King To Make Pavement Debut In Pro Truck At Houston
EL DORADO, Ark. – After putting in seven years of hard work, grit, and determination to his racing efforts, Michael King Jr. will realize a dream this spring by making his pavement debut.
The longtime dirt modified and dirt late model racer will take the reins of a Pro Truck owned by Kirby Honeycutt – father of 2024 Snowball Derby winner Kaden Honeycutt – for at least two races at Houston (Texas) Motorsports Park.
King, 24, will make his first appearance at the three-eighths-mile tri-oval on Saturday, April 19, before following up with an Independence Day weekend special on Saturday, July 5.
Additional races could be added, pending sponsorship, but King is eager for the moment regardless of how frequent his pavement endeavors are able to be.
“It feels insane to reach this point in my journey, if I’m completely honest,” said King of his emotions regarding the new deal. “I’ve wanted to race on asphalt my entire life, and to have the opportunity to work with Kirby Honeycutt is a dream come true. I’m incredibly thankful this is happening and grateful he trusts me with his equipment to go out and show what I’m capable of.
“I know there will be a learning curve compared to what I’m used to on the dirt side, but I feel ready for that challenge, and I can’t wait to get started,” King added. “A huge thank you goes out to all of our partners that have helped make this opportunity possible. I’m ready to make everyone proud.”
Also giving King hope for a potential pavement future is the fact that numerous current and former NASCAR stars began their careers racing on dirt before successfully transitioning onto the blacktop.
“I’ve watched a lot of my heroes go from dirt racing to stock cars and pavement, and I do believe I can do the same thing in the right situations and with the right people around me,” he noted. “I plan on being competitive right out of the gate. Some of the best upper-level stock car racers of all time come from a form of dirt discipline. (Kyle) Larson, (Christopher) Bell, (Jeff) Gordon, (Jimmie) Johnson, and (Tony) Stewart have all made it work, and the list even goes on beyond them.
“My mantra with this journey is, ‘Why not me?’ Our group has the belief that this is possible, and now is the opportunity to put it to the test.”
King would like to thank APE Engines, PPG Paint, Thurmon’s Heat & Air, M&A Wrecker Service, Advanced Specialized Services LLC, Black’s Metals of El Dorado, Hartman Walsh Industrial Services, J&J Motorsports, M&A Wrecker Service, ML Performance, Next Level Designs, SUPE, Team 5 Enterprise, Team Forty-Eight Motorsports, Thrifty Liquor, Stratosphere Design Studios, Race Face Brand Development, and the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation for their partnership and continued support.
