Brenden “Butterbean” Queen and Mini Tyrrell, both rookies in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, are newcomers to this national stage yet share a long history rooted in Virginia’s grassroots racing community. Having grown up almost 200 miles apart—Queen from Chesapeake and Tyrrell from Manassas—the two drivers first crossed paths early in their careers despite their age difference of seven years. Their journey from local short tracks to the national spotlight highlights the state’s deep racing tradition and the emergence of new talents in top-flight competition.
Early Racing Years and Building Local Legacies
Tyrrell, who began competing as a child, made history at 10 years old by becoming the youngest winner in a Late Model Stock Car race at Shenandoah Speedway, later securing two track championships. Meanwhile, Queen started racing at Langley Speedway in Hampton at age 15, gradually climbing through the ranks. His breakthrough came in 2016 with his first late model victories at Southern National Motorsports Park. Queen became a dominant figure locally, claiming three consecutive track championships from 2020 to 2022 and winning the Hampton Heat events in 2020, 2023, and 2024. His strong fan base, known as Bean Nation, grew alongside his rising profile.
“Honestly, when he was young [is when I first heard of Tyrrell],”
Queen said in a Frontstretch interview.
Image of: Brenden Queen
“We’re all from Virginia, and I remember him arena racing and racing late models way before I was because of the age requirement and then he was racing at a track that allowed it because it wasn’t NASCAR.”
Tyrrell recalls hearing about Queen while starting out, adding,
“My father had gone to Langley Speedway one weekend and went to watch, and I can’t remember what I was doing, I didn’t go. It was one of the local shows, and Butterbean was winning a bunch of races there. He was a fan favorite, and that was his home track.”
He continued,
“Dad calls me, because we’d seen Butterbean on social media and whatnot. And he’s like, ‘Hey, Butterbean knows who you are. He’s seen you out there running.’ I think I was racing in Shenandoah Speedway at the time in late models, and I was really young and had got a little bit of social media press from being young and doing the late models at 10 years old. So yeah, [my dad] called me, and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s kind of cool. I got a big guy out there in the late model world who knows who I am.’”
Competition and Camaraderie on the CARS Tour
Tyrrell began racing full time in the zMAX CARS Tour LMSC division at age 14 in 2019, earning his first series win in 2021. Around the same time, Queen was dominating local races and working as a longshoreman at The Port of Virginia to support his racing ambitions. Their racing career paths overlapped more when Queen entered CARS races in 2022, winning at Langley, and both competed in that year’s Virginia Triple Crown.
Queen joined the CARS Tour full time alongside Tyrrell the following seasons, aligning with Lee Pulliam Performance, a team Tyrrell raced with under his family’s ownership. Despite Tyrrell’s challenges finding victory during that period, Queen secured four wins in 2023 and finished second overall. In 2024, Tyrrell improved to third in the standings while Queen secured the championship.
“We raced super hard, door to door all season long and had our battles,”
Tyrrell shared.
“But me and Butterbean have always remained friends. Just two guys that want to do the best they can and are very talented. He’s such a talented racecar driver, and he’s a great personality too. There’s a reason he’s got the fans and the following that he does because he’s a great personality.”
Though their competitive intensity occasionally sparked tensions—such as the 2024 Wake County Speedway race where tempers flared—Tyrrell noted humorously,
“Friends gotta punch each other a few times before they become besties, right?”
Separate Routes and ARCA Success Lead to NASCAR Opportunity
In 2025, the drivers took divergent paths. Queen shifted full time to the ARCA Menards Series, winning eight races and capturing the championship. Tyrrell, continuing in the CARS Tour, ended a winless stretch by capturing three victories and finishing fifth in points. Queen’s ARCA triumphs brought him to the attention of Kaulig Racing’s CEO Chris Rice, who gave Queen rides in NASCAR’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series last year and later signed him for a full-time effort in the No. 12 truck this year.
“Honestly, when I won Dover [Motor Speedway], Chris Rice reached out,”
Queen recalled.
“And I had actually met with Chris Rice before, but honestly, after I won Dover, I was at the Waffle House on the way back to the Hampton Heat, and Chris reached out wanting to chat.”
