The NASCAR silly season for the Cup Series has been very quiet this year, with a majority of the drivers either already under contract or signing extensions earlier this year. However, the Truck Series is delivering a lot of movement, including a potential shakeup involving Corey Heim and Kaden Honeycutt.
On Tuesday's episode of the Door, Bumper, Clear podcast, host and spotter Freddie Kraft said that Honeycutt is signing with Toyota and it's obvious that he'll be driving the No. 11 for Tricon Garage next season.
"He (Honeycutt) is leaving Niece Motorsports. He is signing with a Toyota team. You can probably put two and two together that he's going to be the one to replace Heim in the 11."
Related: NASCAR Standings, including Truck Series
Kaden Honeycutt stats ( Truck Series ): 525 points, two top 5s, nine top 10s, 11.6 average starting position, 14.4 average finishing position, 44 laps led in 17 races
On Aug. 4, Niece announced that it was parting ways with Honeycutt just weeks before the Truck Series playoffs. The move was made, per Bob Pockrass , because Honeycutt signed a deal to race for a new manufacturer in 2026.
Fortunately for Honeycutt, he found a short-term stop to continue his pursuit of a Truck championship. The Stewart Friesen injury opened up a spot in the No. 52 car and Honeycutt was brought in as a substitute driver for the remainder of the season.
Read More: NASCAR Schedule, Next Truck Series Race
Honeycutt is now poised to join Tricon/Toyota next season, taking over the No. 11 truck driven by Heim. It's a great opportunity for the 22-year-old, joining a No. 11 team that has the highest average starting position (4.9) and the most poles (seven) in the Truck Series this season.
Heim's landing spot in 2026 is unclear. The Daily Downloads claimed on Monday that Spire Motorsports has made a "significant push" to get Heim for the No. 7 car in the Cup Series next season. The current driver of the No. 7, Justin Haley, is reportedly on the hot seat and Heim is the best driver among very limited options this offseason.
While Heim is a development driver for 23XI Racing, a Toyota-backed team, there's no car available to him right now at the Cup level. Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace are under contract and, as an unchartered team in a legal battle with NASCAR that is costing tens of millions of dollars, 23XI Racing can't afford to lose the financial backing that Riley Herbst brings.
Read More: Legacy Motor Club Could Add Third Charter as Part of Merger
One alternative for both Heim and 23XI Racing could be to work something out with Legacy Motor Club, which is trying to secure a third charter in 2026, one way or another. Heim has driven part-time for LMC in the past and could be an option if one of their pursuits works out. 23XI could also try and find a way to move Heim into the Xfinity series, but even a part-time role in Xfinity and Cup with a Toyota team might not be enough if another team is willing to offer him a full-time Cup ride next season.
Related Headlines
