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This week, well-known late-model racer Brendan “Butterbean” Queen announced his attempt at the 2025 ARCA Menards Series season. To those who know of him, this was exciting news. However, this excitement left more casual fans slightly confused. Here’s why fans are excited for this “rookie.”
Brendan “Butterbean” Queen is a well-known name on the short tracks of the southeast. With his long list of notable victories at legendary short tracks and events, Queen is perhaps one of the most highly regarded late-model racers in the country. Fans of short-track racing love to see these grassroots drivers race on the national scene.
In 2024, however, Queen walked away with perhaps his greatest achievement, winning the zMAX CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car championship. The CARS Tour is quickly becoming one of the best routes for a driver to find their footing in NASCAR.
This year alone, former CARS Tour Super Late Model champion and two-time Late Model Stock champion Carson Kvapil signed with JR Motorsports for 2025. While Kaden Honeycutt, the reigning Pro Late Model champion, signed with Niece Motorsports in the Truck Series. In fact, former Late Model Stock champion Josh Berry is attempting his second season in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2025.
Now, the driver nicknamed Butterbean will compete in a national touring stock car series, but what can fans expect from him in 2025?
Queen made his ARCA Menards Series debut in 2023 with Vizion Motorsports in 2019, finishing 29th at Daytona. However, he made his NASCAR Truck Series debut last season with TRICON Garage. In his three starts with the team, Queen finished fourth in his debut at North Wilkesboro. However, he showed minimal results on the unfamiliar intermediate tracks of Nashville and Kansas.
Fortunately for Queen, the 2025 ARCA Schedule features tracks similar to the short tracks he is so dominant on. These races include Berlin Raceway, Elko Speedway, and the season finale at Toledo Speedway. He could win big at those tracks while adjusting to the intermediates and superspeedways featured on the schedule.
Furthermore, Queen signed with Pinnacle Racing Group, one of Chevrolet’s premiere ARCA teams. This season, Pinnacle fielded entries for drivers such as Carson Kvapil, Hendrick Motorsport’s prospect Corey Day, and five-race winner Connor Zilisch. These names are set to be the future of Chevrolet in NASCAR, and Queen may find himself in that mix.
It is an exciting time for fans of Butterbean and fans of short-track racing. Other drivers are achieving greatness in NASCAR, so perhaps Queen will as well.
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