Brenden Queen's race recap in the 2026 Chase race at Talladega

Brenden Queen delivered an impressive seventh-place finish in Friday's Love's RV Stop 225 at Talladega Superspeedway, recording the highest finish among the race's rookie competitors. The Kaulig Racing driver started 36th and gained 29 positions during an event filled with major accidents and unpredictable drafting conditions.Queen began the afternoon at the rear of the field but steadily worked forward as the race progressed. His No. 12 Ram demonstrated competitive speed during the middle stages, allowing him to challenge established Truck Series contenders. Queen secured the final stage point in Stage 2 by finishing 10th, providing an early boost to his afternoon.He remained competitive during the final stage, briefly battling among the leading trucks as Tanner Gray and others exchanged positions. Queen avoided the severe damage that eliminated multiple competitors and maintained a strong position heading into overtime. He ultimately finished seventh, just 0.277 seconds behind winner Sammy Smith.The result earned Queen 31 points and represented an important performance during his rookie campaign. Queen remains 15th in the overall NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series standings with 472 points, sitting just three behind Justin Haley.Although he missed the championship Chase, Queen will attempt to continue improving his position at Martinsville and Homestead-Miami.This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: Brenden Queen's race recap in the 2026 Chase race at Talladega