Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour presented by NASCAR on FOX - Brenden ‘Butterbean’ Queen Interview

Episode Date: August 7, 2025

Brenden "Butterbean" Queen joins Kevin Harvick for an unforgettable conversation. The 2024 CARS Tour Champion opens up about his racing journey, from humble beginnings at Langley Speedway to leading every lap at Dover in ARCA. Butterbean shares stories from his rise in racing, balancing a full-time job while chasing championships, and of course, his signature Waffle House celebrations. 0:00 - Intro 0:37 - Butterbean Joins The Show! 1:23 - Butterbean’s Background 13:02 - Nickname Origin 16:09 - Waffle House 20:25 - CARS Tour Success Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I want to be different. This was the year that really changed my life. I got a full-time job. I'm racing Friday night, and I'm racing Saturday night, and I'm working seven days a week. Your reputation is all that you have, right? As soon as I get to Victor Lane, I hug every single one of my guys. They're the reason I'm on that front stretch celebrate.

People hear names all the time, but you don't forget Butterbeam. Welcome to Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour, presented by NASCAR on Fox, and today we have what I would consider a guy that I've got to know pretty well over the last couple years. And Brendan Butterbeam McQueen, I know. calling butter bean. Yeah. And I love it. Thanks, man. Thanks for taking the time today. And thanks for winning this weekend. So that it was just a natural, natural good story, even on top of what we already had. Yeah, I figured I just had to keep winning to get the call to come on the show, right? Yeah. No, just super appreciative to be here. And it means a lot. Y'all asked me to be here.

So excited. It's going to be fun. I watched you my whole life. So cool to know you on a personal level now. Yeah, it's been fun over the last couple years and obviously with all of us getting involved into the cars tour and being able to really kind of get to know our grassroots guys and what's happening in the grassroots system. And you were already entrenched in that system. Kind of tell us your background. Where did you come from? How did you get to this point? Just give us some background on who you are. Yeah, so I grew up in Chesapeake, Virginia, Ricky Rudd, town, I guess. is everybody would know it in NASCAR. And I will tell you all this.

My parents, my dad raced late models. And then, of course, I wanted to race, but now it's expensive. Like, we're going to do something else. We're going to play T-ball. I broke my nose, played T-ball. That was the end of that. And finally talked to, finally talking them into getting me a go-kart. I was like six.

Started racing carts and actually ran them on dirt. On oval. Dirt ovals. Dirt Ovals. Yeah, so no road course experience until this year. But Dirt Oval's did that. And then at the time, like the traditional ladder was legend cars, then late models. I did a year of arena racing in the middle there.

I don't know if you remember what that was. Oh, yeah, that was cool. Yeah, I still have the car. I want to do something with it. But it was really cool getting a race in the Coliseum during the winter because there was nothing else going on. I did that transitioning from carts to legends. I did two years of legends, and then at the time you had to be 15 to run late models, which now it's not even exposed.

Depends where you go. Yeah, that's right. So I started racing late models at Langley, because obviously I ran primarily at Langley because that was close to home and racing on my family's budget. That's kind of what we could afford and started off really good late model racing. And then I didn't win a late model race from 2013. until 16. I Langley closed

and I ended up racing East Carolina for a season. Really, really underrated track. That place was really cool. Asphalt. East Carolina was asphalt. East Carolina Motor Streetway in Robertsonville.

Okay. It's asphalt. I hadn't been there. Oh, you need to look it up. Okay. Like turn two, looks like the guy pulling the tractor started in turn two. And when he got back around,

he forgot where he started and had to make a quick left turn. Like, super cool place, taught me a lot. And I honestly came back to Langley when they opened and I'm like, man, we just won the championship at East Carolina. Like, we're going to go back home and we're going to kick some tail. That was wrong. I got my butt whooped again.

And honestly, I struggled. You know, we run top five, but just never could win. And 2019, I got an opportunity to go around to Arcicar at Daytona. Wasn't really the best situation looking back on it, but it was an opportunity, was free. and at the end of that, I was supposed to run the whole season, and it kind of some weird stuff was going. Anyways, it all fell through.

