 starts.

Kaden Honeycutt had a part-time schedule in the No. 45 Chevy this year - Source: Imagn

Honeycutt will run it back in the No. 45 Chevy for the Mooresville-based outfit next season. He will drive alongside teammate Matt Mills who will pilot the No. 42 truck.