Leland Honeyman Bio
Leland Dillon Honeyman Jr., born on February 23, 2005, is an American professional stock car racing driver. He currently competes full-time in the ARCA Menards Series, and part-time in both the ARCA Menards Series East and ARCA Menards Series West, driving the No. 20 Toyota for Nitro Motorsports. A native of Phoenix, Arizona, Honeyman has built a versatile résumé that includes starts in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and the ARCA Menards Series East.
Early Life and Background
Leland Dillon Honeyman Jr. was born on February 23, 2005, in Phoenix, Arizona. He was introduced to motorsports at a remarkably young age, getting his first taste of racing on quad bikes at the age of two. By the time he was four, he had moved up to International Trophy Karts, progressing quickly through the junior ranks of competitive racing. He spent the next three years competing in Jr. Trucks and Off Road Jr. Trucks, where he captured three championships in the off-road series, establishing a foundation of mechanical feel and race craft that would shape his later development.
On his eighth birthday, Honeyman contested his first go-kart race, and he went on to win three karting championships during that formative stage. The Phoenix native steadily climbed the grassroots ladder, balancing his education with a heavy travel and competition schedule. His family remained a steady presence throughout these early years, supporting a young driver whose ambitions were clearly pushing toward the upper levels of American stock car racing.
Path to NASCAR
Honeyman’s path toward NASCAR accelerated in 2017, when he captured the Bandolero championship within the INEX sanctioning body, a respected series that has produced a long list of future professional drivers. Two years later, in 2019, he sampled the CARS Tour, entering two events to gain experience against seasoned Late Model Stock Car competitors. In 2021, he finished runner-up to Nick Loden for the Carolina Pro Late Model Series championship, a result that earned him the series’ Rookie of the Year award and validated his move up from Bandoleros and karts into full-bodied stock cars.
That same year, Honeyman added the Fall Brawl victory in the Carolina Pro Late Model Series to his résumé, signaling that he was ready for a step up. On January 28, 2022, he was announced as a full-time driver for Young’s Motorsports in the ARCA Menards Series East, driving the No. 02. The same announcement confirmed his plan to attempt his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut later that season, opening a clear path to the top three national NASCAR touring series.
Leland Honeyman Career
Early Career (2017–2021)
Honeyman’s early career was defined by a string of junior championships. After winning three karting titles and the 2017 INEX Bandolero Bandit National Championship, he transitioned into Late Model competition, splitting time between the CARS Tour and the Carolina Pro Late Model Series. His runner-up finish to Nick Loden in the 2021 Carolina Pro Late Model Series standings, paired with his Rookie of the Year honor, marked him as one of the more promising young talents in the Southeast short-track scene.
He capped that 2021 campaign with a win in the Fall Brawl at the Carolina Pro Late Model Series level, one of the season’s marquee events. The performance drew the attention of ARCA and NASCAR team owners, and the following January he was announced as a full-time ARCA Menards Series East driver for Young’s Motorsports. The decision to move north from Late Models into the ARCA pipeline set the stage for his national-series career.
ARCA Menards Series East Breakthrough (2022)
Running the full 2022 ARCA Menards Series East schedule for Young’s Motorsports, Honeyman delivered a strong rookie campaign. He collected five top-ten finishes across the season and showed consistent speed at a variety of track types, from short ovets to larger intermediate facilities. His consistency was rewarded with a third-place finish in the series’ final points standings, a strong result for a first-year effort.
The East campaign also gave Honeyman his first taste of the ARCA Menards Series itself, with his national-series debut coming at Iowa Speedway in the 2022 Calypso Lemonade 150. The exposure to longer ARCA Menards Series events, combined with the East title fight, gave him a valuable education in tire conservation, pit strategy, and long-run pace, skills he would lean on in subsequent seasons.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (2022–Present)
As part of the same January 28, 2022 announcement, Honeyman revealed plans to attempt his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut later that year. He made that debut at Bristol Motor Speedway in the UNOH 200, starting 31st and finishing 29th in a clean, learning-focused run on the high-banked half-mile. The Bristol start laid the groundwork for a gradual Truck Series program in the seasons that followed.
Honeyman continued to develop his Truck Series presence with Halmar Friesen Racing, where he has been associated with the No. 62 Toyota Tundra. His Truck Series résumé includes no victories and no top-ten finishes, with a best points result of 71st in 2022, reflecting a developmental program rather than a win-contending effort. The series remains an important part of his progression as he gains experience on the demanding national NASCAR schedule.
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (2023–Present)
Honeyman moved to the NASCAR Xfinity Series, now branded as the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, in 2023 with Alpha Prime Racing, which announced on December 30, 2022, that he would drive the No. 45 part-time. He made his series debut at Phoenix Raceway in the United Rentals 200, qualifying 23rd and finishing 27th, then posted 25th-place results at Richmond and Martinsville. A standout moment came at Portland, where he qualified 21st before being replaced mid-race by Brad Perez due to food poisoning, with the team ultimately credited with a 28th-place finish.
