Stewart Friesen's Road to Recovery: A Cautious Return to Racing

A Rocky Road to Recovery

Stewart Friesen, a household name in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, is preparing for the 2026 season. However, his journey hasn't been without its challenges. A serious crash during a dirt-racing event last July left him with a fractured pelvis and a broken tibia.

Despite the setback, Friesen is determined to get back behind the wheel.

The Road to Recovery

Friesen admitted that his fitness isn't quite where it used to be. He's not ready for marathons or ballet, but he's confident he can handle the demands of racing. He's been working closely with his orthopedic surgeon, and the healing process is on track. He even had two screws removed around Thanksgiving, which slowed things down a bit.

The Incident

The crash happened during a Super DIRTcar Series race in Quebec, Canada. His No. 44 car flipped and caught fire, forcing him to sit out for eight weeks. Since then, he's made appearances at various events, but he's not fully recovered yet.

Return to Racing

Friesen has confirmed his return to the No. 52 Halmar Friesen Racing Toyota for the 2026 season. He'll also be back in a Big Block Modified during the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park. However, he's decided to scale back his dirt racing schedule for safety reasons.

Focused on the Future

Despite the setback, Friesen is focused on his goals. In 2025, he qualified for the driver's championship with a victory at Michigan. But just four weeks later, his crash happened. Christopher Bell and Kaden Honeycutt took over after that, with Honeycutt taking the No. 52 Toyota to the Championship 4.

Friesen is determined to improve on this achievement in 2026.

“We’re looking forward to real racing in February, ” Friesen said.

He's been updating his equipment and applying what he's learned from NASCAR to make his Modified car safer and more comfortable. It's clear that Friesen is focused and ready to take on the new season. But he needs to make sure he's fully recovered before he hits the track.