Brenden Queen is making magic with his eighth 2025 ARCA Menards Series victory at Kansas Speedway on Friday in the Reese’s 150.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Brenden Queen always seems to find his way to the front when it matters most.
Brenden Queen is Making Magic
It was more of the same Friday night in the Reese’s 150 for the ARCA Menards Series at Kansas Speedway, where Queen took the lead late and survived two overtime restarts to secure his eighth victory of a season that is all but sure to end next week with a championship for the 27-year-old from Chesapeake, Virginia.
“What a rookie campaign,” said Queen, who needs only to start the finale next Saturday at Toledo Speedway to clinch the 2025 ARCA Menards Series championship. “One more race left. Maybe we can get nine (wins), but I think we’re closing in on what the main prize is.”
Queen, who won earlier this year during the series’ most recent stop at Kansas Speedway, started from the General Tire Pole but lost the lead to Joe Gibbs Racing’s Gio Ruggiero by the time the first lap was complete.
Ruggiero spent most of the evening in control of the Reese’s 150, but Queen stayed close in case an opportunity were to arise for him to challenge for the lead.
That opportunity came with fewer than 20 laps left when the caution flag waved for fluid on the track after a mechanical failure for third-place Corey Day.
Following pit stops for fresh tires by all of the leaders, Ruggiero and Queen restarted on the front row with 12 laps left. Queen, who restarted at the bottom, got a massive push from 2014 ARCA Menards Series champion Mason Mitchell to take the lead.
Surviving Overtime
Just when it appeared Queen had the field covered, a caution on the final scheduled lap for a crash involving Andy Jankowiak forced an overtime restart and gave Ruggiero a chance to regain the lead.
Queen held serve on the restart, but a spin by Thad Moffitt forced a second overtime restart. The second attempt went just like the first for Queen, who powered away from Ruggiero to secure the eighth ARCA Menards Series win of a probable championship campaign that will end next Saturday at Toledo.
“We’ve come a long way from Phoenix having to learn restarts with these cars,” said Queen, who became the first driver to sweep both ARCA Menards Series events at Kansas Speedway in a single season. “I just hung in there all night. It’s why you never give up, just like last week.”
The Reese’s 150 Results
Ruggiero admitted his choice to restart on the outside of Queen during the restart with 12 laps to go ultimately proved to be his downfall.
“I think that one time I picked the top it probably wasn’t the best decision there from the push I was having behind me,” Ruggiero said. “If I had a little bit better push there, I think I would have been able to maintain the lead. I hate it for this JGR team, man. They work so hard. They brought me the fastest car here tonight.”
Leland Honeyman charged from the back of the field to finish third, with Kris Wright and Taylor Reimer completing the top five.
Mitchell, Moffitt, Andrew Patterson, Jason Kitzmiller, and Isabella Robusto finished sixth through tenth, respectively.
The ARCA Menards Series Point Standings
Brenden Queen is now 85 points ahead of Lavar Scott in second place. Jason Kitzmiller now sits in third place. Following him are Isabella Robusto and Lawless Alan in fourth and fifth place.
Up Next – Season Finale
The 2025 ARCA Menard Series season will come to a close next Saturday when the series returns home to Ohio’s Toledo Speedway for the running of the Owens Corning 200 at 4 p.m. ET on FS2.