Just 17 points separate the Craftsman Truck Series championship leader from the driver behind him. At Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, only those two drivers led laps in the Ecosave 200, with Layne Riggs eventually taking the win in the No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford. For Kaden Honeycutt, however, the race ended in heartbreak after a costly mistake that could haunt him for days.

It’s crunch time in the 2026 season. Just four races remain, and for championship leader Honeycutt, leading 85 laps in his No. 11 Tricon Garage Toyota only to throw it away is hardly the way to seal the deal. Speaking to Bob Pockrass after the race, Honeycutt admitted his mistake and the frustration that came with it.

“I gathered it up, and we raced it really hard out there at the end. I feel like I lost the race. Personally. I don’t think he took the win away from me. I think I just drove myself straight out of it. So yeah, we’ll figure it out. I’ll execute better and go to Phoenix. I know I got a 17-point lead, but my picture of myself is last, and every point matters,” Honeycutt said.

With seven laps to go, Riggs was closing in on Honeycutt, putting intense pressure on the Toyota driver. Both the No. 11 and No. 34 were running along the outside line when Honeycutt, who later admitted he was “mirror driving” to block Riggs, entered Turns 3 and 4 too hard. His truck lost traction at the rear, sending the right-rear corner into the outside wall.

Riggs immediately took advantage, passing Honeycutt as he regained control of his truck to take the lead and held on to win the race. After his cool-down lap, an ecstatic Riggs headed straight into the stands to celebrate with fans at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the closest major track to his hometown of Bahama, North Carolina.

Honeycutt didn’t try to take away from Riggs’ moment by blaming him for the incident. Instead, he made it clear there were no hard feelings, noting that the two have raced each other hard for five years, even before their NASCAR days. Riggs, too, respected the craft, stating in his post-race interview,

“Man, that was a hell of a battle there at the end with me and the 11. That was a lot of fun… I think I had to pass the 11 like three or four times.”

Honeycutt also recalled their battle at Kansas Speedway a couple of weeks earlier. Late in the race, Honeycutt chased Riggs, who was blocking to defend his position. The two made contact when Honeycutt “clipped” Riggs, sending the No. 34 Ford into the outside wall. A resulting flat tire left Riggs with a disappointing 19th-place finish.

However, Riggs later admitted that the pressure he put on himself, rather than the incident with his championship rival, was what really bothered him.

“At Kansas, I was up there, and internally I pressured myself that I needed to go win. Today, I didn’t have any pressure. I just went out and wheeled it… I just went out and had fun tonight,” Riggs said after Charlotte.

What this means for the Truck Series championship

By winning the first stage and the race, Riggs earned the maximum 74 points on the night. Honeycutt, meanwhile, managed to save his truck and finish third, earning 54 points after winning the second stage and finishing second in the first. His mistake proved costly, cutting his championship lead over Riggs from 37 points to just 17.

Charlotte was the third race in the Truck Series’ seven-race Chase. Honeycutt had entered the weekend on the back of a strong points haul in Kansas, where he scored 75 points compared to Riggs’ 35. Before that, neither driver won at Bristol. Honeycutt finished eighth with 47 points, while Riggs finished 32nd but still managed to collect 25 points.

With the championship battle tightening, the title could go down to the wire between Honeycutt and Riggs. Chandler Smith, currently third, trails Honeycutt by 77 points. To remain in contention, Smith will need more than a win. He also needs both Honeycutt and Riggs to have low-scoring days.

The Chase continues at Phoenix before heading to Talladega, where the unpredictable nature of superspeedway racing makes the outcome difficult to call. Martinsville will follow as the penultimate race before the season finale at Homestead.

Riggs has been more dominant in terms of wins, with seven compared to Honeycutt’s three. However, the Toyota driver has shown greater consistency, recording 13 top-five finishes and 16 top-10s. Riggs has 12 top-10 finishes, 11 of which have been top-five results.

The battle between the Toyota and Ford drivers is heating up, and with just four races remaining, it’s difficult to predict which way the championship pendulum will swing next.