Stewart Friesen Bio
Stewart J. Friesen (born July 25, 1983) is a Canadian-American professional dirt track and stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 52 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for Halmar Friesen Racing, and part-time at local dirt tracks across New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and elsewhere in the United States, driving the No. 44 car for HFR. Known for his success on dirt and pavement alike, Friesen has built a reputation as one of the Northeast’s most accomplished Modified racers before transitioning into the NASCAR national series ranks.
Born in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Friesen grew up around short-track racing and later settled in Sprakers, New York. He is a multi-time EMPA North East Driver of the Year and a two-time winner on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series circuit.
Early Life and Background
Stewart J. Friesen was born on July 25, 1983, in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. His family owned Ransomville Speedway in Western New York, an environment that placed him around race cars from a very young age. Friesen grew up in Niagara-on-the-Lake and played hockey as a child, balancing his early sporting interests with time at the family track.
After starting in go-karts, Friesen moved into big-block Modified racing across the Northeast United States and quickly found success. He attended the University of Windsor, where he earned a degree in science. His Canadian roots and American racing base would later shape his identity as a Canadian-American driver competing on both sides of the border.
Path to NASCAR
Friesen’s climb through the dirt ranks was steady and well documented. He advanced to the 2010 World Finals at Charlotte Motor Speedway and was named the 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 Modified track champion at Fonda Speedway. In the mid-2010s, he became one of the top competitors in the Super DIRTcar Series, and he also triumphed in the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, accumulating more than 230 career feature wins by the end of the 2017 season. He has won the Syracuse 200 Modified race four times and has run more than nine hundred dirt races in his career.
The move to NASCAR came through Chris Larsen, who gave Friesen his first NASCAR ride at Eldora Speedway in what was supposed to be a one-time deal. The partnership blossomed into a full-time ride, and Friesen debuted in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2016 at the Eldora Dirt Derby. The relationship with Larsen eventually grew into the formation of Halmar Friesen Racing, the team Friesen still drives for today.
Stewart Friesen Career
Early Career (2000–2015)
Friesen made his Modified racing debut in 2000 and quickly built a résumé that placed him among the Northeast’s elite. He raced big-blocks with widespread success across New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, advancing to high-profile events such as the World Finals at Charlotte Motor Speedway. By the end of the 2017 season, he had accumulated over 230 career feature wins across Modifieds, Sprint cars, and TQ Midgets.
His Modified track championships at Fonda Speedway in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015 established him as a dominant force on the New York dirt scene. Friesen also made appearances in Sprint car racing and TQ Midgets during this period, collecting 19 Sprint car wins and 7 TQ Midget wins between 1999 and 2013. The 2010, 2014, 2015, 2020, and 2021 EMPA North East Driver of the Year awards reflect his consistency across this developmental era.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Breakthrough (2016–2019)
Friesen’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut came in the 2016 Aspen Dental Eldora Dirt Derby at Eldora Speedway, where he started 12th but finished 28th after contact with Caleb Holman. He ran five more races that season, with a best finish of 13th at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. On January 9, 2017, Friesen announced a full-time effort in the No. 52 Halmar Friesen Racing truck with Tommy Baldwin Jr. joining as team manager. He finished 14th in the 2017 final standings.
The 2018 season brought a deeper alliance with GMS Racing, three runner-up finishes, and a playoff run that ended in the Round of 8. Friesen finished seventh in the final standings. The breakthrough came in 2019, when he won his first career Truck Series race at Eldora on August 1, then added his first paved-track victory at Phoenix on November 8 by passing Brandon Jones with four laps remaining. He qualified for the Championship 4 for the first time and finished fourth in the final standings, the best result of his NASCAR career to that point.
He also made a one-off start in the NASCAR Xfinity Series via talks with JR Motorsports, though the deal never materialized into a race. Across his Truck Series career at HFR, Friesen has accumulated 4 wins, 94 top-ten finishes, and 4 pole positions.
NASCAR Cup Series (2021)
Friesen made his NASCAR Cup Series debut in 2021 at the Food City Dirt Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, driving the No. 77 for Spire Motorsports. Despite campaigning a Toyota in the Truck Series, he drove for the Chevrolet-based Spire team for this one-off appearance. He finished 23rd, one lap down, and his best Cup Series result remains that single start with a 55th-place final standings position.
