It’s been a highly painful and challenging few months for NASCAR star Stewart Friesen, but things are now very much on the up for the fulltime Truck Series driver.
The 42-year-old is now very much on the comeback trail after recovering from the horrific injuries he suffered in a major Modified wreck last July.
Friesen was competing in the SuperDIRTcar King of the North race in Drummondville, Quebec, when disaster struck.
He was running wide on the track in the very early stages when he was catapulted into the air, flipping multiple times before finally coming to a stop in a flaming wreck. The race was immediately red-flagged.
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, Friesen's team confirmed that he had been hospitalized and wife Jessica later revealed the extent of his significant injuries.
She confirmed that Stewart had suffered ‘an unstable/open-book pelvis fracture’ (meaning breaks in multiple places) and a fractured right leg. He would later undergo surgery after being transferred to a New York hospital.
Several months of painstaking rehab followed for Friesen, and now the news is good as he readies himself for a return to action in the season opener at Daytona on Friday February 13 (7.30pm Eastern, FS1).
On the back of a successful test at Charlotte, Friesen provided an upbeat update when speaking to FOX insider Bob Pockrass.
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Stewart Friesen on NASCAR comeback
He joked: "No marathons yet, and no ballet in my future. I'm good enough to do what I need to do in the race car, and I was pretty nervous about all that. ... It was a long time on crutches and then transitioned to a cane for a couple of weeks.
“But I started leaving that around the house and losing its place, so I just got to kind of push through it and keep building muscle. I still have some ways to go but I'm feeling really good."
Nemechek signs up for Daytona 2026
Friesen also had more good news to share from his Halmar Friesen team, announcing that John Hunter Nemechek will join for that February 13 showdown in Daytona.
Stewart revealed: "I speak for everyone at HFR by saying how pumped we are to have John Hunter kick off our first season as a full-time two-truck team at Daytona.
“His track record and experience speaks for itself, and we all know he will do a great job competing for a win in the biggest race of the year."
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