“Won the war”: Brenden Queen clinches ARCA Menards title as Max Reaves dominates Toledo race

Brenden Queen has bagged the 2025 ARCA Menards title after Saturday's finale at Toledo Speedway. The 27-year-old called it a 'dream season', while Max Reaves held on to his pole start and secured his third win of the season.

Reeves and Queen battled each other during the closing laps and traded leads multiple times. At one point, Reeves shoved the champion out of his groove and regained his lead.

Queen called him out on the aggressive tactics during his post-race interview.

"We won the owners [championship], we won the war. I raced him clean, [Reaves] will learn how to one day. What a dream season it’s been, we’re definitely gonna pound some waffles and ice cold drinks here in a little bit,” he said via Frontstretch.com

Reeves later apologised for his mistake and maintained that the move wasn't intentional. Nonetheless, the result secured the Owner's championship for Pinnacle Racing Group.

With eight wins, four poles and 16 top-5s, Brenden Queen's debut ARCA season has proved his mettle as a serious contender. He has also won three Langley Speedway championships and a CARS Tour Championship.

His recent part-time starts in the Xfinity Series have further bolstered his resume, as he looks forward to a full-time ride in the Truck Series with Kaulig Racing.

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Brenden Queen opens up about gaining notoriety

After his Xfinity Series debut in the playoff opener at Bristol, Brenden Queen credited Flo Racing and FS1 for helping him reach a wider audience. He believes the broadcast exposure shaped his brand just as his career gained momentum.

Reflecting upon the same, Queen said (via Autoweek),

"I think the door is still more open than I thought it would have been five years ago. Flo Racing (which televises the CARS Tour) did a lot to help me showcase my brand and me as a person. Doing the ARCA Series and being on FS1, I think, just showed the world who I was as a person, not just a race car driver."

“The timing has to work for everybody in this sport, and honestly, for me, it just seemed like it just opened up right at the right time,” he added.

Brenden Queen finished a respectable 20th after a backmarker start at Bristol. He fetched a much better result in his recent outing at Kansas Speedway. The Chesapeake, Virginia native began on the second row and finished ninth on the running order. At his best, Queen had an impressive Stage 1 result at sixth.

He was originally brought in as Josh Williams' replacement in Kaulig Racing. The team's president, Chris Rice, spoke about Queen's debut with glowing remarks. He called the 27-year-old an 'all-around great short track racer' and was 'super excited' for the partnership.