SOUTH BOSTON, Va. — Versatility has long defined Kaden Honeycutt’s career.
No matter the car, whether at the top levels of NASCAR or a local short track, Honeycutt usually finds a way to mix it up with the leaders in the closing stages. That quality solidified Honeycutt as one of the best young racing prospects in the country and earned him the trust of numerous Late Model Stock operations.
Among them is Kenneth Packer, who fields a team named after his late stepdad and stock car legend Tom Usry. During his time driving the Tom Usry Racing No. 17, Honeycutt found a rhythm around South Boston Speedway, visiting Victory Lane in his two most recent ventures to the complex.
On Saturday evening, Honeycutt prevailed in South Boston’s most cherished event: the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200. Being so dominant with a blue-collar program like Tom Usry Racing is what made the moment so special.
“I think it means more to my race team than me,” Honeycutt said. “We don’t really have any full-time guys that come and have the same routine. I’m proud of our adaptation and the way we’ve been able to show up every weekend and be consistent. That’s one of the things we’re really good at right now.”
Third times the charm! 🙌
In his third attempt, @KadenWHoneycutt wins the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 at @SoBoSpeedway57! pic.twitter.com/xJwAaMlzdj
– NASCAR Regional (@NASCARRegional) June 27, 2026
The chemistry Honeycutt developed with Tom Usry Racing since joining the team at the end of 2023 has made them a perennial contender every time they show up. Winning has proven arduous against talented Late Model Stock fields, but Honeycutt always knew he could find Victory Lane carrying Tom Usry’s colors.
That faith was one significant factor behind the most herculean milestone of Honeycutt’s career back in May.
After earning his first ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series wins at Watkins Glen International that Friday, Honeycutt made the short flight to Ace Speedway for a CARS Tour doubleheader Saturday evening. The result was a clean sweep of the weekend, with the last victory coming in Usry’s No. 17.
Being so diverse behind the wheel dates to Honeycutt’s formative years on dirt tracks in his home state of Texas. Honeycutt always knew that acquiring knowledge about several different disciplines would be beneficial; he just never imagined it would lead to four wins in one weekend or short-track crown jewels.
“I’ve been so fortunate enough to do this for a while,” Honeycutt said “I never really thought I’d have a career in doing this. Growing up with my dad in our shop doing dirt racing, I never thought we’d really be up to this point. I really need to call and talk to him.”
Now fully embedded in Toyota Racing Development as a full-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver, Honeycutt cherishes every opportunity to go back to his Late Model Stock roots. Those chances will decrease as he progresses up the ladder with fewer off weekends, so Honeycutt wants to win as much as he can in the discipline right now.
Everything lined up perfectly for Honeycutt to claim another Late Model Stock victory in the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200. He set the quickest time in two of the practice sessions Saturday and took control of the feature from polesitter Landen Lewis on the 13th lap after starting third.
Honeycutt’s versatile nature contributed to his dominance Saturday. By utilizing his dirt-track experience, Honeycutt consistently found grip around South Boston’s dynamic surface, something that paid dividends when it came time to negotiate slower traffic.
“[South Boston] is so much like a dirt track,” Honeycutt said. “[The groove] moved from the apron to the top, and you were able to move up and really search around for some grip. Lappers were definitely not easy, and they were hard to pass for sure. I had to use a little bit of bodywork, and I didn’t want to do that, but it was a matter of winning the race or not.
“Being able to run the pit wall and go up to the top is what’s so cool about this place.”
Despite enjoying a near-perfect outing at South Boston, the lapped traffic slowed Honeycutt down just enough to bring 2023 Virginia Late Model Triple Crown winner Trevor Ward into the mix. Ward gradually chipped away at Honeycutt’s advantage over a caution-free final 100 laps before finally getting within a half-second deficit.
Unfortunately for Ward, the checkered flag waved before he could make a significant run for the lead. The Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 still proved auspicious towards Ward’s chances of earning a second Virginia Triple Crown, though he wished more time was on his side for him to claim South Boston’s crown jewel for himself.
“We got a little bit of a bad start on the race by qualifying 13th,” Ward said. “We had some work to do for sure, but this was a testament of what these guys are capable of doing at Trevor Ward Motorsports. I never would have thought it would have gone 100 laps green at the end. I was really looking forward to that caution, but unfortunately we came up one spot short.”
“I really believe we just needed 10 more laps to be honest.”
If a caution did come out in the closing stages, Honeycutt knew he would have to exert every bit of energy left to fend off Ward, who is a South Boston track regular. Honeycutt also felt he was at a disadvantage with how much Ward had conserved his equipment earlier in the run, which put more emphasis on him dealing with lapped cars methodically but efficiently.
No yellow flag ever waved, allowing Honeycutt to keep Ward in his rearview mirror and finish off another South Boston victory.
“I was trying to stay major focused, wrap my line as much as possible and find the grip I needed to finish off those 10 [laps],” Honeycutt said. “I think I just burned it up a little too much that last 100 [laps]. I think Ward did a better job keeping [the tires] cool, and I went after it a little too hard and didn’t lift early enough. Got a little discipline to work on for myself.”
The Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200 is now another milestone on an impressive stock car resumé for Honeycutt. He guided MMI Racing to an owner’s championship in the ARCA Menards Series West back in 2023 and claimed the prestigious Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway the following year.
Honeycutt is not ruling out chasing the second leg of the Virginia Triple Crown in the Hampton Heat at Langley Speedway, but he is going to deliberate with Packer before deciding. Since there is a Truck Series race on the Friday of the Hampton Heat, Honeycutt would only be at the track on Saturday, something he considers a difficult-but-manageable setback.
While Honeycutt does not explicitly consider him and Tom Usry Racing underdogs, he does believe the team embodies that mindset. They were tasked with going up against powerhouse teams and South Boston regulars in the track’s crown jewel event, defeating them all in convincing fashion.
Doing so much with minimal resources is what Honeycutt enjoys the most about driving for Tom Usry Racing. No minute is wasted in the shop getting the Usry-inspired No. 17 ready, and that effort continues to be rewarded on race day.
Honeycutt never got the chance to meet Usry before he passed in 2009 but has heard plenty of stories from Packer about his adventures in motorsports. Based on that knowledge, Honeycutt knows Usry would be proud of everything the team named after him has accomplished.
“I think Tom [Usry] would definitely be doing a little better than I am,” Honeycutt said. “He was unbelievable back in the day. We’re small, [Kenneth Packer] and Josh [Yeoman] work full-time on it. Kenneth loves this stuff, and I think that’s why I’m so happy. [He and Yeoman] get what they need to be successful.
“For us as a race team, [the Thunder Road Harley-Davidson 200] ranks number one.”
Honeycutt is only 23 with a long career ahead, yet his impact on racing is already indelible. Tallying another victory Saturday amidst a hectic-but-successful 2026 served to reinforce Honeycutt’s strongest trait: He can win in any car at any level.