LOUDON, N.H. -- NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series owner-driver Stewart Friesen made his return to the garage this weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway after a nearly eight-week absence recovering from serious injuries he incurred while racing in a Super DIRTcar Series race in Canada.
A popular figure in the sport, he smiled and conceded it’s been a warm welcome back. Still using crutches and undergoing treatment for a fractured pelvis and multiple breaks in his right tibia, Friesen has a long recovery ahead, but being trackside at New Hampshire was good therapy for the soul.
RELATED: Truck Series standings | At-track photos“It’s good," he smiled, acknowledging the greeting he’s received. “I’m at least mobile enough to be here, it’s only four hours from home and it’s great to be back and see all these guys, not necessarily on our team, even, but the people I’ve met in the last 10 years doing this. It’s good to see everyone in the garage. So many people have reached out and said they were thinking of us. It’s been so cool to have the support of the racing community.
“It’s very, very humbling knowing how many people are thinking of us and supporting us. The people at Toyota have been awesome. Makes me feel proud to know we’re in a community like this that supports each other."
Friesen qualified for the 2025 driver’s championship with a victory at Michigan -- only four weeks before his crash. Now, however, Kaden Honeycutt is driving the Halmar-Friesen Racing No. 52 Toyota truck. Honeycutt had qualified for the driver’s championship on his own merits and his effort also keeps Friesen’s truck competitive for the owner’s title.
MORE: Friesen elects not to pursue waiver for Truck Series Playoffs eligibilityHoneycutt’s seventh-place run in Saturday afternoon’s race was good enough to advance both he and Friesen’s No. 52 truck to the next round of playoff competition.
Honeycutt is ranked eighth in the driver’s standings, and the No. 52 truck is ranked seventh in the owner’s championship.
While Friesen is clearly happy to be back for a NASCAR race weekend, he was hesitant to commit to much of the remaining schedule at this point in his recovery, although he said he’d like to be trackside at Phoenix Championship Weekend in November. He has no timetable for his return to the cockpit, however, while working through the rehab and managing the pain he still suffers from.
“I’m doing everything they say to do," Friesen said, “I’ve got great, strong guys behind me and I’m so grateful."