Short track racing thrives on intensity, and the CARS Tour delivered plenty this past weekend. At a stage where rivalries and bold statements unfold under Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s watchful eye, one tour winner celebrated victory with a little cross-motorsport banter; he used the spotlight to fire a sideshot at Dale Jr.’s most prized JR Motorsports driver, who injured himself in Victory Lane at Watkins Glen earlier in the year. So, what did the short-track driver note that the Xfinity leader missed out on in victory lane?
The last time Kaden Honeycutt competed in the CARS Tour Late Model Stock field, a late restart penalty at Hickory Motor Speedway’s Throwback Classic left him frustrated and just shy of Victory Lane. Since then, he has been fully immersed in a tough playoff push in NASCAR’s Truck Series. But with the Truck Series race wrapping up Thursday night, Honeycutt carved out time for a return to the CARS Tour. By the end of a chaotic race at South Boston Speedway, last year’s Pro Late Model champion crossed the finish line first, finally back in victory lane. And as he made his way to celebrate, Honeycutt didn’t shy away from being a little playful towards the Xfinity leader.
After carefully standing on the side of the car and celebrating with his team, Honeycutt posted on X saying, “I never even noticed this until now. I left the window net hanging off the side of the car.😳. Obviously I didn’t learn a lesson from @ConnorZilisch and got lucky on that one🤦.”
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After climbing onto the roof of his No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet to celebrate his win at the 2025 Mission 200 at The Glen, Zilisch lost his balance and fell, resulting in a broken collarbone. The fall occurred when his left foot became tangled in the driver’s side window netting, causing him to slip and hit his head on the pavement. Despite the injury, Zilisch was alert and conscious, and after being transported to a local hospital, he was diagnosed with a broken collarbone but no head trauma. And Honeycutt was just glad not to have repeated the same mistake.
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Coming back to Saturday night, Honeycutt wasn’t the dominant car, but he played his cards perfectly, positioning himself to strike in the closing laps. When Mini Tyrrell spun Tristan McKee during a heated battle for the lead and got penalized, Honeycutt seized the opportunity to move up. From there, the Snowball Derby winner held off a late charge from Conner Jones in overtime, securing the win and validating the speed and promise of his No. 17 Tom Usry Racing team.
Post the race, Honeycutt couldn’t hide his excitement. He said, “It feels so good. I haven’t won since 2022. I know that’s insane to think even think about. I’ve been so close the past three years on winning so many races. This one is for (car owner) Kenneth Packer, R&S freaking Race Cars, and this whole damn team. We don’t run a lot, but when we do, we contend for wins.”
The triumph marked Honeycutt’s first official zMAX CARS Tour win with Tom Usry Racing and carried a $10,000 payday. While he had previously celebrated with the team and last year’s non-sanctioned Orange Krush 250 at Orange County Speedway, this one submitted their partnership on the Tour’s biggest stage. But CARS Tour co-owner and JR Motorsports’ owner Dale Jr. has different plans for the CARS Tour. And as for Connor Zilisch? Junior has already charted his path.
Dale Jr. makes big claims about Connor Zilisch’s NASCAR future
JR Motorsports co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. has made a bold statement about his Xfinity Series Regular Season champion. He believes that the 19-year-old has the potential to become a big star in NASCAR and take the sport to new heights. His stellar run, featuring 16 top fives and nine wins, earned him a full-time Cup Series seat with Trackhouse Racing for next year, sparking conversations across the NASCAR community about his immense talent and promise.
But as the Cup Series has been using and struggling with the Next Gen cars, Dale Jr. isn’t keeping his hopes high. Looking ahead to 2026, Junior offered a measured projection for Connot Zilisch in the Cup Series, suggesting he will probably spend much of the season in the mid-pack as he adapts to the car. He said, “I think he’ll be midpack a lot… Trackhouse has this sort of hot and cold vibe. They run the [Coca-Cola] 600, fastest car there by far, and then disappear for a while. Now, they obviously have good speed at the road courses, and I think that since SVG [Shane van Gisbergen] is there and kind of understands and is getting better at making the Next Gen car what it needs to be.”
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And Zilisch’s performance in the 2025 playoffs reinforced Junior’s optimism. After clinching the regular season title with the record-setting ninth win at World Wide Technology Raceway, he entered the playoffs with momentum. Though his four-race winning streak ended with a fifth-place finish at Bristol, his victories at tracks like Watkins Glen and Indianapolis showcase his adaptability and skills. He leads the standings with a 36-point advantage over second-place Justin Allgaier, last year’s Xfinity champion.
With two races remaining in the Round of 12, he is well-positioned to advance to the Round of 8 and continue his pursuit of the championship.