Butterbean Experience on Display with Hampton Heat Win

Brenden Queen brings a unique energy to the race track, a contagious vibe fitting for a driver whose nickname is Butterbean.

Saturday night’s Hampton Heat at Langley Speedway was going to be a spectacle no matter the entries. It’s one of the biggest Late Model Stock Car races in the country and part of the prestigious Virginia Late Model Triple Crown. The packed grandstands, light shows and pyrotechnics were a given.

But Butterbean once again brought his own glow to the NASCAR Home Track in Hampton, Virginia.

A couple hours after he was introduced to a roaring crowd, Queen won the 15th annual Hampton Heat with a textbook drive. He managed the first half of the 200-lap race on the 0.397-mile oval’s relatively flat, abrasive surface by saving his tires for a sprint to the finish. During that final run, Queen passed Connor Hall on his way to the lead. Hall, of course, entered the Hampton Heat having won a perfect 11 races in 11 starts at Langley in 2023.

Saturday night’s performance was the latest example of Queen’s talent driving a Late Model Stock. This year alone, the Chesapeake, Virginia native also won New River All American Speedway’s Battle of the Stars and the CARS Tour’s visit to North Wilkesboro Speedway, massive accomplishments for a Late Model competitor.

Queen’s most recent triumph, though, was special as it related to his other Hampton Heat victory. In 2020, driving his family-owned car, Queen moved current NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Corey Heim to win the race. Heim that night was driving the same Lee Pulliam Performance car that Queen parked in Victory Lane on Saturday.

“It’s just like The Fast and the Furious, when [Brian O’Conner] owes [Dominic Toretto] a 10-second car,” Queen said with his familiar smile. “I owed Lee a Hampton Heat.

“It’s just very special. We’ve been through a lot, and I’ve always respected Lee, but to come over to his organization this year and to step away from my family car to come do this deal, it’s just special.”

That’s a good word to describe Queen’s presence in Late Model Stock racing. He’s a driver who adds a special aura to a short-track racing scene that’s already vibrant. Queen at the track is always mingling with rival drivers and team members. The fan base he calls “Bean Nation” shows up to support him in full force, especially at Langley, where Queen won three consecutive track championships from 2020-22.

In short, Butterbean brings the amusement wherever he takes his talent.

Ryan Kelly/NASCAR

In September, he’ll bring it to Martinsville Speedway, home of the ValleyStar Credit Union 300, the final leg of the Virginia Triple Crown.

“I want it bad,” Queen said of the Triple Crown, which he leads points-wise after second- and first-place finishes at South Boston Speedway and Langley. “I’ve never had a really good shot at it. This is probably our best shot at it. We’re going to Martinsville, one of Lee Pulliam’s best places.”

Pulliam, of course, is a legendary Late Model driver in his own right. He’s a two-time Virginia Triple Crown winner and four-time NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series national champion. That’s why the success this year has meant so much to Queen, whose respect for Pulliam knows no bounds.

Queen said he feels winning is vital to his career now more than ever with so many eyes on short-track racing. That explains the emotion he displayed upon pulling into Victory Lane on Saturday. The family, friends and team members on hand showed the same emotion, tears of joy with an array of hugs.

“Every win is hard to get, and it seems like they get harder and harder to get,” Queen said. “It’s been a while since Wilkesboro. We were getting hungry for another one. I’m glad we got another big one.”

While the champagne on the Victory Lane ground dried, Queen spent at least an hour on Langley Speedway’s stage taking photos with his aforementioned supporters. The grandstands at this point were empty, and FloRacing’s broadcast was a thing of the distant past. But celebrations are everlasting for Butterbean. And yes, per tradition, they carry over to the nearest Waffle House after the track lights extinguish.

As Queen put it, “the Bean Nation was in full effect” Saturday at Langley.

So was the Butterbean experience in Queen’s latest short-track racing masterpiece.

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