Kaden Honeycutt claimed both a major win at North Wilkesboro Speedway and the CARS Tour Pro Late Model championship as a result, but there were two moments where it looked like he would get neither.
Honeycutt would dominate, leading the most laps. Late in the race, however, Tristan McKee would run him down, and almost end his title dreams. McKee would use the bumper on Honeycutt, sending him all the way up the track and nearly into the wall in turns three and four. A caution would fall, and Honeycutt lined up right behind McKee, with Gio Ruggiero to his inside. Then going into turn one, his championship hopes would flash before his eyes again.
Ruggiero would get sent into the door of Honeycutt, then dive past him and make contact with McKee. Both Ruggiero and McKee would crash right in front of Honeycutt, who was able to narrowly avoid getting involved. He would regain the lead for the ensuing restart, holding on to get one of his biggest wins in his career, netting him a ride on the lift and his first ever championship.
“The second crash I was [just] trying to get away from them. I went into one, I think Gio got knocked out by the 67 and hit me in the left front. I’m not sure what happened [to cause] them to wreck. When I saw it happen they hit once, they were sideways, and I was like ‘Do I keep driving through it or not?’ I decided to slow down and try to get out of the way and they overcorrected into the wall.”
As far as his thoughts on how he was raced by McKee, Honeycutt had this to say.
“Stuff like that comes back [around] really fast. He’s going to have to learn pretty quick that you just can’t race that way and expect it not to bite you eventually. That’s why I really commend T.J. Deciare for racing me clean at the end. He definitely could have hit me out of the way to win at [North] Wilkesboro, I mean who wouldn’t? He will go a long way.”
Honeycutt was ecstatic to not only win at North Wilkesboro, but to seal the deal and win the championship as well. Kaden was overcome with emotion in victory lane; tears rolling for the Willow Park, TX driver. He would also almost faceplant onto the concrete while celebrating on the door of the car
“I was so excited. Winning at [North] Wilkesboro and the championship at the same time just got to me all at once. You don’t ever get that feeling. I haven’t really had that feeling in a long time. It’s really cool”
Then the other side of the coin. Spencer Davis entered with the points lead, but would leave heartbroken. While attempting to pass T.J. Deciare in turn 1, he would wash up into the door of the 15, damaging the 29 badly enough to bring him to a stop. Davis would fall three laps down after the incident, and finished two down.
“Can’t beat those that don’t want to be beat[en]. They got what they wanted. We held our heads high and came home second in points.”
There was a silver lining for Davis though. Since Honeycutt moved teams halfway through the year, Spencer Davis Motorsports and the 29 team win the 2024 owner’s championship.
“I wanted to win both, that’s what we came here to do, that’s what the highlights are on. It is what it is.”
There was a moment of controversy for Davis during the race, as it appeared he threw his water bottle out of the car in an attempt to draw the caution.
“[We were] two laps down trying to drink some water, [it] flew out of my hands,” Davis said regarding what happened. “Shit happens man.”
CARS Pro Late Model zMAX 100
North Wilkesboro Speedway
October 19 2024
- Kaden Honeycutt
- T.J. DeCaire
- Cameron Bolin
- Jimmy Renfrew Jr.
- Max Reaves
- Travis Braden
- Hudson Bulger
- Tyler Tanner
- Dylan Garner
- Joshua Horniman
- Caden Kvapil
- Terri Crider
- Dusty Garus
- Spencer Davis
- Tristan McKee
- Giovanni Ruggiero
- Edward Cheslak
- Tate Fogleman
- Tim Sozio
- Lanie Buice
- Daniel Webster
- Brandon Lopez
- Logan Jones
- Nathan Gregg