Yeah. And I was kind of like, my late model wasn't together at the time, and I'm like, man, what am I going to do? And I ended up driving for a guy named Greer back home and ended up winning my first late mile race at Langley that year, but I had decided, like, I'd hit rock bottom at what I thought of my career. I'm like, it's over.

I'm getting old, like, in that time, if you weren't, you know, 15, 16, getting the opportunity, wasn't looking good. So I was like 19, 20, 21 around this time. So I'm like, it's probably going to be just a late model guy, which I was fine. And I was the moment I decided, like, whatever I do, I just want to show up and be a Lee Pulliam, a Philip Morris. Like, I want them to know, like, when I show up, I'm one of the best late model guys in the country.

And if I can do that and be competitive, like, and I can, you know, do that comfortable. like I'm going to be super happy doing this. Yeah. So ended up, ran good that year, but just had to one win. And then the following year when COVID happened, I kind of had got my personal family program on a better track. We'd got some Hedgcock race cars. And that was when I really went on the map.

We won the Hampton Heat. And I won at Langley. At Langley. At Langley. And I ended up winning three championships in a row at Langley, which was a tie-in a record that only two people had done. And in the process, like I said, won that Hampton Heat with my own car.

So the last year I won my Langley Championship was 22, and kind of long story here where I'm going with it. But this was the year that really changed my life. My dad worked at the port as a longshoreman, and like I'm getting older. I've got to have a job. Like, you know, I can't live off mom and dad forever. And I'm trying to be a race car driver,

but I realized, like, at the time, and I was also going to school for engineering. Like, I pretty far along on that, I still want to finish it. But I got an opportunity to get a job down at the port, moving cargo boxes off the ships, like, you know, where my dad worked. And, you know, family, my granddad was there.

My dad was there. So, you know, he pulled some strings and got me in. It's hard to get in down there. So I had to take it when I got the call. So I, man, like, I don't know how I'm going to keep racing. And I knew I had a chance that year, to win three in a row.

So I was going to do whatever it took to at least run one more full season. But after that, I was probably only going to be able to run big races or so. I wasn't going to be able to get off work and stuff like that. And at the same time, the Staten family lived the street over from me

and I'd been hanging out with them. And he, John Staten was racing his dirt car and I'd go help him. He decided, we're going to let you drive my other dirt car for the season. So now I got a full-time job. I'm racing Friday nights on dirt. And I'm racing Saturday night at Lank.

And I'm working seven days a week. I can't get off work. So I'm having to like, hey, man, if you cover my shift, like, I'll buy you a Drake or something. Like, I'll owe you. So I ended up winning 17 races. I won five on dirt, won the Dirt Championship, rookie at a year. And in the process of this, I won 10 at Langley and won my third championship. But three races in, I was undefeated at Langley, and the Cars Tour race was coming there.

And I wasn't going to run it. signed up on the last day to run it. I go there on Friday with my backup car because I wasn't going to take my primary. Pulled out of the pits and the Ford has like an oil block thing on the side. It fell out. Oh, no. So I literally went out of turn one and came right back into pits.

Loaded up, went home, and we were going to fix it. You got to pull the motor out to get to it. We're going to fix it. And my team was like, why don't we just take the car we've been winning with? We know we don't need practice We'll just show up, put tires on it, race Well, we ended up taking a vote Took that car back and

I ended up winning the car stories on the last lap And that's the night that the Staten family That was driving their dirt car Was like, they'd been watching me for years And helping me out a little bit And they're like, do you want to work at the port forever? You want to be a race car driver?

I'm like, no brain or like A lot, nothing against race at a port Like that was awesome like great, I was going to make a great living. I was making, for my age, with no bills, I was making good money. Yeah. And I said, man, I want to be a race car driver.

And he's like, all right, well, like, what do we need to do? Like, I'll buy the equipment. You can run it. At a time, the shortage, the tire shortage is going on. I'm like, man, we're, I don't have no info on these tracks I've ever been to. Like, I'm probably going to need to go to a team. And this is all going on. I'm still working and I'm still racing Langley.

And, like, this is all going on behind the scene. and I'm trying to figure out, like, I'm going to have to leave my job. I've only been here a year. We've got to leave my job. So I'm trying to get everything lined up. So I told him, I was like, I think we need to go leave pulling him. He didn't know who he was, looked him up, and we ended up going and meeting with him. He fell in love with Lee.

