Michigan
Driver nicknamed ‘Butterbean’ wins Friday Michigan NASCAR race, climbs fence
BROOKLYN, MI – A racer known for celebrating his wins at Waffle House was victorious Friday, June 6, at Michigan International Speedway – in a state with zero Waffle Houses.
Brenden “Butterbean” Queen held off a hard-charging Corey Heim in the closing laps of the ARCA Series race at MIS to win by 0.3 seconds.
Brenden Queen (28) celebrates after the ARCA Menards Series Henry Ford Health 200 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn on Friday, June 6, 2025. Ayrton Breckenridge | MLive.com
Queen, 27, pumped up the fans in the grandstands during his TV interview.
“It’s Bean Nation time tonight, boys!” Queen said. “It’s insane. I mean, I think I’ve got to climb the fence before I’m done.”
Queen was true to his word. He scaled the fence in front of cheering fans just after his interview.
The mullet-donning driver brings an energy to the series – living up to the hype of his “Butterbean” nickname. His family gave him the nickname as a baby, as they thought he looked a bit like professional boxer Eric “Butterbean” Esch.
This is Queen’s third career ARCA Series win, all coming in 2025. After the first two, he took his team and the trophy to Waffle House to celebrate.
“It’s been a thing I’ve done since I was late model racing … we’d just always take the trophy to Waffle House. It was the only thing open (that late),” Queen said. “We try to enjoy the night, reflect on it and then get ready for the next one.”
While Michigan doesn’t have a Waffle House, Queen has a plane to catch tonight, anyway, to get back to North Carolina.
It’s yet-to-be-determined if he’ll end up at one before the night ends. Queen was asked what his favorite thing is at Waffle House after he finished speaking with the media.
“Chocolate milk! We’re going to go get a chocolate milk,” Queen said.
Brenden Queen (28) celebrates in victory lane after the ARCA Menards Series Henry Ford Health 200 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn on Friday, June 6, 2025. Ayrton Breckenridge | MLive.com
Brenden Queen (28) performs a burnout after the ARCA Menards Series Henry Ford Health 200 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn on Friday, June 6, 2025. Ayrton Breckenridge | MLive.com
How he got there
Queen took the lead with 23 laps to go on the final restart. While side by side with Gio Ruggiero, the pair slapped doors entering Turn 3, and Queen cleared him for the lead off Turn 4.
Second-place Heim, who has four Truck Series wins this year and is the favorite for Saturday’s race, wasn’t even supposed to be racing Friday. He was a substitute driver for Jake Finch, getting the call just hours before the race, since Finch had a viral infection.
Morgen Baird, who grew up in nearby Grass Lake, was the top finishing Michigander on Friday, with a 13th-place result. Baird will also race in Saturday’s Craftsman Truck Series race, which starts at noon on Fox.
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