NASCAR
Is There a 2026 Truck Series Title Favorite Between Honeycutt and Riggs?
Four races remain in the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, with a mano a mano title battle. Kaden Honeycutt and Layne Riggs are the two best drivers on this campaign, and have separated themselves in a tight championship clash. 17 points are all that lies between the TRICON Garage No. 11 and Front Row Motorsports’ No. 34. Both teams are looking for title number two with a new driver hoping to hoist the big trophy in Homestead. Are either of them a standout favorite over this final stretch of the year?
21 races into the 2026 Truck Series campaign, the numbers between Honeycutt and Riggs are scarily close to each other. Honeycutt’s No. 11 Toyota has seen three wins, 13 top-fives, 16 top-10s, 516 laps led, and an average finish of 8.1. On the flip side, Riggs’ No. 34 Ford has yielded seven wins, 11 top-fives, 12 top-10s, 783 laps led, and a 10.8 average finish. The dynamic duo is also responsible for five of the last six Truck wins overall. This winning stretch for the title top dogs dates back to July.
KANSAS CITY, KANSAS – SEPTEMBER 26: Kaden Honeycutt, driver of the #11 Safelite Toyota, drives during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race to Stop Suicide 200 at Kansas Speedway on September 26, 2026 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
Honeycutt, 23, and Riggs, 24, each share racing backgrounds that mirror one another. Both drivers trace roots to the CARS Tour, where they each own multiple wins. Honeycutt continues to race in both CARS Tour divisions part-time today, owning two weekend sweeps this year. Honeycutt also won the Pro Late Model Tour championship in 2024, while Riggs has been as high as second in Late Model Stock points. In short, these drivers have several years’ worth of going door-to-door for wins and championships and are no strangers to beating each other.
CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA – OCTOBER 09: Kaden Honeycutt, driver of the #11 Safelite Toyota, leads the field during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Ecosave 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on October 09, 2026 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
“I think that obviously we’re competitors,” Riggs said about his relationship with Honeycutt. “We want to beat each other really bad and obviously get to the next level one day. We both have a lot of respect for the race craft and the talent that we both have. We’re down to the end. We both have really good teams. I think that each of our teams are stronger and weaker in different spots and we just have to play into that the best that we can.”
“It’s been no different with me and him for the last five years,” Honeycutt said about Riggs after Charlotte. “So it’s all good. I mean, I got him a little bit at Kansas and, you know, he was blocking and then I clipped him at Kansas and then I was blocking and he clipped me. So, I thought it was a great race. I gathered it up and we raced really hard out there at the end.”
“Yeah, I mean I think that’s perfectly fine. You know, we’ve raced really hard in late model stuff and it’s no different in this. He knows and I know if we both get out front we’re probably checking out. It happened the first stage he was definitely better than I was and then the second one I was out front and he was second and I was able to pull him. So, we were both making our trucks better where we wanted and I think on that heat cycle, he found that top lane and he was able to generate that run, which I wasn’t expecting. And, I just just didn’t do what I was supposed to, run my own line, run my own race, and then dealt with it after that. So, yeah, I mean, it’s going great. It’s going to be a good last four races. I hope everybody’s ready for that.”
“I think it’s what everybody wants. It’s what the fans want. I think the format is absolutely incredible and it’s rewarding consistency. It’s rewarding winning races and that’s what we’re seeing right now. So I had a 37 point gap. I won a stage and finished second and he won and cut it within 20 points. So that’s why winning is definitely important.”
At the time of this writing, the Truckers will race at Phoenix Raceway in mere hours later tonight. Looking at Honeycutt and Riggs head-to-head at the last four racetracks, their numbers are again nearly identical. Neither driver has won at any of the next four tracks, but their teams have seen success at almost every stop. Phoenix Raceway in particular has been kind to both of these teams before. The desert mile has seen Front Row (Zane Smith, 2022) and TRICON (Corey Heim, 2025) each crowned champions in not-so-distant memory.
Only separated by 17 points, either driver winning could take the points lead going forward. The O’Reilly Series’ Chase does have an equally-tight title fight between four drivers. However, these two in the Trucks are on an almost-equal plane of competition that may not be decided until the checkers fly in Homestead. The next four Friday night shows will be can’t-miss entertainment between these two very deserving teams. At the end of this run, only one of these title hopefuls will be rewarded with the ultimate prize.
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo Credit to Peter Stratta/TSJSports
