Niece Motorsports announced Monday that Kaden Honeycutt has been released as the driver of its No. 45 Chevrolet in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, saying that the driver had signed with a different team and manufacturer for 2026.
In a statement, the Al Niece-owned organization indicated that Xfinity Series regular Connor Zilisch will drive the No. 45 Chevy in Friday’s Truck Series race at Watkins Glen International (5 p.m. ET, FS1, NASCAR Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The team also said that Bayley Currey will pick up driving duties in the No. 45 entry for the final eight Truck Series races of the season.
RELATED: Craftsman Truck Series standings | Weekend schedule: Watkins Glen
The dismissal is a jarring personnel move considering Honeycutt’s stature in the Craftsman Truck Series standings with just two races left in the regular season. The 22-year-old driver ranks sixth in the points, and he holds ninth place in the provisional playoff picture — 73 points above the elimination line and in prime position to secure one of the series’ 10 postseason berths.
Honeycutt released his own statement later Monday, expressing his appreciation to the Niece team for their time together and saying that he intended to keep his bid for playoff eligibility alive.
“I would like to thank Niece Motorsports, specifically Al Niece, Cody Efaw and Phil Gould, as well as Josh Morris with DQS and Jason Wilson with Precision Vehicle Logistics, for the opportunity to drive the No. 45 Chevrolet in 2025,” Honeycutt’s statement read. “My plan is to continue to contend for race wins and position myself to make the playoffs this season. I look forward to sharing my plans for the remainder of 2025 and beyond in the near future.”
In its statement, Niece did not specify Honeycutt’s destination for next season, but said that “making this change allows our team the opportunity to begin building for next year.”
Honeycutt had recorded two top-five finishes and nine top-10 results this season. He had also made starts for Niece Motorsports in partial Truck Series campaigns the last two years.
Niece Motorsports said that Phil Gould will remain crew chief for the No. 45 team, indicating that no other personnel changes had occurred.
Honeycutt is a multiple-time winner in CARS Tour competition, claiming the Pro Late Model championship last season for the first time. He also scored a prestigious Super Late Model triumph in the Snowball Derby last December.
With the substitution, Zilisch will run triple duty this weekend at Watkins Glen. In six career Truck Series starts (all coming in 2024), Zilisch has logged one top-five finish. Currey, meanwhile, has tallied eight Truck Series starts this season in the No. 44 Niece Chevrolet, logging one top five and three top-10 finishes.