He thought they were great people. Signed the deal. And I finished out my season. I left the port in October because that's when the year starts at the port. Ended up winning my championships and ended up signing. and on the drive for Lee in the 400 that year just to get a race on our belt. And we ended up went into 400.

So then I was like, who, I can breathe. Like, I didn't pitch this to the Staten family. Right. They invested it. I went to first race with them. So, and then real. I think that, that, I think that the, the, the relationship from the outside in with Lee

seems like it's been pretty important as you've taken these next few steps. Because the relationship that you guys had from the outside looking in was like two brothers. Is that wrong? It still is. Yeah. I mean, I showed up Saturday and hung out with him for a little bit.

Honestly, our girlfriend, or my girlfriend and his wife say that they're, I think they're a little jealous because we talk too much. But we talk pretty much every day. And something that I didn't expect when I went there, like I was excited, but you never know how the relationships are going to be because, especially now, like, these drivers come in and rent a ride. and then it's over and it's done. But I don't know.

Like, Lee and I just clicked as people off the track and we were more alike than we ever would have known and we raced against each other. We would have never known it. And he's my biggest cheerleader in the corner, my biggest critique. Like, when I finished one of these archer races, he's already sent me a text about what I mean.

Watches the whole thing. Watches every lap. So it's a relationship that take, if you don't ever race again, like it'll be my brother. brother for life. And we've gone on family trips together now and always, always trying to do stuff outside of racing. Like, I won Daytona and he's the first person in my house on Sunday. That's cool. And said, we just wanted to be here to go, let's go do something together. Like, we want to celebrate

with you. And I told him, I told him this weekend at Hickery, I said, it's kind of funny, like, a lot of drivers come and go, but like our relationship is just so different. And, and I'm thankful for it because, in my opinion, I raced against him, and he should have been farther along than I am. And I feel like, and I also want to give a shout out to Phil Warren. I don't know if you know Phil Warren, but he's a legend in the late model world. He's won Martinsville twice, but he was my crew chief when I drove my family car. So like, a lot of stuff's been lost as I went to Lee, and I don't want that to get forgotten because he started helping me and had to drive me to the track because I didn't have a license. So he pretty much helped raise me like another dad,

and I won those Langley's championships with him. So I don't get the Lee Pulliam opportunity without Phil being, you know, instrumental in my life. And then obviously going to Lee, you saw what happened the last two years. And I don't feel like I get any of the opportunities I have today without my time there. Like, we accomplished some really cool things, super close to being two-time champions, and won a lot of Crown Jewel. Yeah, and I think as you look at Lee Pulliam, for those of you that don't know,

is a long-time late-model stock, late-model world in the southeast Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina legend. Yeah, I mean, he's won numerous races, and now he's kind of, he's the guy that you go to in the late-model stock world if you want to run good, and you want that experience and everything to go with it. So, you know, to be able to have that experience with him, kind of lead you into what you're doing now to be prepared for it because of the experience and high level of that everything that you've done.

But where did the butter bean thing come from? Yeah. It seems like you've kind of realized that you need a brand, you need to stand out. When did you realize that you needed to be, you know, that the on-track stuff wasn't the only thing that was happening? Well, so the butterbean thing came from when I was a baby. Oh, really?

my granddad called my mom and was like, turn a TV on, like, your son's old TV, she turned it on it. It was Butterbean to Boxer. Oh, wow. And I looked like him as a baby, like just had the same, like, yeah, baby features, right? Yeah. So, like, my whole life, my mom called me butter or butter bean, and just half the time I didn't even respond to my name is just always with butter or something like that. And honestly, it was just kind of between family and then my friends. found out, the teachers found out, the school called me by it. So it had nothing to do with racing.

Nothing. It's been there since you were born. Been there since I was born. And somewhere around my legend car day range, it ended up on my name rail. I don't know if it was my decision or not. I can't really remember. And then I

kind of had a chance to lose it 2017-ish, 16-ish. Like, I had some people helping me. they were going to do some shirts and stuff. They're like, do you want to keep the nickname or not? And I thought long and hard about it. And I said, yeah, I'm going to keep it because I want to be different. Like, people hear names all the time, but you don't forget Butterbean.

