Queen Puts On A Show at Kansas, Wins 2nd Race Of Season

Brenden Queen survived the one-lap to go restart to claim victory in Friday night’s ARCA Menards Series Tide 150 at Kansas Speedway, as he scored his second series win in just four races to begin the 2025 campaign.

Queen pulled through as the strongest car in the field throughout the evening, as he led a race-high 72 laps to hold off a late charge from Joe Gibbs Racing’s William Sawalich for the victory.

With the win, Queen became the series points leader.

STANDINGS: 2025 ARCA Menards Series Standings After Kansas

After Lawless Alan claimed his first career pole position earlier in the day, the driver of the No. 20 Venturini Motorsports Toyota Camry led the opening four laps of the race before Sawalich took a commanding lead in the early stages of the event.

For the next 25 laps, Queen began his pursuit of Sawalich for the lead, and he sliced the gap down from two seconds before Queen fully reeled in the No. 18 Toyota of Sawalich for the race lead.

On Lap 35, Queen led his first of 72 laps on the night as he took the lead after Sawalich lost the nose of his No. 18 Toyota into Turn 3, which allowed Queen to drive under him to take the lead away.

After the first caution of the night for the halfway break, Queen fired back off with the lead before the first crash of the evening took place with 18 laps to go as Michael Maples lost control of his No. 99 coming off Turn 4 to bring the field back together.

The Pinnacle Racing Group rookie contender, Queen pulled away on the restart before another caution flew after Thad Moffitt, who narrowly wrecked his No. 46 Toyota Camry while running inside the top 5 early in the race, came off Turn 2 colliding with Lavar Scott, destroying his car, ending his hopes of scoring a solid finish.

Here was the incident that broke out moments ago where Thad Moffitt thought he was clear, when he wasn't. pic.twitter.com/3pXLS897ok

— Toby Christie (@Toby_Christie) May 10, 2025

Queen fired off once again on the next restart by clearing Sawalich entering Turn 1, as he began what he thought would be his final drive to victory. However, it was short-lived just as Queen took the white flag, but couldn’t collect the checkered flag before another late-race wreck, one that this time involved both female competitors in the field — Lanie Buice and Isabella Robusto — who got together.

Robusto would receive the worst of the accident and would make hard contact with the inside SAFER barrier. This set the race up for an ARCA Overtime one-lap shootout.

A MASSIVE hit for Isabella Robusto at Kansas.pic.twitter.com/dL1ZySPKJd

— Taylor Kitchen (@_TaylorKitchen_) May 10, 2025

Just as it had been the entire night for Queen, he dominated on the restart, as he completely drove away from the grasps of Sawalich, Alan, and Mason Mitchell, a former Kansas Speedway winner, as the 27-year-old victory replicated his victory at Daytona with the No. 18 of Sawalich finished in his rear view mirror as Queen picked up his second ARCA victory of 2025.

“That’s what a race car driver lives for, an opportunity to redeem themselves,” said Queen in a post-race interview, referring to his previous two shortcomings at Phoenix Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway.

Queen himself had stated that he wanted to improve his expertise on restarts, coming through when it mattered the most during the 150-mile sprint.

“As a late model guy, I’m used from going to third to fourth (gear), so when were going through the whole h-pattern (shifter), trying to manage the runs, Derek Kneeland (spotter), did such a great job of coach me and keeping me in the game.”

Mitchell, Alan, and Scott were the top 5 after 100 laps around the 1.5-mile oval.

The rest of the top 10 was followed by Andy Jankowiak in sixth, seventh went to Jason Kitzmiller, Buice, after saving her race car in her accident with Robusto drove home to eighth, Spencer Gallagher in ninth, as Ryan Vargas took the final spot in 10th.

The ARCA Menards Series will make the journey to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the fifth round of the season on Friday, May 23, for the General Tire 150, which will air live on FS1 beginning at 6 pm EST, while Performance Racing Network, ARCARacing.com, and Sirius XM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 will provide the radio broadcast of the event.

ARCA Menards Series Tide 150 Results