NASCAR star reveals how he got his iconic nickname, and why he kept it

Brenden ‘Butterbean’ Queen has a name nobody will forget in a hurry, heck it might be the most memorable moniker in racing right now.

The 27-year-old from Chesapeake, Virginia is a fun character and some driver, competing full-time in ARCA racing and part-time in the NASCAR Truck Series.

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He showed off his very likeable personality in an appearance on Cup Series legend Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast this week, and of course Kevin dove into the topic of that nickname, and how it came about. The answer = boxing.

How Brenden became 'Butterbean'

Brenden said: “So the Butterbean thing came from when I was a baby. My Grandad called my Mom and was like ‘turn the TV on, your son’s on TV. She turned it on and it was ‘Butterbean’ the boxer - and I looked like him as a baby. Just like had the same baby features.”

‘Butterbean’ the boxer - real name Eric Esch - as you might have guessed did actually resemble a butterbean (a simple search will throw up some nice images). He also made pretty good dollar as something of a boxing freak show, building a 77-10-4 professional record fighting at heavyweight in the 1990s. So Brenden Queen came along at just the right (or wrong) time.

Well, the nickname started just as a family thing, but eventually word got out and it became a way bigger deal. Initially that have caused Brenden a few sleepless nights.

“So like my whole life my Mom called me ‘Butter’ or ‘Butterbean’ and just half the time I didn’t even respond to my name - it was always just ‘Butter’ or something like that.

“Honestly it was kind of just between family and then my friends found out, the teachers found out, the school called me by it. It’s been there since I was born, somewhere around my Legend car range it ended up on my name rail - I don’t know if it was my decision or not, I can’t really remember.”

The name - not surprisingly - stuck with Queen throughout his school days, but eventually he did have the opportunity to change the course of ‘Butterbean’ history and lose it. It was a sliding doors moment for the future racing star.

'Butterbean' for life?

“I kind of had a chance to lose it 2017ish, 2016ish, I had some people helping me - they were gonna do some shirts and stuff and they were like ‘do you wanna keep the nickname or not?

“And I thought long and hard about it and I said ‘yeah I’m gonna keep it’. Because I want to be different. People hear names all the time but you don’t forget ‘Butterbean’. You might forget Brenden but you’re not gonna forget ‘Butterbean’.

“I kept it and kind of just started building my brand with it and honestly it’s crazy looking back on it but you always dream of going racing and having a fanbase - ‘Bean Nation’ as we call ‘em now. I don’t even remember how it started but it’s grown and grown and it’s grown.”

It’s difficult not to like Queen, as engaging off track as he is competitive on it. He is a man who absolutely never forgets where he came from - he worked at the Port of Virginia before becoming a fulltime racer.

Queen keeping it real

“I sell my own merch, that’s been huge, but I think having that brand and working at the port and showing how I can relate to everybody. At the end of the day, when I climb that fence I’m one of those on the other side. I’m ready to come in there and hang out with y’all.

“I feel like the only difference is I got an opportunity and I make the most of it. But I’ll never be above those people spending their hard-earned money to come and watch us race.”

READ MORE: NASCAR Cup Series star set to drive for new team as official statement released

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