Like, you might forget Brendan, but you're not going to forget Butterby. You're like, oh, yeah, I know that name. I got Butterbean guy. That's right. So I kept it and then kind of just started building my brand with it. And honestly, like, it's crazy looking back on it. but like you always dream of going racing and having the fan base, Bean Nation, as we call now.

But, like, I don't even remember how it started, but, like, it's grown and it's grown and it's grown. And, like, I sell my own merch. That's been huge. But I think having that brand and then I think working at the port, showing how I can relate to everybody. Like, at the end of the day, when I climb that fence, I'm one of those on the other side.

Like, I'm ready to come. ever there to hang out with y'all. Like, I feel like the only difference is I got an opportunity and I make the most of it. But there's, like, I'll never be above those people spending their hard-earned money to come watch us race. Like, if they're not there, what am I racing for? So, I think the butter being, like, obviously I know I read the comments. People are tired of hearing it, but I'm not. Like, if we're winning, that means they're hearing about it. The one thing I've learned is people are going to, there's going to be somebody complaining all the freaking time.

And there's going to be those core fans that root for you and you just stick to your, stick to your, your natural. It's never your fault with them core fans, right? It's never your fault. And it's always your fault with it with the haters. So that's what makes it fun. And the Waffle House thing, Brendan celebrates at the Waffle House every time that they win. So when did that start?

Yeah, that was, came from our dirt racing days when I was actually helping John. And we would, obviously, you know, everybody's hungry after the race. I don't eat a lot on race day to begin with. And dirt racing ends in the morning. Yeah. Get there late in the morning, right? So, honestly, like, this only thing open. Like, around where we were racing, there wasn't hardly anything else.

And a lot of the, like, restaurant bars would close, especially, like, when COVID happened. Yeah. Nothing stayed open late anymore. So, honestly, we just started doing a Waffle House thing because it was, close to home, it was the only thing open. And I think what we realized doing it, like, we're not the only ones that do it. But what we realized was it was such a good moment to have that time with the guys. Like, even now, I always say, like, the driver, like, I get the spotlight and I get the attention. But, like, as soon as I get to Victor Lane, I hug every single one of my guys

because they're the, they're the reason I'm on that front stretch celebrating. Like, I see the hours they put in and I know what it takes. So, like, I feel like taking. them out is my time to give them like, hey, let's go tell stories. Let's get the jukebox cranking. Like, let's have a good time. Like, we're in there cranking old country and just having a ball, you know, and we're not causing any trouble, right? We just take the trophy, take some photos, and mess with the waitresses in them and get some conversations going. And a lot of times, some of Bean Nation comes, and we try to include them. And it's a little bit harder now because we fly out. But when I was late model racing, we'd pack a waffle house. But that's kind of how it started.

It was just really the only thing open. And it was before I was even winning the races. And I just kind of kept it going. And obviously, John being the driver then and then now being my big partner with the best repair company helping me out, he's been big on like, we're going to, we need some waffles. If I don't win, if I won this week, but if I don't, if I don't win next week, he'll let me know. I ain't had a waffle on a while. So he's always. Busting my tail about it. Keeping you honest. And I think when you look at last weekend at Iowa,

you went and had a great weekend, won your fifth archer race. Did you have to convince everybody to go take that picture afterward? Did you stage that? Did you stage that picture? Well, so Nicole and I were walking in, and I was like, that's a bad to the bone sign right there.

I was like, infield of dreams. Like, this is perfect. I said, she's like, well, get a picture. I said, if I win tonight, I'll get a picture. So one of our team guys had a car in, and we all piled in to leave. And I said, we're making one stop. I said, we're all going to get out and take a photo at this thing. It's funny, we get out.

