Honeycutt wins Richmond after leading 225 laps
NXTbets Pro | Published On: August 15, 2026
Honeycutt wins Richmond
Kaden Honeycutt took control early and never gave it back, winning the Black’s Tire 250 at Richmond Raceway in the No. 11 Tricon Garage Toyota. He led 225 of the race’s 250 laps, swept both stages and beat Corey Heim to the finish by 1.313 seconds. The victory gave Honeycutt the maximum 76 points from the event and lifted him to second in the standings. He now trails championship leader Layne Riggs by 61 points.
Honeycutt’s drive stood out because he was fast from the start and stayed there through every phase of the race. He backed up his pace in qualifying, where he started second behind Shane van Gisbergen. Once the race went green, Honeycutt kept the lead for most of the afternoon and controlled the front of the field while the rest of the top runners fought for position behind him. Heim settled for second after staying close enough to keep the finish tight, and Christian Eckes took third. Grant Enfinger, who qualified fourth, came home fifth after running among the front group throughout the race. Jake Garcia, Chandler Smith, Tristan McKee, Giovanni Ruggiero and Daniel Hemric rounded out the top 10.
Van Gisbergen fights back
Shane van Gisbergen’s Richmond return ended with a fourth-place finish after a race that pushed him through several swings in track position. Van Gisbergen won the pole with a lap of 23.168 seconds and looked set for another strong run after starting from the front. He was sent to the rear of the lead lap after a stray wheel during the second round of pit stops, a setback that could have ended his chance to contend for the win. Instead, he kept charging and picked up more ground when a caution for Stewart Friesen’s crash with 35 laps remaining changed the race again.
Van Gisbergen still had work to do after that caution. A slow final pit stop dropped him from second to fifth, and he had to recover again in the closing laps. He did enough to climb back to fourth in his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series return at Richmond, a result that kept him in the mix after a turbulent afternoon. The run showed both the speed and the volatility in his race. One mistake on pit road put him behind, and a later delay cost him more ground. He still finished just behind the lead trio and ahead of Enfinger and the rest of the top 10. Richmond rewarded drivers who avoided trouble and made clean stops. Van Gisbergen had to overcome both issues and still left with a top-five finish.
Richmond schedule shift
Rain and lightning forced Richmond Raceway to move the Black’s Tire 250 from Friday night to Saturday afternoon. The change altered the entry list and the starting lineup before the race began. Christopher Bell was pulled from the field because of the schedule change. Kasey Kleyn, Caleb Costner and Justin Carroll failed to qualify for the race. Elliott Sadler also made his return to NASCAR in the No. 25 Kaulig Racing truck and was set to start 32nd.
The revised schedule did not change the shape of the race once it started. Van Gisbergen’s pole lap of 23.168 seconds gave him the first shot at the front, but Honeycutt’s pace in the No. 11 Truck was the story by the end. The top four finishers all stayed near the front through the day, with Honeycutt, Heim, Eckes and van Gisbergen producing the strongest results. The standings shift also gave the race extra weight for Honeycutt, who left Richmond with a major points gain and a new spot near the top of the championship fight. Riggs kept the lead, but Honeycutt closed the gap in a big way.