Halmar Friesen Racing Era (2017–Present)
Friesen has been the face of Halmar Friesen Racing since the team’s formation. The No. 52 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro has become his signature ride, and the organization has continued its technical alliance with GMS Racing while remaining loyal to Toyota. After missing the playoffs in 2020, Friesen returned full-time in 2021 and made the postseason again, finishing sixth in the final standings.
The 2022 season included a long-awaited return to Victory Lane at Texas, where he broke a 54-race winless streak by passing Christian Eckes in overtime for his third Truck Series win. In 2023 and 2024, Friesen remained competitive with multiple top-fives and top-tens, including a pole at Nashville in 2024, but finished 12th in both final standings. He broke a 72-race winless streak in 2025 with a triple-overtime victory at Michigan in the DQS Solutions & Staffing 250.
Driving Style and Strengths
Friesen is widely recognized for his elite dirt-track racecraft, particularly on slick, groove-limited surfaces where throttle control and car placement are paramount. His Modified background gives him an edge on the Truck Series’ dirt events, including Eldora and the Bristol Dirt Race. He is also noted for his patience on long runs on pavement, his ability to capitalize in overtime finishes, and his close working relationship with his HFR crew, which has fueled multiple late-race comebacks.
Notable Races and Milestones
Friesen’s signature tracks include Eldora Speedway, where he claimed his first Truck Series win in 2019, and Phoenix Raceway, site of his first paved victory the same year. He has also scored late-model wins at Texas, Michigan, and across the New York dirt scene, including his 100th career win at Fonda Speedway in April 2026. On July 28, 2025, Friesen suffered a fractured pelvis and right leg in a high-speed crash at Autodrome Drummond in Quebec, forcing him out of the remainder of the Truck Series season, with Christopher Bell and Kaden Honeycutt filling in.
Stewart Friesen Career Wins
Stewart Friesen has compiled a versatile résumé that spans dirt Modifieds, Sprint cars, TQ Midgets, and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. His four Truck Series wins, 94 top-ten finishes, and 4 pole positions underscore his consistency in the national series, while his more than 230 career Modified and Sprint car feature wins highlight his stature in the Northeast dirt community.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Highlights
Friesen has 4 wins, 94 top-tens, and 4 poles in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. His first win came at the 2019 Eldora Dirt Derby, followed later that season by his first paved-track victory at Phoenix, which locked him into the Championship 4. His most recent Truck Series win came at Michigan in 2025, breaking a 72-race winless streak in triple-overtime. His best season finish remains fourth in 2019.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the Truck Series, Friesen has collected more than 230 feature wins across Modified and Sprint car racing, including four Syracuse 200 victories and Modified track championships at Fonda Speedway in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. He has also made starts in the NASCAR Canada Series, with a best result of 39th in the 2022 final standings.
Stewart Friesen Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Friesen’s family owned Ransomville Speedway in Western New York, an upbringing that placed him around race cars from childhood. That family connection to short-track racing laid the foundation for his career, and his ties to the Northeast dirt community remain strong through his continued ownership and operation of race teams and merchandise ventures.
Personal Life
Friesen is married to Jessica Friesen (née Zemken). The couple has one son. Together, they run a t-shirt printing business called One-Zee Tees, which was originally launched as a fallback plan in case racing did not work out. The family resides in Sprakers, New York.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season for Stewart Friesen and the No. 52 Halmar Friesen Racing team began with a 23rd-place finish at Daytona. Friesen then broke a 72-race winless streak in dramatic fashion, capturing the DQS Solutions & Staffing 250 at Michigan in triple-overtime. That victory, his fourth career Truck Series win, marked an early-season high point for HFR.
On July 28, 2025, while competing in a Super DIRTcar Series event at Autodrome Drummond in Quebec, Friesen was involved in a high-speed accident that resulted in a fractured pelvis and right leg. The injuries forced him to miss the remainder of the Truck Series season. Christopher Bell filled in for the Watkins Glen race, and Kaden Honeycutt, recently released from Niece Motorsports, took over the No. 52 for the final eight races beginning at Richmond.
Despite the shortened campaign, Friesen’s Michigan win and early-season consistency kept Halmar Friesen Racing in the conversation as one of the Truck Series’ resilient independent entries. His ongoing recovery and the team’s performance with substitute drivers through the closing races will shape the outlook for Friesen and HFR heading into 2026.