And then, like, out of everybody there, here comes Bob, Pockris, walking up. I was like, Bob, take this photo for us. So Bob took the photo. And, yeah, it's just the little things like that. Wait, Bob took that photo? Well, I got him on my phone to take it. But Bob was walking up. I was like, Bob, I tried to get him to get into.

photo with us, but he said no. You got a photo with him, but Bob was the lead photographer on the team photo. Yes, Bob took the photo. That's great. So, but it's the little things like that. I mean, I want to be known as whether this is the last year of my racing career or I get more opportunities, I want the guys that I work with, whether it's at Lees, whether it's at Pinnacle, whether it's when I ran my family team.

I want them to be like, man, those were some of the best times working with him. and I want them to enjoy having me and be able to tell their kids one day or something that, like, what they think of me. You know, I don't want them to be like, man, thank the Lord the seasons over. Like, I want them to be like, man, I wish we're still racing. So I try to enjoy my time and my moments with them.

Yeah, and when you look back, I mean, your reputation is all that you have, right? That's right. And you build that character and that reputation as you interact with people and you mingle with people and your race and how you handle things. I mean, it's just, it's one thing after another. But so you go from, and I want to go back. I know you're driving a Chevrolet now, but I want to go back to your cars, tours, success,

and the opportunity to get in that truck. Yeah, that was. How did that happen? I mean, was that planned or did it just happen because of the success and Lee's relationship with Toyota at the time and everything you guys had going on? How did that happen? Because that was a, I mean, the Cars Tour got you noticed, but that really puts you on the map nationally.

Yeah, the first year in 23 with Lee, we won, I think, nine or something, nine, ten races total. Like, we won four Cars Tour races, one Wilkesboro, won some really big races that were kind of getting me on the map in the late model world. And then Cars Tour was like getting bigger with flow and everything. And then I built that relationship with Flo where I was doing the vlogs. That was tremendous.

So I can't think Flo enough for that. Like I wish we were still doing that. But that was really big key in a lot of things. Just showing who you were. Showing who I was. The first year, Lee wasn't Toyota. At the end of that season, he had told me, or I had said, like, I would like to come back for another season.

He said, you know, absolutely. your spots here. He said, but I'm working this deal. Like, we're probably going to have a Toyota team car. You know, let me make sure everything's going to work out. But I told them that you're going to be here too. And I got to know Toyota through that. I got to talk to Trent and everybody over there. They brought me down and met with me. And, you know, kind of wanted me to, not to speak for them, but it kind of felt like I was going to be at Lees. I really wasn't technically a Toyota driver, but I was had access to the TPC, and I also was, you know,

kind of just look out for the 55 and try to help her at the, or whoever drove it at the time. There was multiple drivers. Isabella was in it, Bouchel was in it, and then Gio. So, like, just kind of look out and try to help them if I could. And I felt like I always told them, you know, what I could to help them.

But honestly, that happened. and I don't know if it's sore subject, but against your car, Thanksgiving Classic happens. Yeah. And heck of a race. I mean, like. That was with Josh Barry. With Josh.

And like, you know, that race right there did a lot for me too. But that race was like insane. And we ended up winning it. And Toyota called around that time and had said like, hey, we got the one truck available. We really like what you do. we like your personality. Can we try to put something together?

We're going to help you a little bit, but you're going to have to bring this much funding. So I call the state and family and let them know. And they're like, we'll make it happen one way or another. So I signed that Wilkesboro deal. And that's all it was was a one race deal. Right before Wilkespro or right after is when I ended up getting the extra two races, we ended up being able to afford to do it.

But that's kind of how that Toyota relationship happened. and then the debut went about as good as you could do without winning. And it was an exciting time in my life. You know, I thought Toyota was going to be maybe a home for me. Obviously, things are way different now. And I wouldn't change anything. I love what I'm doing. But at that time, I'm like, man, like, I'm into clique now.

But it was a long way for being into clicks. Yeah. So as you look back, I mean, obviously, in the right situation. I mean, you can run up front and win truck races. You're pretty much done what you need to do in ARCA. You've, you know, I mean, you guys are on your way to race them for the championship and doing everything that you need to do on, on that side of it. One, a handful of races already on all different kinds of racetracks that you've really never seen. That's right. And so what do you think the future holds? I mean, where do you want

it to go? Is there anything that you, is there a path that you think you need? need to go on and looking to push forward through. Well, and not to backtrack for a second, but I will say this about going to the ARCA. Like, I know the field separation is not like cars tour, but I couldn't. You've got to have that experience. I couldn't learn Michigan in a late model, right? So, like, what I'm proud of, though, is I've accomplished late model stock stuff before I went. It wasn't like I got a false read of, this is easy.

