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Retired driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. seems upset and shocked at the fact a NASCAR driver has been cut from his team mid-season. Getting on his popular podcast, he said he “can’t remember the last time a driver was let go mid-season.” And a number of fans agree with him.
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The move was made by Niece Motorsports at the beginning of the week. Upon learning that Kaden Honeycutt, who’s been competing in the Truck Series, has signed on with another team and manufacturer for the 2026 season, the team unceremoniously booted him.
What’s outrageous to many is Honeycutt has been kicking butt, ranking sixth in the series. But it appears once his loyalty was called into question, the team has zero misgivings about replacing him.
Now Connor Zilisch will get behind the wheel of the No. 45 DQS Solutions & Staffing Chevrolet Silverado for the race today at Watkins Glen International as Niece Motorsports moves on in the middle of the season.
Junior pointed out on his podcast that Honeycutt was well above the cut line for the playoffs, so firing him seems silly. He also said he doesn’t fault the driver for finding a better situation and climbing the ladder in NASCAR, even though “you’d like some loyalty, you’d like some commitment” since Niece took a chance on Honeycutt, bringing him into the Truck Series.
But Earnhardt says ultimately Honeycutt used that opportunity to improve his situation and advance his career, which he doesn’t think is a bad thing. Not everyone sees it that way, but there are plenty who agree with Junior’s point of view.
We know in other race series, drivers hop teams all the time, although they usually only reveal they’ve signed with a new one after the season is over. Perhaps that’s what Honeycutt was doing, but someone leaked the deal to Niece mid-season? It all seems a little odd, like we’re missing big chunks of information.
But Honeycutt is already on a new team, Halmar Friesen Racing, and will finish up the last eight races of the season with them. In other words, he’ll probably be just fine.
Image via DaleJr/X
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