Brent Crews fends off Brenden Queen to win ARCA Menards Series thriller at Phoenix

The win is the third ARCA Menards Series victory for the 16-year-old driver in nine ARCA starts. 

"Winning this race is so special for me," Crews told Fox Sports. "It was my mom's birthday yesterday, so I'm dedicating this one to her. (I've) been racing Brenden for the whole year last year, (I've) been able to race him for CARS Tour wins, to come here to a track like Phoenix and race him for the win was really special."

After the race, Queen expressed frustration:

"I don't want to say nothing to get myself in trouble," Queen told Fox Sports when asked about the way he was raced on the final lap. "It's just frustrating, only way they beat us is to knock us out (of) the way. I'm just going to look at it as I have to do a better job on that restart. I shouldn't have let him get close enough. I gave him the bottom into (turn) one to try and not get hit. (I) almost with I wouldn't have cleared him (off of turn two) and stayed door-to-door, I could've ran him up the hill (in turns three and four).

"Just frustrating. I'm not going to look at it as what he did, I'm going to look at it as what I can do better."

Queen, Treyten Lapcevich, Lawless Alan and Lavar Scott rounded out the top-five, with Kole Raz, Thad Moffitt, Patrick Staropoli, Robbie Kennealy and Corey Day completing the top-10. 

Other notable finishers include Andy Jankowiak in 14th, Kyle Keller in 15th, Brayton Laster in 22nd, Isabella Robusto in 31st and Ryan Vargas in 32nd. 

The first overtime restart of the evening was caused by a spinning Tim Viens, who brought out the yellow flag on the final lap of regulation. 

The field barely had time to take the green for the one-lap dash to the checkered flag, however, before Tyler Reif was turned into the inside wall in the dogleg by Thad Moffitt, forcing a second overtime restart. 

Queen spun his tires on the first overtime restart, but got a better launch on the second attempt. While he cleared Crews with half a lap to go, Crews muscled his way by in the final corner to score the win. 

The third race of the 2025 ARCA Menards Series season will take place at Talladega Superspeedway on April 26.