Leland Honeyman's race recap in the 2026 Chase race at Talladega

Leland Honeyman Jr. faced a challenging afternoon in Saturday's The Progress Group 250 at Talladega Superspeedway, concluding the race 36th after starting 31st. Despite demonstrating competitive speed in the middle stages, he ultimately finished six laps behind race leader Sammy Smith. Honeyman began the event working his way through the field, with JR Motorsports controlling the leading drafting lanes.

His No. 71 Chevrolet became more competitive during Stage 2, enabling him to challenge for valuable track position. He secured a solid 10th-place finish in the second stage, outperforming several championship contenders.

However, the race took a turn for the worse after the stage break when his team received a pit-road penalty. This setback cost valuable track position and necessitated a recovery attempt during the final stage. The situation was exacerbated on Lap 57 when Honeyman spun during a multicar accident involving Taylor Gray, Austin Hill, and Brandon Jones.

Despite managing to continue racing, this incident hindered his chances of securing a stronger finish. Honeyman completed 88 laps, ending 36th, six laps behind the winner. The disappointing result overshadowed his strong performance during Stage 2. Honeyman will aim to capitalize on that speed in future NASCAR opportunities.