Why is Brenden Queen nicknamed ‘Butterbean’? All you need to know

Brenden Queen didn’t take long to showcase his talent, winning the 2025 ARCA Menards Series season opener at Daytona. But beyond his racing success, fans often wonder about the nickname 'Butterbean'. The truth is, it goes back to his childhood.

Born in November 1997, Queen got the nickname when his grandfather said he resembled heavyweight boxer Eric 'Butterbean' Esch as a baby. The name stuck, following him through school and eventually becoming part of his identity on the racetrack.

On Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast, the Virginia native shared that he had the chance to drop the nickname around 2016, but chose to embrace it instead. Today, he’s built his brand around it—so much so that his growing fanbase proudly calls themselves the “Bean Nation.”

"So the Butterbean thing came from when I was a baby. My granddad called my mom and was like, ‘turn the TV on’… It was Butterbean the boxer. And I look like him as a baby, like just had the same, like baby features, right? So like my whole life, my mom called me butter, butterbean, and half the time I didn’t even respond to my name, it’s just always was butter or something like that," Queem told Harvick.

Brenden Queen took the #28 Chevrolet to victory lane at Iowa Speedway - Source: Imagn

Brenden Queen is currently running full-time in the ARCA Menards Series with Pinnacle Racing Group. He has been on a tear, collecting six wins and 14 top-5s. He leads the standings well ahead of rivals like Lavar Scott and Lawless Alan.

The 27-year-old is also preparing for his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut. He’ll pilot Kaulig Racing’s No. 11 Chevrolet Camaro at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday—a ride that’s already seen seat time from drivers like Carson Hocevar and Michael McDowell this season.

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“It's been a dream of mine”: Brenden Queen on NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Bristol

Brenden Queen shared his excitement about making his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Bristol Motor Speedway. Calling it a dream, 'Butterbean' said he’s ready to make the most of the opportunity behind the wheel of the #11 Kaulig Racing Chevy.

The full-time ARCA Menards Series driver stated (via NASCAR):

“It’s been a dream of mine to get a chance to drive in the Xfinity Series [...] I can’t thank everyone at Kaulig Racing enough for making that dream become a reality. I’m fortunate to have this opportunity, and I can’t wait to get to Bristol and give the team all I’ve got and have a solid day.”

In his part, Kaulig Racing President Chris Rice said:

“We’re super excited to be a part of Brenden’s next steps in his racing career [...] He has made a splash in the ARCA Menards Series and is an all-around great short-track racer, so we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do in the Xfinity Series under the lights at Bristol.”

While this weekend marks Brenden Queen’s first Xfinity Series start, he’s hardly new to short-track success. His resume includes three straight track championships at Langley Speedway from 2020 to 2022, capped by the 2024 CARS Tour Late Model Stock Tour title before stepping up to the ARCA Menards Series the following year.

The Food City 300 at the 0.533-mile Tennessee track is set for Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET, featuring 39 drivers, including Jeff Earnhardt, grandson of seven-time Cup champion Dale Earnhardt Sr. The 300-lap race also kicks off the series playoffs, with rookie Connor Zilisch holding a commanding 59-point advantage above the cutline.