NASCAR Silly Season: TRICON Garage corrects false Cole Butcher report after confusion with Kaden Honeycutt

Ahead of his ninth Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida, Cole Butcher was mistakenly named as a TRICON Garage driver for 2026. The Truck Series team corrected the false report through NASCAR journalist Jacob Seelman.

Butcher has had a title-winning year with the ASA STARS National Tour. The Porters Lake, Nova Scotia, native won four of the 12 races, including his latest win in the Governor's Cup LX.

The multi-time Pro Stock Tour champion has made two Truck Series starts this year. He finished 23rd in both his outings with Halmar Freisen Racing. However, during a rain delay coverage at the 2025 Snowball Derby, host Jim Tretow named the Canadian short track standout for a full-time drive with TRICON Garage.

Following the news, NASCAR reporter Jacob Seelman shared an X post that read:

"UPDATE: Just connected to a @TRICONGarage spokesperson who confirmed that @colebutcher1 does NOT have any planned races for the team in Trucks. Seems to be confusion on Jim Tretow's part between Butcher and the recent @KadenWHoneycutt announcement from a couple days ago."

Jacob Seelman

@JacobSeelman77

UPDATE: Just connected to a @TRICONGarage spokesperson who confirmed that @colebutcher1 does NOT have any planned races for the team in Trucks. Seems to be confusion on Jim Tretow's part between Butcher and the recent @KadenWHoneycutt announcement from a couple days ago. #NASCAR

Kaden Honeycutt got dropped midway through the 2025 season when Niece Motorsports learned of his 2026 drive with TRICON Garage. The team's GM went over the abrupt split and shared that they initially offered him an extended contract for 'several years to come', but had to make the tough decision to protect Chevrolet's interest.

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"A win would mean the world": Cole Butcher on his chances at the 2025 Snowball Derby

Cole Butcher has four top-5 finishes in the Snowball Derby. The 29-year-old is yet to win the crown jewel event, but has come close to it in 2019, when he led two laps before finishing third.

Addressing his ninth start this year, Butcher spoke to the press and said(via NASCAR's official website)

“A win would mean the world, not just for myself, but for my team and my family. My dad, my mom and my brother have been doing this for a long time together, and I’m fortunate enough to bring my wife and my child into the atmosphere I was brought up in. This is a big group, and it would be a big party afterwards.”

Cole Butcher shed light on his preparation for the Pensacola event, saying,

“The other day we tested; we blew up a motor in our primary car. We were able to get it swapped, but then we actually decided to race our backup car, which we raced at [the All American 400]."

Cole Butcher has qualified 13th on the grid for Sunday's race, while Preston Peltier and 2024 Truck Series champion Ty Majeski have locked out the front row. The race, however, has been delayed due to inclement weather and is slated for 1 PM on Monday, December 8.