Yeah. Like I've, I've experienced this side of it before I got to this side. Not that ARCA's easy. You still got to beat some really good cars, but I know it's not like beating 30 late models. Yeah. I think the age deal is what scared me for the most because I thought, like, man, I'm too old. But now Josh Barry changed that for the good. Like, I think that I feel more mature than I did five years ago, like in my decision-making

of how to manage a whole race. So I think all that has changed everything for my, what's the plan? Like, how do I move forward? I think the ARCA deal was big for me to get this experience, learn some air, go to tracks with more practice, then I'll get it the next level. That's kind of why I did it because I get 50 minutes

pretty much every track where trucker X-Finnies going to be 20 minutes and you're in. Obviously, I had to trucker. start at IRP wasn't we were just off. But hoping to, I don't know what the rest of the season's going to hold. I like to get some more opportunities, whether it's Xfinity or truck. And then next year, I feel like to be in something full-time above ARCO, whether it's truck or X-Finity, I don't have the budget, but we're doing all we can.

And I feel like I'm doing all I can on the track to maybe make that. budget go from having to have this much to hear and maybe a team or a sponsor takes a chance. So I think we got some good conversations going for next year. Like I'm in a, I feel like I'm in a really good spot. Do you handle a lot of that? Are you in the middle of a lot of those conversations yourself? I am, obviously, I'm with Clear 28 with Brandon McReynolds and them, and they do a really good job helping me. First time in my life, I have a calendar. You know, they're like, I've, I'm doing everything I can. I'm into Josh Wise program.

That's been good. Working out at Chevy and analyzing. I'm actually, like, I take my own notes now. I got my iPad. I'm always typing post-raised stuff. So I have it for next year, where I never really did note-taking. I've kind of changed a lot of my attack.

I like to be really prepared before I even get there because I know I only have one shot at it. And I don't want to sit on my tail and be lazy and let it slip. so not going to let the next guy outwork me. Yeah. But I think Brandon and them do such a good job, and I think they kind of took a chance on me after Wilkesboro last year when I ran that truck, still being a late model guy.

And they, you know, kind of my motto racing, I always said trust the process. And that's kind of how it's been. And they've, Brandon and Corey and everybody at the agency has done really good for me and have got me in front of people that I probably wouldn't have had access to get into the, table, the talk, and just really thankful for it, because I think it'd be a even longer road without having somebody helping me. But I do like to be involved. Like, I like to know what's going

on. I like to, when we have meetings, I like to be there. I like to, like to shake a hand. I like to, I like to let them know who I am and, you know, not just, yeah, whatever. Like, you know. I always tell our guys, there's nobody cares about you more than you. And being there, being there to let those people know who you are and shake that hand and do the things that you're not supposed to. That's kind of the art that's been lost with a lot of the modern day driver is they don't know, they don't know how to be personable. They don't know how to shake a hand. They don't know how to go drink a beer with somebody. They don't know. You have to. How to show up at the right events and do the right things so that when you are in a slump, you don't

lose your sponsor because you don't have a relationship with those people. And, you know, it's so important for the driver to be in the middle of that. So I got a couple of fun questions here. So as you're growing up as a kid, who was your guy? I mean, you grew up in Ricky Rudd's town. So who was, were you a cup fan? Were you an IndyCar fan? Did you not even watch?

What was your fandom as you were a young man? Man, I loved it. I never went anywhere without race cars in my hands. Yeah. And I'm now, it's funny. As a kid, always had little cars. now I'm back into collecting diecasts. Yeah.

Like now that my stuff's at Lionel. Like, it's funny, I just got one of your cars. Really? The other day, I got the, I think it was O-3, Loonie-Tune-Tune car. Like, I love the Looney Tune cars back in the day, the movie cars, the Gretchen Wilson car. Like, I am, I'm big into collecting stuff. And it's cool now having my own die-cast. Like, just makes five-year-old me freaking out.

