NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race at Watkins Glen
Watkins Glen International — May 8, 2026
Kaden Honeycutt
Winner
74
Laps
10
Lead Changes
6
Leaders
Kaden Honeycutt won the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race at Watkins Glen at Watkins Glen International on May 8, 2026, leading 2 of 74 laps. Connor Zilisch finished second; Shane van Gisbergen rounded out the podium. The race had 10 lead changes among 6 different leaders.
Race Details
Date
Friday, May 8, 2026
Season
2026
Winner
Lead Changes
10
Leaders
6 drivers
| Pos | Start | +/- | Driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | +6 | Kaden Honeycutt |
| 2 | 5 | +3 | Connor Zilisch |
| 3 | 8 | +5 | Shane van Gisbergen |
| 4 | 3 | -1 | Daniel Hemric |
| 5 | 11 | +6 | Chandler Smith |
| 6 | 16 | +10 | A.J. Allmendinger |
| 7 | 1 | -6 | Brent Crews |
| 8 | 30 | +22 | Mini Tyrrell |
| 9 | 29 | +20 | Brenden Queen |
| 10 | 4 | -6 | Connor Mosack |
| 11 | 17 | +6 | Jake Garcia |
| 12 | 23 | +11 | Corey LaJoie |
| 13 | 22 | +9 | Andres Perez de Lara |
| 14 | 20 | +6 | Tyler Reif |
| 15 | 6 | -9 | Giovanni Ruggiero |
| 16 | 15 | -1 | Christian Eckes |
| 17 | 18 | +1 | Tyler Ankrum |
| 18 | 19 | +1 | Stewart Friesen |
| 19 | 27 | +8 | Dawson Sutton |
| 20 | 31 | +11 | Nathan Nicholson |
| 21 | 13 | -8 | Layne Riggs |
| 22 | 35 | +13 | Stephen Mallozzi |
| 23 | 25 | +2 | Justin Haley |
| 24 | 2 | -22 | Ty Majeski |
| 25 | 21 | -4 | Adam Andretti |
| 26 | 34 | +8 | Jackson Lee |
| 27 | 28 | +1 | Timmy Hill |
| 28 | 33 | +5 | Ross Chastain |
| 29 | 26 | -3 | Kris Wright |
| 30 | 14 | -16 | Tanner Gray |
| 31 | 10 | -21 | Carson Hocevar |
| 32 | 9 | -23 | Ben Rhodes |
| 33 | 12 | -21 | Grant Enfinger |
| 34 | 32 | -2 | Wesley Slimp |
| 35 | 24 | -11 | Cole Butcher |
| 36 | 36 | — | Natalie Decker |
Stage Results
| Driver | Stage 1 | Stage 2 | Stage 3 | Stage Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Layne Riggs | 3 | 4 | — | 15 |
| Daniel Hemric | 1 | — | — | 10 |
| Andres Perez de Lara | 7 | 5 | — | 10 |
| Giovanni Ruggiero | 2 | — | — | 9 |
| Tyler Ankrum | 5 | 8 | — | 9 |
| Chandler Smith | — | 3 | — | 8 |
| Grant Enfinger | — | 7 | — | 4 |
| Tanner Gray | 8 | — | — | 3 |
| Corey LaJoie | 9 | — | — | 2 |
| Tyler Reif | — | 9 | — | 2 |
| Connor Mosack | — | 10 | — | 1 |
| Kaden Honeycutt | — | — | — | — |
| Connor Zilisch | — | 1 | — | — |
| Shane van Gisbergen | — | 6 | — | — |
| A.J. Allmendinger | 4 | — | — | — |
| Brent Crews | 10 | — | — | — |
| Mini Tyrrell | — | — | — | — |
| Brenden Queen | — | — | — | — |
| Jake Garcia | — | — | — | — |
| Christian Eckes | — | — | — | — |
| Stewart Friesen | — | — | — | — |
| Dawson Sutton | — | — | — | — |
| Nathan Nicholson | — | — | — | — |
| Stephen Mallozzi | — | — | — | — |
| Justin Haley | — | — | — | — |
| Ty Majeski | — | — | — | — |
| Adam Andretti | — | — | — | — |
| Jackson Lee | — | — | — | — |
| Timmy Hill | — | — | — | — |
| Ross Chastain | 6 | — | — | — |
| Kris Wright | — | — | — | — |
| Carson Hocevar | — | 2 | — | — |
| Ben Rhodes | — | — | — | — |
| Wesley Slimp | — | — | — | — |
| Cole Butcher | — | — | — | — |
| Natalie Decker | — | — | — | — |
Model Performance
How well did the NR-Rating model predict this race? Across 8 matched drivers, the model averaged 9.9 positions off — worse than the season average of 8.5. Below Average
| Pos | Driver | Predicted | Actual | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Connor Zilisch | 21.4 | 2 | +19.4 |
| 3 | Shane van Gisbergen | 12.7 | 3 | +9.7 |
| 6 | A.J. Allmendinger | 16.5 | 6 | +10.5 |
| 12 | Corey LaJoie | 21.4 | 12 | +9.4 |
| 23 | Justin Haley | 25.7 | 23 | +2.7 |
| 27 | Timmy Hill | 20.8 | 27 | -6.2 |
| 28 | Ross Chastain | 16.2 | 28 | -11.8 |
| 31 | Carson Hocevar | 21.4 | 31 | -9.6 |
Predicted finish from NR-Rating model. Delta = predicted − actual (positive = driver beat prediction). Confidence: High Confidence = low variance (stdDev ≤ 9), Moderate = medium variance, Coinflip = high variance.
Historical Context
- Shane van Gisbergen: was the model’s top pick based on 7 career starts at Watkins Glen International with a 7.3 avg finish (2 wins), finishing P3 on the day.
- Connor Zilisch: was the biggest surprise, finishing P2 vs predicted P21. Track history: 6 starts, 5.5 avg finish.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race at Watkins Glen?
Kaden Honeycutt won the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race at Watkins Glen at Watkins Glen International driving for TRICON Garage.
Where was the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race at Watkins Glen held?
The 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Race at Watkins Glen was held at Watkins Glen International on May 8, 2026.