Highly consistent ‘Butterbean’ savors first points crown
HAMPTON — Ralph Waldo Emerson once philosophized about consistency being the “hobgoblin of little minds.” That was long before menlike Brenden “Butterbean” Queen drove automobiles at high speeds on stock car racetracks, where consistency is the key to big championships.
Consistent rather than spectacular, Queen clinched his first Langley Speedway Late Model Division title by finishing third in two season-ending 50-lappers. Winner of the nonpoints Hampton Heat 200 — the track’s most lucrative and prestigious race — Queen became the rare driver in the 70-year history of Langley to win its biggest title without winning a points race.
But Queen was always close, finishing in the top four in every one of the points races. Queen also started consistently well, coaxing enough speed out of his Ford crate engine (of just two in the field) to qualify on the pole the final three weeks.
“Consistency pays off,” said Queen, who won the title in his fifth full season. “Phil Warren (Queen’s crew chief ) told me that top-threes are what it’s going to take to win a championship here.
“I didn’t want the Edwardses (brothers Danny and Greg, both six-time champions) to tie (Warren’s) streak. We saved that one more year, so Phil Warren’s still got seven (titles, the record in the Langley Speedway Late Model Division) —
he’s still the legend.”
In contrast to Queen’s consistency were the numerous wrecks suffered this season by Connor Hall, considered a preseason title favorite along with 2019 champion Greg Edwards. But both fell into deep holes in points with calamitous finishes in the two Opening Night races before finishing strongly Saturday.
Hall won both races easily, while Greg Edwards was unchallenged for second place in both.
“This is my first time doubling up,” said Hall, the only driver in the division to win three races this season. “It’s been a rough year — we spent more time wreckin’ than racin’ — and I’m glad we can go through the offseason with this.
“Hopefully we’re going to give Brenden some more competition next year.”
Queen entered Saturday’s final races with a 15-point lead over 2018 champion Danny Edwards. With Danny Edwards finishing fifth in the first race, and just 13 cars entered in the second, Queencould’ve celebrated without getting back in his Ford for the second race.
“It’s been a dream season,” he said. “As Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. said, we’re going to (party) tonight.”
The culmination of the Late Model schedule means that titles are in the books for three of Langley’s 11 divisions. Louie Pasderetz (Super Truck) and Landon Abbott (Super Street) already have clinched championships in their divisions.
Action in five other weekly divisions set the stage for Oct. 31, when eight more champions will be crowned. The Modified, UCAR and Champ Kart divisions, idle Saturday, will also conclude their seasons Oct. 31.
Grand Stock: One of the highlights on the Halloween “Championship Night” will be the culmination of the season-long duel for division supremacy between Nick Sample and 2018 champion Paul Lubno. Going into Saturday, Lubno led Sample by three points and by four victories to three.
Sample closed that gap to two points in the first of twin 25s Saturday when he finished first, three-tenths of a second ahead of runner-up Lubno. The second race did not go as well for Sample, who suffered a cut right-rear tire after contact with another car in the final laps and finished sixth.
Lubno drove off to a victory of almost three seconds. Barring a wreck or mechanical failure that sidelines him early in the final race, Lubno should win the title.
Legends 25: Tommy Jackson Jr. moved into commanding position to win a second Legends title in three seasons as he nabbed his fifth win of the 2020 campaign. Matt Dail was second, with 2019 champion Ryan Matthews third, a result that increased Jackson’s lead over Matthews to eight points with one race to go.
Pro Six 30: Jared Clarke led every lap in winning for the seventh time in as many races this season. With a repeat title already assured, Clarke will look to finish 2020 with an eight-race sweep.
Bandolero 15: Ryley Music, Phil Warren’s grandson, remained unbeaten in the division with a flagto-flag victory. With a 27-point lead over Aaliyah Painter in the standings, Music already has clinched a second consecutive title going into the season finale.
Enduro 30: Chris Kane won for the second time this season, but he is on the outside looking in on what will be a great final-night battle for the title. Richard Ellis leads the standings, with Charlie Bryant two points behind and Jimmy Adkins and Thomas Fontaine each four points behind. All four finished in the top five Saturday.
Virginia Racers 35: Cole Bruce edged Zach Lightfoot for the victory as the division concluded its first season at the track by running an abbreviated schedule.