But I was a big. You know, like, I grew up into like the Speed Channel days and before school watching Speed Channel and then getting off the bus and Budweiser's shootout qualifying was on. Like I was watching practice, happy hour, everything. But I was a Dale fan. I mean, junior, like, I was, that's who I liked. And, you know, not just because you're here, but like when you won, I loved it. Like, I loved your personality.

I loved the fire. Remember you jumping over to hoods. Oh, yeah. Can't do it now. I probably pissed a lot of those people off when we jumped on top of the Woodbrother's car when Red was driving it. Oh, man. So, but like, you know, like I loved that part of it. Like, I'm sitting there, you know, six, seven years old.

Like, yeah. Like, this guy's awesome. Yeah, now I got to, now, unfortunately, YouTube is a thing. You got to go back and explain that to my little guy. So, yeah. It's definitely not the right way to do it. So when you look back on it, what's the wildest race that you've been in that you think back? And it's just like, that's the race where it's like this happened, that happened, we ran over it, whatever it is.

What's the craziest race that you've been involved with? Because in the late model world, a lot of people just watch the national series and they don't see all the wildness that happens on some of those Saturday races. Definitely late model races. I mean, it's hard to not go between like that Thanksgiving classic race. That was wild. That was a great race. I mean, insane. No one wrecked anybody.

It got rough, but it was not over the line, I felt like. The Hampton Heat last year when me and Connor was insane. I mean, we were pushing each other like we always do, poking each other. Your biggest rival so far? I think that gets, I think the media thinks so. I think we grew up racing Langley together. I think we pushed each other to be better. Yeah.

I love the Langley. proud, though. It's one side or the other. Oh, between us, too? Oh, yeah. Oh, it's bad. Like, when I won that race against him last year, somebody threw a beer can and it missed my head by like an inch and hit the side of the car in Victory Lane. Oh, wow. And in all my photos, the beer can's sitting up, just sitting there. I'm like, yeah. I remember Jeff Gordon winning at Talladega under caution and, you know, if Junior didn't win at Talladega, it was. Yeah. And we all had to ride up against the catch fence because I think everybody in the whole place was throwing. everything that they had on the racetrack.

It was wild stuff hitting the side windows, the hood. So it's funny. Like I said, I was a Dale fan. So through all the Budweiser days and all that. And then, like, I got a lot. I took a lot of heat for this. But, like, I, Brad started driving for him. And I latched on the Brad because he drove for junior.

So when he moved to Penske, like, I always kept up with him because he was one, like, I was a junior guy. So then I had junior and Brad. Brad. And then, like, Brad went through that stage of where, like, everybody was trying to fight him and stuff. And, like, I had a Brad shirt. I had a Brad shirt. Like, everybody would just talk best to me.

I'm like, you know what? It's my guy. Like, and then, so, like, like, I remember Texas. Oh, yeah. Not breaking up. Yeah. But, like, it was a whole, like, like, as a fan, I'm like, yeah, this is awesome. Turned into a melee.

Yeah. All right. So, last question. What was your first car that you drove on the street? I still have it. You still drive it? Or you just have it? I did up until really cars tour.

I ended up getting a newer truck just through sponsorship with Leith cars. Yeah. Because of all the traveling. But I still have my truck. It's in Chesapeake and it needs a little bit of work. I want to bring it down here if I'm going to stay down here. I had a lifted. It was on 35, 6-inch lift on it's a 2000s.

Silverado. Yeah. It's got one half door on the right. The left side don't even open. It's just one door on the left. And I loved it. It's white. I totaled it a month after having my license.

Of course you did. And bought it back and fixed it. And yeah, still got it. Well, good. Well, it's always fun to hear those stories of first cars. But, man, I can't tell you how excited I am to have you on the show. I think it's important for our fans to learn about you guys. you've had a great run and I love your work and effort that you put in in everything that you do.

I appreciate it. I hope you have great success and move on to the next level. You deserve it. Hey, it means a lot coming from you. Like I said, y'all were the guys I looked up to my whole life and respect everything y'all did. And, you know, little little five-year-old Brennan be freaking out. He's sitting here talking to you. So I appreciate all the words and having me on, man. Well, thanks for being here. Thank you.