Max Reaves scores ARCA win – Brenden Queen wraps up ARCA Title at Toledo Speedway on Friday night in the Owens Corning 200.
TOLEDO, Ohio — On a day when Pinnacle Racing Group secured both the ARCA Menards Series driver and owner’s title with Brenden ‘Butterbean’ Queen, Max Reaves and Joe Gibbs Racing provided a minor spoiler to their celebration.
Max Reaves – Brenden Queen
As has been a theme with Reaves in his limited ARCA Menards Series starts this year, he was infallible after earning the General Tire Pole for Saturday’s Owens Corning 200 at Toledo Speedway. Reaves successfully pulled away from Queen in the closing laps to earn his third national victory of 2025 and his sixth overall on the platform.
The result did not come without mild contact between the two frontrunners, as Reaves and Queen exchanged bumps with the former ultimately moving the champion out of the groove in the first turn. Reaves expressed remorse over the aggressive racing but was more than happy to end his first national ARCA Menards Series campaign with a win.
“I’ve got to apologize to [Queen] for getting into him like that,” Reaves said. “I didn’t mean to do that. I misjudged it. I’ve got to thank all my guys [at Gibbs], my mom, my dad, and the good Lord above for getting me here.”
Max Reaves
Reaves had no issues carrying the efficiency of his predecessors in Gibbs’ No. 18 Toyota, which includes current NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers William Sawalich and Sammy Smith.
The three ARCA Menards Series East events Reaves won this year saw him lead a combined total of 383 out of 450 possible laps, which helped Gibbs secure the East Series owner’s title. In Reaves’ two prior national ARCA Menards Series triumphs at Elko Speedway and Madison International Speedway, he tallied 283 total laps led.
Toledo was another display of Reaves’ burgeoning chemistry with Gibbs’ storied ARCA Menards Series program. Reaves learned under the mentorship of 2000 NASCAR Cup Series champion Bobby Labonte. He methodically navigated his way through slower traffic to maintain a comfortable advantage for most of the afternoon.
Brenden Queen
Queen’s determination to cap off his championship season with a victory was the only obstacle standing in Reaves’ way. The seasoned short track competitor tracked down Reaves during the final green flag run. In the end, Queen ended up settling for a runner-up showing after Reaves’ bump-and-run.
The method in which Queen felt Reaves raced him was a sour point on an otherwise cathartic outing at Toledo. Despite this, Queen took pride in being able to deliver PRG one more accomplishment in 2025. An owner’s title over Gibbs.
“I passed [Reaves] clean, and he drives like a young kid that doesn’t know how to pass,” Queen said. “We won the war. I did everything I could to pass him clean, but that’s alright. He’ll learn one day.”
Queen ended his stellar 2025 with eight victories, four poles. and 17 top-five finishes. That consistency earned Queen the honor of joining names like Frank Kimmel, Iggy Katona, Benny Parsons, and others as an ARCA Menards Series champion, a milestone he intends to cherish for the rest of his life, along with PRG’s first owner’s championship.
“It’s real special,” Queen said. “I’m more excited to bring the owner’s [title] home for these guys. They are the ones that make me look good. This is the first time Pinnacle has won both [a driver’s and owner’s title] on the national deal. What a dream season, and I couldn’t have done it without the Pinnacle Racing Group.”
Joe Gibbs Racing
For Reaves, his accomplishments throughout the year helped Gibbs accumulate six national ARCA Menards Series wins in total. Brent Crews won the other three. Reaves understood the expectations when he agreed to drive the No. 18 Toyota in 2025. He was eager to visit Victory Lane as many times as possible.
Although he came up short of delivering Gibbs a second owner’s championship, Reaves enters the offseason with plenty of momentum and confidence on his side.
“I knew the car could [win],” Crews said. “It just [came down to] if [Gibbs] could depend on me to do it. I’m proud of all my guys and I’m thankful to be here.”
The Owens Corning 200 Results
Tristan McKee finished third in the second PRG Chevrolet to wrap up the season. In Venturini Motorsports’ final national ARCA Menards Series race, Isabella Robusto led the historic operation with a fourth-place showing. She was followed in the top five by Tyler Reif.
The rest of the top ten consisted of Taylor Reimer, Willie Mullins, Julian DaCosta, Jason Kitzmiller, and Becca Monpoli.
The ARCA Menards Series 2025 Point Standings
Although the 2025 ARCA Menards Series is now over, two events remain for the ARCA Menards Series West. The next race for the West Series is on Friday at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Star Nursery 150 broadcast is on FloRacing starting at 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET.