Brenden “Butterbean” Queen is hoping to get to victory lane for a third time at New River All American Speedway, and is riding a wave of momentum coming off a runner-up finish at Hickory Motor Speedway on Saturday.
Queen, 26, from Chesapeake, Virginia, has a perfect 2-0 record at the Onslow County track. Last March, he picked up the victory in the $20,000-to-win Battle of the Stars, and then backed it up with a victory in last September’s CARS Tour race after holding off Ronnie Bassett, Jr. through the final turn in a spectacular finish.
“I think obviously momentum in racing is huge,” Queen said. “With New River being a track we circled that we feel like we can definitely win at, having momentum could be very dangerous for us, to go there already feeling confident going to a place we know we’re confident in. It makes us even more excited.”
With the series championship battle expected to be tight, Queen needed a strong run after a subpar 19th place finish in the first race of the zMAX CARS Tour season in Lucama, North Carolina. Now, Queen has a boost in confidence after a strong effort at Hickory.
“I feel a lot better after Hickory,” Queen stated. “We’re back in the picture now. I feel like we can win anywhere with Lee [Pulliam]. New River, with our success last year, you never know what can happen so you can’t say we expect to win. Anything can happen in racing. But, if we don’t win, it’s going to be a dejection because, even though it’s not our home track, we feel like it’s our playground.”
New River All American Speedway is not just a track Queen has been successful at, it’s also a track he enjoys because of its characteristics.
Because of its abrasive surface, tire degradation is one of the key aspects that challenges every driver at New River. Along with the gritty asphalt, the 4/10-mile track, which is often referred to as a D-shape track, also has a unique shape with a dogleg on the front stretch similar to Charlotte Motor Speedway – and to the now-defunct East Carolina Motor Speedway, where Queen won his first track championship in 2016.
“I like the low grip side of racing and the race becoming a strategy race,” Queen explained. “You have to manage your whole race to make it to the end. I’ve had so many laps on low-grip stuff. I like the shape of New River, it’s like East Carolina mixed with Myrtle Beach. It’s a driver’s track because it has so much character. That’s why I like it, and we want to keep the streak alive. 2-0 is obviously good, 3-0 would be great.”
Brenden Queen is one of two drivers racing out of the Lee Pulliam Performance stable. Pulliam himself won 176 races and numerous championships as a driver before transitioning to his current role. This season, Pulliam will be the primary crew chief for Queen, who raced for the same team in 2023.
“This will be my first year with Lee as my crew chief,” Queen remarked. “Coming back to New River with Lee on the box is an even greater asset to have. Doug [Powers] did such a great job last year. Doug knew how I drove, knew me, and could tell in my voice if I was comfortable with the car or not. Lee puts a lot of faith in me as well and lets me do my thing, but he’ll also tell me we need to pass more cars or ride a little longer. It’s awesome having one of the greatest drivers on pit road wrenching my car.”
Later this spring, Queen will make his debut in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at North Wilkesboro Speedway for David Gilliland’s Tricon Racing. One of his wins in the CARS Tour last year came at North Wilkesboro.
