Teammates in NASCAR are supposed to have each other’s backs on the track. Drafting down the straights, throwing a timely block, even giving up a position when it matters most. Now, that’s all part of the playbook when a win or a championship is on the line. And we have had countless examples of that throughout the history of the sport. But every now and then, that unspoken code breaks down. And for one rising contender, what should’ve been a race-winning moment turned into a frustrating lesson in how quickly loyalty can disappear at the Rockingham Truck NASCAR race.
Teammates clash at Rockingham NASCAR race
“I don’t really know what I should have done differently to win the race. I feel like it’s so narrow down there I couldn’t have ran in my teammate and just been punting him out of the way. But yeah, it’s just definitely unfortunate that we cant get the win there, but it’s awesome that we’re keep on climbing.”
That was Kaden Honeycutt trying to make sense of a NASCAR race that slipped through his fingers in the closing laps at Rockingham Speedway. For most of the day, it looked like Corey Heim had everything under control. He dominated the NASCAR race, sweeping both stages and leading 178 of 200 laps. Once he got out front, it felt like the script was already written.
Until Honeycutt changed it.
“That was everything I had.”
An incredible run by @KadenWHoneycutt (P2) to challenge @CoreyHeim_ at the end. pic.twitter.com/q8Z5X713dj
— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) April 3, 2026
On the final restart with under 30 laps to go, Heim took off, but Honeycutt refused to let him disappear. Lap after lap, he chipped away at the gap, setting up a dramatic late-race showdown. With about five laps remaining, the pressure peaked. Honeycutt got a run with four to go. However, instead of clean air, he found a roadblock in the form of his own TRICON Garage teammate, Gio Ruggiero.
He regrouped. Charged again. This time, he pulled alongside Heim heading to the white flag. For a moment, it looked like the upset was on. Then came more traffic (and more frustration). Another teammate, Tanner Gray, sat right in Honeycutt’s path. A shove down the backstretch was an attempt to clear the lane, maybe even get a block in play. But as they entered Turn 3, Heim found just enough space to surge ahead and seal the win.
And just like that, Honeycutt was left wondering what more he could’ve done without crossing the line. The sting? It wasn’t just about the NASCAR race win. With the result, Honeycutt and Heim are now tied atop the standings at 190 points, with Heim making a seven-place leap. The gap didn’t widen, but the moment might linger a lot longer.
A season thrown off script before it even began
“Basically, I crashed my dirt bike pretty hard and drove my leg into the ground when it was straight … my leg went in a direction it’s not supposed to. Overall, I can’t really complain. A little bit frustrated. Wish I was a little bit further along than I am in my recovery. But, I watched these videos of Lindsey Vonn, and I’m like, ‘How is she doing that?’ But my doctor tells me it’s a different injury, [to] just stay the course. But overall, I’m doing OK.”
That was veteran crew chief Scott Zipadelli, and honestly, that one moment changed everything for TRICON Garage’s No. 11 team heading into 2026. Because if you followed the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series even casually, you’d notice two massive changes. First, Kaden Honeycutt stepped in as the new driver, replacing Corey Heim after his dominant 12-win championship season. And second, the steady voice on the pit box, Zipadelli, was suddenly gone.
A brutal dirt bike crash just five days before Daytona left the 36-time race-winning crew chief sidelined with severe leg injuries, forcing him to miss the opening stretch of the season. Not exactly the ideal way to kick off a title defense with a brand-new driver. And yet, Honeycutt wasn’t exactly walking in cold.
The 22-year-old from Texas already had over 60 Truck Series starts under his belt, bouncing across teams in 2025, from Niece Motorsports to Young’s Motorsports, and eventually filling in for Stewart Friesen. Somewhere along the way, he also found his footing within Toyota’s pipeline.
Still, experience or not, stepping into a championship-winning seat without your lead strategist is a different kind of challenge. Which makes his near-win at Rockingham hit even harder. Because when you factor in everything this team has already dealt with, it’s clear: they’re not just chasing wins right now, they’re trying to stabilize a season that started in chaos.
