In his first full-time ARCA Menards Series season, Brenden “Butterbean” Queen began his rookie year in style. He won the ARCA 2025 season opener at Daytona International Speedway Saturday (Feb. 15), capturing the Ride the Denté 200 in just his second ever series start.
Queen took the lead via drafting with his Pinnacle Racing Group teammate Helio Castroneves, then holding off a hungry group of drivers behind him that separated him from Castroneves during the race’s last two laps.
BUTTERBEAN GETS IT DONE.@03Butterbean wins the #RideTheDente200 at @DAYTONA 🏁 pic.twitter.com/ejXBbfemTl
— ARCA Menards Series (@ARCA_Racing) February 15, 2025
“Oh my Lord, Bean Nation baby!” Queen exclaimed after scoring the victory. “We brought the mullet to the ARCA series, baby. We going to Waffle House tonight. But all glory to God, thank you for keeping us safe. I mean, I’m just a late model guy. I done work hard to get this shot and I didn’t think this would be where the first one came but we’re going to take it.
“But this group right here, they deserve this, baby. I knew I had tough shoes to fill with taking over for [Connor] Zilisch. But I hope this makes them happy that they signed me and I hope this is the first of many.
“We’re going to the Waffle House and we’re going to party it up with some chocolate milk.”
Polesitter William Sawalich finished second followed by fellow full-timers Jason Kitzmiller and Lavar Scott.
“I definitely didn’t anticipate it being that long, that was a pretty long time in the car,” Sawalich told FOX Sports post-race. “But I mean it got me ready for tonight’s [NASCAR Xfinity Series] race so a fast Starkey Toyota Camry tonight. Can’t thank the JGR [Joe Gibbs Racing] guys enough. Just wish we had a little bit more there and learned all I could.”
Castroneves finished fifth after his involvement in multiple on-track incidents, including crashing with series regular Kole Raz, who wound up sixth, after they took the checkered flag.
AJ Moyer, Andy Jankowiak, Ryan Roulette and Bryce Haugeberg completed the top-10 finishers. Only 13 cars ended the race on the lead lap.
The first half of the event, televised live on FOX, was incredibly messy. There were six caution flags by the mid-race competition caution and 25 of the 40 drivers were involved in at least one incident.
Queen was able to avoid the madness, slowly picking off drivers to get to the front in the race’s second half.
It was a watershed moment for PRG, fielding a full-time driver in the main series for the first time after competing full-time in the ARCA Menards Series East and part time in the national division. Queen delivered for the organization, taking home the trophy.
ARCA Results from Daytona
ARCA next heads west to Phoenix Raceway for the General Tire 150. That race, a combination one with the ARCA Menards Series West, will take place on Friday, March 7. The green flag will fly at 8 p.m. ET with TV coverage provided by FOX Sports 1.
Mark Kristl joined Frontstretch at the beginning of the 2019 NASCAR season. He is the site's ARCA Menards Series editor. Kristl is also an Eagle Scout and a proud University of Dayton alum.