Kaden Honeycutt’s Snowball Derby win a testament to good people, relationships

As is often the case in racing, this came down to the people.

This being Kaden Honeycutt winning the 57th Snowball Derby on Sunday at Five Flags Speedway in the No. 21 owned by Patt Jett and Larry Blount with crew chief Jc Umscheid and the late Jeff Sandlin no doubt watching from somewhere beyond.

Honeycutt was emotional in victory lane, and also within minutes of passing the inspection process that made it official because his mind kept turning to Sandlin, the Strange Oval vendor, who was a friend to everyone but a significant advocate for Honeycutt.

To hear Honeycutt tell the story, Sandlin was the loudest voice in the room telling the ownership tandem to put the young driver in the Cook Electrical Hamke for the Snowball Derby this year prior to passing away on July 30.

“He told Pat and Larry, if they were done fooling around, they needed to put me in the car,” Honeycutt said.

The first time he ever sat in the Jett Motorsports with Larry Blount No. 21 was actually practice day of the 2022 Snowball Derby. He was not entered into the event but agreed to shake down the car until designated driver Corey Heim returned from the NASCAR banquet in Nashville that night.

Heim came back and that was the end of it beyond the two owners remembering that Honeycutt did a good job. And of course, Sandlin, who kept telling them that Honeycutt would win them the race if they gave him the chance.

“And it worked out, can’t you believe it, and I know he was with us today too,” Honeycutt said.

Blount remembers it the same way.

“Absolutely Jeff had recommendations, and then me and Pat would talk about it, and with Kaden, we said, ‘heck yeah,’ and we did it,” Blount said. “In fact, Kaden had driven for us a little bit here and there, practiced my car at the Derby, and just couldn’t figure out a way to get him in the car for the race.

“But he is so good. He is a great driver. I don’t care what kind of car you have, if you don’t have a driver that can drive it, it makes a difference.”

But there were all sorts of other relationships at work with this program too. Honeycutt has known Umscheid since he was five. Umscheid, who is a car chief in the Truck Series at Tricon Garage, has simultaneously guided Honeycutt in his Late Model appearances for much of this decade, including their CARS Pro Late Model Tour championship run.

Umscheid and Honeycutt have a relationship built on no-frills honest and self-accountability. Sometimes, if you listen to them on the radio, it sounds downright snappy.

“He is not very hesitant to put me in check, especially if I say anything that’s stupid,” Honeycutt said. “He has every right to do me the way he does because it leads to moments like this. It creates winners and leads us to amazing moments like this. Hard times come first and good times come after.

“That’s why he does it. He keeps me on track because he believes we can do stuff like this.”

And boy, does Umscheid believe in Honeycutt. Is he as special of a talent as everyone seems completely convicted he is?

“Yes, he is but I have to keep in check,” Umscheid said. “He knows what he wants but I know what he needs and that is a good combination. His dad called me over five years ago and we came here and did the Derby and we should have won the second one, had a good car and broke,

“But I know what he means when he just says its loose. I know how much he means. I know what it means when he says he’s tight. We have that kind of connection. I can lift him up and I can put him down when he needs it and it’s a really good combination.”

Umscheid holds himself just as accountable.

For example, he has taken responsibility for their championship winning Pro Late Model effort that was so stout this week at Pensacola until Saturday.

“As the week went on, I screwed up,” Umscheid said. “I should have left it where it was when we tested. We should have qualified 10th and won the race.”

That’s where Honeycutt saw his turn to pick his friend up.

“I also told him last night too, like, ‘Hey, look, me and you both made that decision together to go with the package we did and it just didn’t work,” Honeycutt said. “We ran good in that car from the moment we got in it and thought that direction was going to be good and it wasn’t.

“It wasn’t all his fault because I supported that decision. But I really appreciate that he’s not scared to try something and can accept that it just didn’t work. I have raced him for so long and that’s honestly the only time I feel like we just missed it badly.”

And again, a reflection of their relationship, as Honeycutt crossed the scales in tech, Umscheid told his driver that he did the opposite of what Honeycutt asked for.

“I laughed and was like ‘no way,’ because it felt the same,” Honeycutt said. “But it goes to show you how good he is.”

Again, Umscheid knows what Honeycutt needs even when it’s different than what he wants.

Honeycutt won the Tom Dawson Trophy in his fifth appearance but actually after a two-year hiatus in the event. Jett Motorsports, which has fielded cars for virtually everyone that has come through the industry in some way over the past two decades, finally claimed the big one too.

Pat Jett said he was speechless after inspection cleared and everything he said supported it, struggling to articulate the feelings through his feelings.

“Dude, I’ve been chasing this for a long time,” Jett said. “I am just numb.”

Jett said he has come to the Derby long enough, and with a wide enough spectrum of drivers and personnel, but he knew Honeycutt and Umscheid were a potential winning ticket after their test day last week.

“When we leave here, I know we got and I knew then what we had together,” he said.

Honeycutt and Umscheid
Sandlin and Honeycutt
Jett and Blount

That last part is another vital relationship that makes all of this work. Blount has raced independently and in recent years raced under the Jett Motorsports umbrella. They are friends, love racing together, and trust each other to put the best product on the track every December.

“He is like my brother, a huge competitor just like me, and that’s why we gel,” Jett said and that was reciprocated too.

“I’m happy for everybody here but especially for me and Pat because we have been friends for a long long time,” Blount said. “I know I have worked a long time but no one puts more heart and soul into this than Pat Jett.

“He is the best guy I know, and I know he’s got a lot of haters out there, but he will give you the shirt off his back and that’s why we’re partners. It takes everybody though and I’m just so thankful that we had this crew and driver to do it.

“Some things went our way and we’re taking home a trophy.”