MARTINSVILLE, VA.: Coming into Martinsville Speedway for the Long John Silver’s 200, Stewart Friesen was looking forward to improving on his finishes in the first five races of the season but unfortunately what looked like he had a good finish going was ripped from him in the last caution of the race.
In an uneventful Stage 1, the No. 52 Halmar Friesen Racing driver stayed pretty consistent and communicated to his team that his Toyota Tundra was a little tight going into the corners and snap loose off the corners.
Stating that he tagged the wall in turn four, Friesen asked the team to make sure that he didn’t do much damage to the truck as it was already firing off very hard and would end Stage 1 in the 13th position.
Coming to pit road for a set of new Goodyear tires, fuel, and an adjustment, the Sprakers, NY driver would return to the track in the 23rd position.
At the start of Stage 2, his Aim Autism Spectrum of Colors driver would relay to Friesen “It’s bumper tag up in front of you. Take care of your equipment.”
With three cautions in the second stage, Friesen could communicate to his team how the changes to his Toyota Tundra felt and he seemed happier. “The change is better. I like it!” Friesen would tell his team.
Finishing the stage in 15th place, Friesen was ready to move his way through the field for a top ten finish and it certainly looked like that was a strong possibility.
Friesen would start Stage 3 in the seventh starting position. With the team telling him that he needed to be aggressive in this final stage of the race, their driver showed that he had the drive and made his way up to the fourth place.
In a stage mired with caution after caution, Friesen seemed to be able to avoid the trouble that ensued all around him, but he was clearly getting frustrated by the frequency of the cautions and how they affected his truck.
“There are too many cycles on these tires, and it is affecting my drive off at the restarts” said the driver, so when the caution came out again on Lap 178 Friesen brought his Toyota Tundra to pit road for the final time.
“You are going to have to be really aggressive here” crew chief Jimmy Villenueve told his driver and so Friesen went with the plan.
Unfortunately that did not work out for the Halmar Friesen driver. An incident on Lap 191 left Friesen in the 26th position after Grant Enfinger would turn him and he would get spun out and hit by another truck.
“He drove right through me. It doesn’t matter who it is I have a target on my back,” said Friesen. Looking to get back on the track, the team brought him to pit road for a quick stop for tires.
After returning to the track, Friesen said “Everyone in this series runs over everyone. I am going to run them over too.
“Is everyone in front of me for position? Tell them to get out of the way.” Friesen tells his spotter.
Finishing the Long John Silver’s 200 in 19th place after running over the No. 56 truck of Timmy Hill, Friesen would come to pit road and have a brisk conversation with Hill where he admitted that he was better than that.
Next up for Stewart Friesen is the SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 12th. 2024 at 8:30 pm ET.
Follow Grace Krenrich on Twitter @grace3140 or email at [email protected]