In 2024, Young’s Motorsports expanded into the Xfinity Series, and on January 3, 2024, the team announced Honeyman would drive the No. 42 full-time. His first top-five in the series came at Talladega, where he finished fourth, a result that highlighted his comfort on the drafting tracks. The following January, he moved to the rebranded Cope Family Racing team to drive the No. 70 Chevrolet part-time, sharing the ride with Thomas Annunziata, with Honeyman scheduled for seventeen races in the 2025 campaign.
ARCA Menards Series (2022–Present)
Parallel to his national NASCAR efforts, Honeyman has continued to build a solid ARCA Menards Series résumé, with a best points finish of 35th in 2025. Across his ARCA starts, he has recorded no wins, five top-ten finishes, and no poles, results that show steady progression against veteran competition. His ARCA program complements his Xfinity and Truck Series schedules, giving him additional seat time on intermediate and short ovals across the country.
Driving Style and Strengths
Honeyman’s background in karts, off-road trucks, and Late Models has given him a versatile driving style that adapts well to a variety of track types. His best NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series results have come at drafting tracks like Talladega, where race craft and patience through the field are crucial. Working with multiple teams, including Young’s Motorsports, Alpha Prime Racing, and Cope Family Racing, has helped him refine his communication with crew chiefs and engineers at the national level.
Notable Races and Milestones
Among Honeyman’s signature moments are his 2021 Fall Brawl victory in the Carolina Pro Late Model Series, his 2022 third-place ARCA Menards Series East points finish, and his first NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series top-five at Talladega. His 2023 Xfinity Series debut at Phoenix Raceway, followed by his first Truck Series start at Bristol, both stand as important early benchmarks in his national-series career.
Leland Honeyman Career Wins
Across the major stock car series in which Leland Honeyman has competed, his win column remains concentrated at the grassroots level, with the headline result being the 2021 Fall Brawl in the Carolina Pro Late Model Series. In NASCAR’s top three national touring series, the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and the ARCA Menards Series, he has yet to record a victory, a reflection of the developmental stage of his career. His top tens and consistent finishes, however, point to a driver steadily working his way toward breakthrough results.
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Highlights
In the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Honeyman has recorded zero wins, four top-ten finishes, and no poles. His best series points result remains 22nd, set in 2024, when he ran a full-time schedule with Young’s Motorsports. The first of his top-tens came during that 2024 campaign, highlighted by a fourth-place finish at Talladega that signaled his arrival on the series’ bigger tracks.
ARCA and Regional Wins & Performances
In the ARCA Menards Series, Honeyman has zero wins, five top-ten finishes, and no poles, with a best points result of 35th in 2025. The ARCA Menards Series East has been his strongest ARCA platform, with zero wins, six top-ten finishes, and one pole, along with a third-place points finish in 2022. In the ARCA Menards Series West, he has posted zero wins, two top-ten finishes, and no poles, with a best points result of 45th in 2023. At the regional and Late Model level, his résumé includes the 2017 INEX Bandolero Bandit National Championship, three karting championships, three off-road championships, the 2021 Carolina Pro Late Model Series Rookie of the Year, and the 2021 Fall Brawl victory.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ARCA Menards Series | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| ARCA Menards Series East | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| ARCA Menards Series West | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Leland Honeyman Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Honeyman was raised in Phoenix, Arizona, in a family that supported his early introduction to motorsports, beginning with quad bikes at the age of two. His progression through karts, off-road trucks, and Late Models required a significant commitment from his family in terms of travel, equipment, and track time. That support helped him reach national-level NASCAR and ARCA competition by the time he was a teenager.
Personal Life
Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Honeyman continues to balance his racing schedule with his personal life in the United States. He has largely kept his personal relationships private, with limited public details available about his family beyond their role in supporting his racing career.
2025 Season Performance
Honeyman’s 2025 season has been defined by a packed multi-series schedule, including the ARCA Menards Series with Nitro Motorsports in the No. 20 Toyota, part-time ARCA Menards Series East and West commitments, and a part-time NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series program with Cope Family Racing in the No. 70 Chevrolet. He shares the Cope Family Racing ride with Thomas Annunziata, with Honeyman slated to drive seventeen of the season’s races. His ARCA Menards Series effort has produced a best points result of 35th, while his East and West schedules have continued to give him valuable seat time at tracks such as Bristol and Phoenix.
In the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Honeyman is focused on building on the four career top-ten finishes he has accumulated since his 2023 debut, including his fourth-place run at Talladega. The team and driver are working to translate strong qualifying speed into more consistent race-day results, with drafting tracks and intermediates likely to be his best opportunities for a first national-series top-five. Parallel to the Xfinity program, his ARCA Menards Series East pole and top-ten pace suggest that a stronger East run is a realistic target.
Looking ahead, Honeyman’s outlook is built on volume and versatility, with three national-level platforms offering regular chances to refine his race craft. Continued partnership with Nitro Motorsports in ARCA, along with his established ties to Young’s Motorsports and Halmar Friesen Racing, gives him a stable foundation. If the 2025 results trend upward, a full-time NASCAR national-series opportunity could be within reach as he continues to develop.
