Thanksgiving Classic Marks End of An Era for Brenden Queen

LUCAMA, N.C- Despite coming in as the defending winner of the event, it was a subpar showing in this past Sunday’s (Dec. 1) Thanksgiving Classic for Brenden Queen and the No. 03 team.

But the run was memorable for the end of an era it represented for the CARS Tour champion.

After a pedestrian result of 19th in Saturday’s qualifying session, Queen was a non-factor for the entirety of the 250-lap crown jewel event at Southern National Motorsports Park.

Yet despite his 12th-place finish at day’s end, there were still smiles, laughs and even a few tears shed in the Lee Pulliam Performance pits post-race. A celebration of success, friendship and memories made not that day at Southern National, but spread across the past two years, as Queen wrapped up his time as a full-time Late Model Stock Car driver.

Thus ends a partnership that began in the fall of 2022. One that included wins in the South Carolina 400,Hampton Heat 200 (twice), Thanksgiving Classic and a CARS Tour championship.

Lee Pulliam, as accomplished as they come behind the wheel of a Late Model Stock car, took a chance on a kid from Chesapeake, Va., with hopes of bringing his program to new heights. Two years later Queen – or ‘Butterbean’, as he’s known by his fans – is a household name, moving on to bigger opportunities in 2025.

Queen was emotional after the race, fighting back tears when talking about his time with Pulliam – not just for the success they had on the race track, but the friendships he and the team built off.

“It’s meant more to me than anybody will know,” Queen told Frontstretch. “These two years have changed my life. It’s been tough, I’ve been trying to hold in the tears but I don’t know what other to say than just thankful you know.

“Lee will always be my brother, and I’m going to miss him. There’s not many people that will understand what we had, and maybe I’m too big of a baby, they can call me whatever they want, but this is my family.

“They made me a name on the racing world and changed my life, I never knew if I’d get any opportunities like this. It’s been hard to put into words besides blessed and thankful for the time I had, without Lee, my life doesn’t change like this. Obviously it took my sponsors and everybody involved too, but I’ve talked to Lee every day for two years straight, so it just means a lot to do this with him.”

Pulliam also took a moment to reflect on the time the two have spent as a duo, explaining what the friendship between the two has meant to him over the past two years.

“It’s an emotional night for us because he’s like a brother to me,” Pulliam said. “You know, this whole group from the sponsors to the team to Brenden, it’s just special man. It’s just a big family. We don’t even want to go home tonight. We’re talking about good times and sharing stories. You know we had a tough weekend but he never gave up, the crew never gave up, that’s what our team was built about, we don’t quit.

“It’s been a pleasure. It’s been two of the best years of my life really, to accomplish some of the things we accomplished has been pretty incredible.”

Queen is set to announce his plans for 2025 in the coming days. He assured Frontstretch that his time in a Late Model is not completely over, though what that may look like in the future has yet to be determined.

Regardless of where he ends up, the Virginian will always be a short track racer at heart.

“Always man, I’ve been a Late Model guy since 2013,” Queen said. “I could have still been riding to work and moving boxes, and I got to go live a dream.”