Brenden Queen’s 2022 was single greatest season by a Langley Speedway driver

As good as he’s been the past three seasons, Brenden “Butterbean” Queen hasn’t logged quite enough miles to be considered in the conversation of greatest Late Model driver ever at Langley Speedway.

Phil Warren, Queen’s crew chief during his three consecutive runs to the track’s Late Model Division crown, probably tops that list with his record seven Late Model titles.

Brothers Danny and Greg Edwards probably would have more than six Late Model titles apiece had they not chased their dreams into the Xfinity and other touring series in multiple seasons. Elton Sawyer and C.E. Falk, each of whom also won three consecutive Langley titles, are arguably still ahead of Queen in G.O.A.T. consideration.

However, it is safe to say that Queen’s 2022 season is the greatest ever for any Late Model driver in the modern era of racing at Larry King Law’s Langley Speedway, dating to the early 1980s.

His staggering list of accomplishments starts with his nine race victories and that third consecutive title in Langley’s Late Model Division. But it goes on and on.

Queen, 23, also won five races and the Late Model title while racing on dirt on Friday nights at Dixieland Speedway in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The feat landed him Rookie of the Year honors and the track’s Most Popular Driver award.

In the middle of that, he won a race at Langley Speedway in the CARS Tour, an increasingly important feeder for NASCAR’s upper-level series. Then, in October, he jumped in an open-wheeled Modified car and won the prestigious race at Langley held annually in memory of Shawn Balluzzo.

Finally, for those calling Queen a one-trick pony on asphalt, he added his second major regional win in November by taking the checkered flag at the South Carolina 400 in Florence. The win earned Queen his biggest winner’s check ever of $12,000, larger than his $10,000 for winning the 2020 Hampton Heat at Langley.

Queen’s exploits landed him Driver of the Year honors from Jack Dodson’s Racing Insider News with Scott Allen, a popular internet show covering regional racing.

“It’s a dream season,” Queen said. “You know it’s one that’s going to be hard to re-create, and you might never re-create it.

“But you’ll always have the memories from it and always be able to cherish the year that it was. I tell everybody, 17 wins (overall) in a year is not anything to be upset about.

“There are people who might not win one. I’m thankful for the privilege it was.”

Warren calls Queen’s season the best ever by a Langley driver.

“I don’t think anyone has ever had a better season in as many different types of cars as Brenden did,“ Warren said. “In 1986, Bubba Adams finished second at Langley and won the Dixieland championship, but Brenden was able to do both.

“I don’t remember anybody else doing that. Experience was big.

“In the past two-and-a-half years, he’s become about as good a race-car driver as you can ask for. The opportunities he’s had to drive these different cars has helped.”

Queen has latched onto a new opportunity, one that will certainly launch him higher into the upper echelons of regional racing and, he hopes, beyond. Queen recently joined Lee Pulliam Performance, named for and operated by a four-time NASCAR Advanced Auto Parts Weekly Series national champion.

Queen will run the full CARS Tour Series of 16 races for Pulliam’s team. Because he’ll miss at least two Late Model races at Langley, it makes it unlikely he will vie for a track-record four consecutive Late Model titles.

On the other hand, if he continues to perform well, it could elevate him into one of NASCAR’s top three series. That’s a longer shot than it used to be, before millions of dollars of sponsorship often became the requirement for entry, but drivers still sometimes ascend on talent alone.

“Obviously we all want that, and I’m never going to stop trying to make that happen,” said Queen, who is getting sponsorship help at Pulliam from John Staton’s business, Best Repair. “You never know.

“You have to be in the right spot and win races to catch someone’s attention, and I’m going to try and make the most of every opportunity. I’ll always remember this as a great season, and I’ll be back at Langley trying to win every race I can, even if we probably won’t run enough this year to win another track championship.”