With an 11 p.m. curfew looming, however, the Pro Late Model feature was a race against the clock. Tristan McKee led the first 73 laps of that event, but fell back to fourth on a restart which turned the lead over to Kaden Honeycutt.
A lap 80 caution necessitated the race being shortened, with one final attempt at a restart as the field raced to the curfew. McKee appeared to jump back out front on the restart and received the checkered flags after 85 of the scheduled 100 laps.
Upon further review by CARS Tour officials, it was deemed McKee jumped the restart, with Honeycutt being declared the winner. While the circumstances were not ideal, it’s a pivotal victory in Honeycutt’s championship hopes.
Honeycutt entered the night trailing Spencer Davis by 11 points in the title fight, with just one race remaining next week at North Wilkesboro Speedway. The gap will be even closer when CARS Tour teams unload at North Wilkesboro.
“It’s honestly thanks to these guys,” said Honeycutt. “BLR Racing, Dustin, Bryson, Ernie Lopez, the opportunity to even run their car, I can’t think of a family that’s done so much for me to finish out a season. We’ve been here for quite a while. We worked so hard this week to cut into this championship. We want to win it.
“That’s not how we want to win it, but it’s pretty simple to me.”
The night was also a big one for the CARS Tour’s Late Model Stock championship battle. Connor Hall entered the evening with a one-point advantage over Brenden Queen, but was involved in a multi-car incident with 44 laps to go.
Hall soldiered on and limited the damage with a 13th-place finish, surpassing many competitors involved in the late slew of cautions. Queen’s podium finish gives him the points lead, but Hall remains in striking distance for the finale.
The CARS Tour finale at North Wilkesboro Speedway on October 19 is part of a busy weekend at the venue. The SMART Modified Tour will contest its final event of 2024 alongside both CARS Tour divisions on Saturday. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour then competes on Sunday, October 20.
-Photo credit: CARS Tour
