The weekend isn’t shaping out as planned for Niece Motorsports. Ahead of the Truck Series race at Watkins Glen, the team parted ways with Kaden Honeycutt after the 22-year-old signed a deal with another team and manufacturer for 2026. Eager to cut their losses and prepare without him, they opted for a ‘generational talent’ to take the wheel of the No. 45 Chevy for a one-off appearance, while also announcing that Bayley Curry will be taking the reins for the remaining 8 races.

However, in what can only be described as a ‘bitter blow’, 19-year-old Connor Zilisch has faced a significant setback. Ahead of his first Truck Series appearance of the season, NASCAR has punished Niece Motorsports before the Mission 176 at The Glen.

Dale Earnhardt Jr’s prodigy faces an uphill task at Watkins Glen

Niece Motorsports was hoping to hit the ground running. Despite losing Honeycutt in less-than-ideal circumstances, the team was hoping Connor Zilisch would give them just the boost they needed at Watkins Glen International. The youngster is having quite a season, with five wins in the Xfinity Series season already, including three in a row at Sonoma, Dover, and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But now, it looks like the No. 45 team has its work cut out at the road course.

It looks like Connor Zilisch’s team has failed not once, but twice in the pre-race inspection ahead of the race at Watkins Glen. This means that not only will the youngster start at the back, but his crew chief has been ejected, and Niece Motorsports will lose pit selection for the race at Richmond. That’s when Bayley Curry will be taking over. Far from the perfect way to start life without Honeycutt, who will be driving the No. 02 for Young’s Motorsports at ‘The Glen’, before taking over for an injured Stewart Friesen.

As for Zilisch, the North Carolina-native has an ambitious plan for the weekend. He’ll be pulling triple duty, starting with the Truck race with Niece Motorsports, then running his usual Xfinity Series fixture with Dale Jr’s team, and competing in the Cup Series as well for Trackhouse Racing. Watkins Glen is a track he knows well, having won the road course race last year in NASCAR’s second tier, and the expectations will be high after last week’s disappointment.

Last year, Connor Zilisch made 6 Xfinity Series appearances, with his highest finish being at the Circuit of the Americas (4th). It’s clear that just like Shane van Gisbergen, road courses are the youngster’s speciality, which means a win at Watkins Glen is well within the realm of possibility. However, with the penalties and starting from the rear, that’ll be easier said than done, especially with just two races remaining before the playoffs begin.

Fans make jokes at Connor Zilisch’s expense

As you would probably expect, fans didn’t shy away from sharing their thoughts on Niece Motorsports and Connor Zilisch’s penalty ahead of the race at Watkins Glen. Knowing just how dominant he is, one Reddit user couldn’t help but say, “Oh damn, looks like someone else will lead for the first 15 laps,” because the 19-year-old will be starting from the rear.

Echoing that sentiment, another motorsports enthusiast said that the penalties have made the race more interesting. “If he’s starting at the back this will be fun to watch for about 10 laps, and maybe another 5 if Heim puts up some resistance,” the fan said. Given Kaden Honeycutt’s abrupt departure from the team, a NASCAR fan on Reddit struggled to feel sympathetic towards Niece Motorsports, despite their difficult circumstances, and sarcastically replied, “Haha s–cks for Niece. Oh well.”

Meanwhile, one social media user was surprised that Zilisch will be involved in triple duty at Watkins Glen, saying, “Oh shit, he’s doing all three? Are we rooting for a sweep?” Another fan hinted at a conspiracy theory of sorts, claiming that Niece Motorsports didn’t need the unfair advantage, especially with the 19-year-old behind the wheel. He said, “They already have cheat code behind the wheel. Why the hell do they another?”