NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Stewart Friesen was seriously injured Monday night while competing in a Super DIRTcar Series race at Autodrome Drummond in his home country of Canada.
Friesen suffered the injuries when his No. 44 car hit the Turn 3 wall and caught fire as it flipped. He was then struck by another competitor before his car finally came to a rest. While Friesen was alert and communicating with officials and first responders, he was taken to a nearby hospital for further evaluation.
Stewart Friesen was involved in a major wreck during his Dirt Modified race at Autodrome Drummond.
— Taylor Kitchen (@_TaylorKitchen_) July 29, 2025
The latest update confirms that he has been helped from his car and is being transported for further evaluation.
🙏Keeping Friesen in our thoughtspic.twitter.com/bPINQrWPl8
Friesen suffered an open-book pelvic fracture and fractured his right leg, both of which will require surgery. Friesen's wife Jessica gave an update on her husband on Tuesday, sharing that CT scans came back clear of any head, neck, or spine injuries. She also said "his vitals are stable," but he is "still in a tremendous amount of pain."
Update from Jessica Friesen. pic.twitter.com/r87lsjGcm1
— Stewart Friesen (@StewartFriesen) July 29, 2025
The frightening crash comes two days after Friesen won his 52nd Super DIRTcar Series race at Weedsport Speedway in New York on Saturday. He was scheduled to compete in another race at Autodrome Drummond on Tuesday and posted the fastest time in qualifying and won his heat race prior to the crash.
Friesen has been a fixture in the Craftsman Truck Series since he started part-time in 2016 and transitioned to a full-time driver in 2018. He has four career wins, including his most recent at Michigan International Speedway on June 7 that snapped a 72-race winless streak and locked him into the playoffs that are set to begin at Darlington Raceway on Aug. 30.
The 42-year-old recently made his 200th series start on his birthday on Friday night at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. He led 20 laps and crossed the finish line in third, but was later disqualified in post-race inspection due to the front of his truck failing to meet minimum height requirements. As a result of the penalty, which his Halmar-Friesen Racing team is appealing, Friesen was credited with a last-place finish in the 35-truck field.
What does this mean for Stewart Friesen's playoff hopes?
While nothing has been announced as far as Friesen's status for the remainder of the 2025 season, this will likely keep him out of action for a significant time, maybe even the rest of the season. There are only nine races left overall and two before the playoffs, Watkins Glen (Aug. 8) and Richmond (Aug. 15).
There has not been any word on who the potential replacement driver for Friesen will be either. Road-course ringer Wesley Slimp drove a second entry for the team at Lime Rock Park on June 28 and could be considered for upcoming road races at Watkins Glen and the Charlotte Roval.
Regardless of what the team elects to do going forward, this is a tough break for a driver that was starting to establish some momentum with the playoffs looming. Prior to a 23rd-place finish at Lime Rock, Friesen had back-to-back top-10s for only the second time all season, scoring his only win at Michigan and finishing eighth at Pocono after leading four laps. As more updates come in, it will become clearer how the team will proceed with the remaining nine races this season.
Safety enhancements have come a long way in all forms of motorsport over the years, but Friesen's fiery crash is a reminder of the risk that is involved and the danger these drivers face each time they strap into their machines.