Stewart Friesen remembers all the things about July 28, 2025.
It might’ve been straightforward for the veteran driver to stroll away. However that thought by no means crossed his thoughts.
Racing within the Tremendous DIRTcar Collection — as he typically does, alongside along with his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Collection duties — Friesen suffered main accidents in a crash throughout an occasion at Autodrome Drummond in Quebec, Canada. His No. 44 automobile jumped the cushion on the three/8-mile monitor and hit the top of the Flip 3 wall, with Friesen calling it a “blunt abutment.” He pirouetted via the night time sky in a ball of fireplace earlier than touchdown, when he was then struck by an oncoming race automobile at full velocity.
Commercial
Friesen was extricated from his automobile and rushed to an area hospital, the place medical doctors recognized him with a plethora of accidents, together with a damaged pelvis and three separate fractures in his proper leg. He was later transferred to a bigger hospital in New York for surgical procedure and restoration.
Friesen spent a number of days in medical services earlier than returning house, the place heavy rehabilitation awaited. He rested for a number of weeks earlier than beginning bodily remedy to rebuild vital muscle loss in his legs. As soon as winter arrived, he ramped up his coaching with the intention of returning to race motion by Speedweeks.
That he did.
RELATED:
“I’m feeling fairly good,” Friesen advised NASCAR.com forward of Friday’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, NASCAR Racing Community Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). “Undoubtedly extra comfy within the race automobile than I’m out of it strolling round and stuff. Nonetheless combating some nerve injury in my ankle — that’s been just a little little bit of a problem. However general, it’s going good. We’re again rocking and rolling.”
Commercial
Whereas Friesen nursed his accidents, his Truck Collection group nonetheless had loads to struggle for final season. On account of Friesen’s win at Michigan Worldwide Speedway final June, the Halmar-Friesen Racing No. 52 group was locked into the Truck Collection Playoffs on the proprietor aspect. HFR tapped Christopher Bell to pilot the truck at Watkins Glen Worldwide earlier than Kaden Honeycutt joined this system for the ultimate eight races.
Friesen watched from afar, rooting for each his group and Honeycutt as they made the Championship 4 in each driver and proprietor factors. Honeycutt earned 5 high 10s throughout his stint, together with a pair of top-three finishes within the last two races.
“We had the win at Michigan and ran actually good at IRP, after which I acquired damage the subsequent week. So I felt just like the group was on an upward trajectory at that time and finest it’s ever been,” Friesen stated. “Chris (Larsen, group co-owner) and all people at Halmar have been like, yep, no, we wish to preserve the group going, and we have been in a position to put Kaden within the truck, and he did an amazing job and saved the momentum going. That undoubtedly translated into a powerful finish of the yr for HFR and being within the last 4, after which some good momentum via the low season.”
In January, lower than six months after the crash, the 42-year-old examined his massive block modified at Friendship Motor Speedway in Elkin, North Carolina. He was cleared to return to racing.
Commercial
And it didn’t take him very lengthy to return to Victory Lane, both.
Friesen raced three occasions at All-Tech Raceway in Florida earlier than heading to Volusia Speedway Park for the Tremendous DIRTcar Collection opener. On February 11, simply 198 days after his damage, Friesen returned to glory.
“That was actually, actually massive to get a win, get again in Victory Lane and simply get these juices flowing for everyone,” Friesen stated. “It’s been a busy begin to the season. We’ve had some good velocity, and it’s been form of again to our loopy regular.
“[I have] a deeper appreciation for having the ability to do that, having the ability to make a residing in motorsports. Getting again to the monitor with Jess (Friesen, his spouse) racing at Fonda in September, it was like OK, not being on the race monitor for nearly a complete month, after which having the ability to get to the monitor and simply watch her and assist her out simply form of re-ignited that fireplace that, rattling, I actually love these things and that is what we wish to do. I’m simply fortunate to have a whole lot of companions that caught with me, and teammates that helped make the transition again clean.”
stewart friesen at darlington raceway
By means of 5 races on the Truck Collection aspect, it’s been up to now, so good for Friesen heading into Friday’s race at Bristol. He sits ninth in factors with a pair of high 10s, highlighted by a fourth-place end final weekend at Rockingham Speedway.
Commercial
His early numbers, although, aren’t absolutely indicative of the velocity the No. 52 Toyota has proven. Friesen led 10 laps and received a stage at EchoPark Speedway close to Atlanta, and for many of that race, he appeared poised to take down Kyle Busch in what might’ve been Spherical 2 between the drivers after final yr’s picture end. However a late mechanical failure relegated him to twentieth. Contending for at the very least a high 10 at Darlington Raceway three weeks in the past, Friesen suffered injury in an time beyond regulation restart and completed twenty fifth.
MORE:
In any other case, he could possibly be a lot increased within the Truck Collection totals.
“We’ve had actually quick vehicles, in all probability one of the best vehicles we’ve had in years,” Friesen stated. “That’s because of all our guys and our affiliation with Toyota; it’s been superior to see that, see the expansion of the group and the velocity come out of that.
Commercial
“[Rockingham was] undoubtedly a whole lot of aid. Huge shot within the arm for the group and a giant momentum builder. Having the velocity however not the finishes is irritating at instances, so to have the ability to get the end out of it was — have the bounce go the best approach there with staying out in that future and never dropping a lap attempting to do a inexperienced flag cease. So it form of labored out in our favor, and we have been in a position to capitalize there.”
After Bristol, it’s a three-week hiatus for the Truck Collection earlier than a stretch of seven races in eight weeks, spanning each coasts and together with a pair of street programs. The opposite 5 races are intermediate-style tracks, a burst that, as soon as accomplished, will mark simply 5 regular-season races remaining.
The season continues to be fairly younger, however The Chase is already high of thoughts for the Canadian-turned-New Yorker.
“I acquired to do a greater job of qualifying, to attempt to get some stage factors per second stage,” Friesen stated. “However attempting to seed ourselves just a little bit higher so we’re not taking part in catch-up for a lot of the races is form of what we’ve been doing. We’ve had race velocity, however the qualifying hasn’t been nice the final two weeks. In order we undergo that stretch, simply attempt to be constant, qualify nicely and make as a lot factors as we are able to.”
Commercial
MORE: |
As Friesen forges forward via salvation, one factor’s clear: He isn’t going anyplace, anytime quickly. The veteran stated he’s re-watched his brutal crash, however that received’t deter him from racing and embarking on one other loaded schedule throughout each the grime and NASCAR realms.
To a a lot smaller scale, Friesen is sort of a modern-day model of The Beatles. When he exhibits up at a dust monitor within the Northeast, irrespective of the venue, the followers will observe. They swarm him for autographs within the pits. They pile into the grandstands, whether or not it’s a 35-degree day in April or a 95-degree day in August.
Friesen is simply as hungry as ever and isn’t lifting off each the literal and figurative throttle.
Commercial
“It’s going to be form of extra of the identical as years previous,” Friesen stated. “Concentrate on the midweek Tremendous DIRTcar Collection and Quick Observe Tremendous Collection races all through the month of Might, June, July, simply hit as lots of these as I can within the off weeks. And yeah, form of enterprise as typical. Attempt to keep racing as a lot as I can and preserve myself in fine condition.”
