NOTEBOOK: Hot start in the West Series has Kaden Honeycutt feeling lucky heading to Las Vegas

Kaden Honeycutt made quite the impression in his debut ARCA Menards Series West race at All American Speedway in Roseville, California.

Driving the No. 17 for Steve McGowan and Bruce Cook, Honeycutt led 146 of 150 laps to easily take home a victory. With confidence on his side, Honeycutt is determined to keep the momentum going in Friday’s Star Nursery 150 at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

“The win meant a lot for me and MMI Racing,” Honeycutt said. “They do an excellent job, and their team is very underrated. My job was to go to [All American] and win the race for them. It was awesome for them, but good for me when it came to getting my confidence back.”

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When the original driver of the No. 17 in Landen Lewis departed MMI after the West Series race at Evergreen Speedway this year, Cook knew Honeycutt would be the perfect choice to help the team chase the 2023 owner’s title.

Cook had previously served as Honeycutt’s crew chief at Roper Racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and saw first-hand the talent he possessed. In six races with Roper, Honeycutt finished inside the top 15 twice, which included a ninth-place run on Bristol Motor Speedway’s dirt configuration.

Honeycutt brought a diverse background to MMI Racing that includes victories on both dirt tracks and asphalt short tracks. Despite this, Honeycutt admitted his limited starts in the Truck Series dating back to 2022 were crucial toward setting him up for success in the West Series with how close the chassis are to one another.

The only factor that did not go Honeycutt’s way at All American was narrowly missing out on the General Tire Pole to Tyler Reif. But his efficiency from that weekend has Honeycutt feeling invigorated ahead of The Bullring, where he has previously visited Victory Lane in Legends cars.

Honeycutt considers The Bullring to be one of his favorite tracks due to its similarities to Martinsville Speedway regarding grip and braking. He intends to use those characteristics to his advantage on Friday so he can continue promoting himself as one of the best NASCAR prospects in the country.

“Everything is wide open for me right now,” Honeycutt said. “I’ve been trying to raise funding and sponsorship to go win a championship. I don’t show up to be a field filler, but I’m going to race anything I can.

“Winning can only help my chances, but right now we’re focused on The Bullring, and hopefully we can go back-to-back.”

Honeycutt leads a talented field of West Series competitors to The Bullring for Friday’s Star Nursery 150, which will get going on FloRacing at 7:15 p.m. PT/10:15 p.m. ET.

#7 Dustin Ash during an autograph session at the Port of Tucson Twin 100 held at Tucson Speedway in Tucson, Arizona on May 11, 2019. — Dustin Ash will make his fifth ARCA Menards Series West start at The Bullring at Las Vegas, a track where he has multiple titles. (Photo: ARCA Racing)

Multi-time Bullring champion Dustin Ash returns to the West Series

A familiar driver in The Bullring’s vibrant weekly atmosphere will be mixing it up with the West Series regulars in Friday’s Star Nursery 150.

Dustin Ash, who has won four total championships at The Bullring during his career, is teaming up with Jerry Pitts Racing this weekend to pilot the No. 5 Toyota. This will be Ash’s first start in the West Series since 2020 at California’s Irwindale Speedway.

Despite his limited appearances in West Series competition, Ash has never finished outside the top 10. In his four West Series starts, Ash’s best run came during his debut race at Arizona’s Tucson Speedway in 2015, when he finished third after climbing from the sixth position.

Ash had yet to make a West Series start at his home track prior to Friday’s Star Nursery 150. Long synonymous with success around the .375-mile oval, Ash only made one appearance in the Bullring’s Pro Late Model division this year, which he ended up winning.

With a competitive Jerry Pitts Racing car at his disposal for the Star Nursery 150, Ash looks to add a West Series victory to his solid short track resume this weekend.

Dylan Cappello making second West Series start on Friday

Front Row Motorsports engineer Dylan Cappello is briefly shifting his focus from the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series title to climbing back in the driver’s seat.

Cappello is driving the No. 88 Quick Response Garage Services Ford for Naake-Klauer Motorsports in the Star Nursery 150 at The Bullring on Friday, which is the first time he has competed in the West Series since making his debut at All American Speedway back in 2015.

An accomplished racer of his own, Cappello made a name for himself as a full-time driver in the Lucas Oil Modified Series during the back half of the 2010s. Going up against plenty of talented drivers, Cappello tallied 13 series victories and two championships, which he obtained in 2014 and 2019.

Even though he has been committed to helping Zane Smith in the Truck Series, Cappello still finds time to race whenever he can. He won two Pro Late Model events out on the West Coast last year and qualified for the Pro Late Model feature at North Wilkesboro in May, where he finished on the lead lap in 11^th.

Cappello seeks to utilize his knowledge as both an engineer and driver as he chases a West Series checkered flag at The Bullring this weekend.

Kyle Keller, driver of the #70 Star Nursery-Argus Constrctn-Las Vegas Rentals Ford drives during the race at the NAPA Auto Parts ARCA 150 for the ARCA Menards Series West at Evergreen Speedway on August 19, 2023 in Monroe, Washington. (Alika Jenner/ARCA Racing) — Kyle Keller will pilot the No. 70 Star Nursery Ford that Chris Trickle made famous during his career. (Photo: Alika Jenner/ARCA Racing)

NOTES:

One of Kyle Keller’s best performances in the 2022 West Series season was a fourth-place finish at The Bullring. He is seeking a second top-five finish in Friday’s Star Nursery 150 piloting the familiar No. 70 Star Nursery Ford that resembles the car driven by the late Chris Trickle, who passed away in 1998.
Monty Tipton, a local competitor at The Bullring, will make his West Series debut at the facility on Friday evening driving the No. 49 Tether Studios/Third3ye Motorsports car for Robbie Kennealy. Tipton finished third in The Bullring’s Pro Late Model division this year, tallying 10 top-10 finishes.
Veteran West Coast competitor Greg Potts is climbing into a West Series car for the first time in his career, where he will serve as a teammate to Eric Nascimento Jr. in the No. 21 Toyota. Potts previously raced under NASCAR sanctioning with the defunct Southwest Tour but remains active at short tracks throughout the West Coast today.
After a two-year absence, Mariah Boudrieau is back with the West Series in the No. 77 Performance P1 Motorsports/Jan’s Towing Toyota for Joe Nava. Boudrieau made all three of her West Series appearances during the 2021 season, with her best finish being a 13^th at Colorado National Speedway and Irwindale Speedway.