Queen described how his contract with RAM evolved:
“And so part of the deal when I signed for this RAM deal was they threw me in the [No.] 11 car last year, which was awesome, dream come true and had speed. I mean, they threw me to the wolves. … I think it just helped prepare me for this year, working with my crew chief Eddie [Pardue]. So there was a lot of good things, but that’s kind of how the relationship started with Chris and RAM and everybody at Kaulig and Matt [Kaulig].”
Interestingly, Rice’s early career began at South Boston Speedway in Virginia, and Pardue also has roots racing at Langley Speedway, connecting both men to the state’s racing fabric.
Tyrrell’s Breakthrough Via Reality Competition Extends NASCAR Prospects
While Queen’s NASCAR career was advancing, Tyrrell was poised to continue primarily in CARS, until a transformative opportunity arrived. Selected to compete on RAM’s offseason reality TV program “Race for the Seat,” Tyrrell was among 15 grassroots racers vying for a full-time job in Kaulig’s No. 14 truck for the upcoming season. The invitation came from Chris Rice, who personally extended the offer after a race at South Boston.
“So I was at South Boston racing in September,”
Tyrrell recounted.
“It was one of the last CARS Tour races, and Chris had given me a phone call and said, ‘Hey, we’re going to do this show for RAM and we want you to be a part of it. Is it something that you’re interested in doing? You have an opportunity to drive a Craftsman truck next year for a full season.’ And I said, ‘Mr. Rice, that’s all you had to say. Whatever I got to do, I’m in.’”
Winning the competition at South Boston secured Tyrrell’s full-time ride, placing him alongside Queen in Kaulig Racing’s Truck Series roster.
“I’m so grateful and so thankful to them that I came out on top and won the seat,”
Tyrrell said.
“And for what they’ve done for me so far, little Mini would have never thought that he would be at this level and be getting such a phenomenal treatment that I’m getting.
… I didn’t see myself at this age being here yet. I thought it was going to take a little longer.”
Teammates and Virginia Peers Unite in NASCAR Trucks
Another connection surfaced during the “Race for the Seat” series, as Queen was tasked with helping prepare the trucks for competition and had previous experience racing against Tyrrell in CARS. Queen sees their partnership as a heartening example of success for short track competitors aiming for NASCAR’s national ranks.
“Obviously, I’ve known Mini a long time, and then we CARS Tour raced for a couple of years there,”
Queen explained.
“So I think the coolest part about it is just two short track guys making it. When you’re a short track guy, you pull for all the short track guys to get a shot, because you know how important it is and how hard it is.
So obviously, there was a lot of talent on the show, and there’s a lot of people that gave him a run for his money, but it is cool to have somebody on the team that you know already and you’ve been around. So I think that makes it easier for me, at least.”
The two drivers’ parallel journeys have converged in 2026 as full-time Truck Series teammates, carrying the Virginia racing tradition into higher competition levels. With Queen’s prior ARCA and NASCAR experience, Tyrrell looks to his longtime acquaintance for guidance navigating this new stage in his career.
“It’s just really cool to have him as a teammate and us growing up racing against each other and being friends and now actually working for the same race team,”
Tyrrell said.
“So it’s really cool because now me and him talk all the time, and he helps me out and gives me advice because he’s got more experience than I do in this. So I try to lean on him a little bit when I can.”
Current Status and Upcoming Challenges in NASCAR Trucks
As the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series advances, Brenden Queen has established himself as a strong contender sitting sixth in the points standings with a top-10 finish through two races. Mini Tyrrell is ranked 15th after two 19th-place results, still adjusting to the rigors of the national tour. Both face an upcoming challenge on a unique track layout: the Streets of St. Petersburg, a road course far different from the Virginia short tracks where they honed their craft.
Their performances this season will be closely watched by fans and industry insiders, eager to see how this partnership between two Virginia racing talents translates on larger stages. Their story embodies the progression from grassroots circuits to NASCAR’s upper levels, underscoring the importance of talent development and regional racing heritage.
