Friesen to hit the road running
When Stewart Friesen takes to the road circuit at Bowmanville’s Canadian Tire Motorsport Park this weekend, it will be the first time the Niagara-on-the-Lake native has raced on the 2.49-mile road circuit.
“This is the first time on a road course,” Friesen said. “This is going to be different, for sure.”
Friesen spoke to The Spectator only hours before climbing into his Chevy pickup in Bristol last week for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race, where the 35-year old finished second, his third such posting for the 2018 tour in his Halmar Friesen Racing entry.
Now, he’s getting ready to race in the series’ only Canadian stop, the Chevrolet Silverado 250 at CTMP this weekend.
With his success at Bristol, Friesen has secured a playoff spot in the Camping World’s Chase for the Championship and is presently fifth in points going into Sunday’s event. Not bad for his second year in the Truck series. And second year of racing on asphalt.
Friesen has spent the better part of two decades on the clay ovals of Ontario, Quebec and the northeast U.S. racing dirt Modifieds. His record on dirt is among the best with scores of victories, including the prestigious NAPA Super DIRT Week championship five times. This success led to teaming up with Chris Larsen in 2016 to race at Eldora, the Truck Series’ only dirt race, and the effort has blossomed from there into a full-time effort in the NASCAR series.
But he continues, when time permits, to race on the dirt ovals, and so far for 2018 he has 17 wins with his Modified.
“I absolutely try to run the Modified as much as possible,” he said. “I want to race there as much as I can.”
Friesen has spent the last several years in central New York
state, citing better chances to continue his racing career. “I’ve been based in New York as there are better opportunities,” he said. “It has been instrumental in getting to this level along with partnering with Chris.”
He also married New Yorker Jessica Zemken in 2014, a noted Sprint Car racer in her own right, who put a hold on her racing to devote time to the couple’s son, Parker.
But this year Jessica is racing a limited schedule in a big-block Modified at tracks around their Sprakers, N.Y., home when not at NASCAR events with her husband.
“Jessica is at my truck races,” said Friesen. “She is my biggest fan and my biggest critic.”
Friesen said he is looking forward to Sunday’s race, and has been preparing to race on a circuit with both right and left hand turns. He has been working with some race simulations, but has spent seat time under the tutelage of noted former road racer Ron Fellows, one of the best in the business.
“I believe my dirt background helps,” Friesen explained about racing on the different track surfaces. “It is a matter of racing loose and tight. Dirt is a game of feet where it’s a game of inches in the truck. On asphalt there is no more winging it.”
The Chevrolet Silverado 250 will be the main event of the Aug. 24-26 weekend. CTMP will also host rounds nine and ten in the Nissan Micra Cup and the Canadian Touring Car Championship, round 10 in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series, and the six round of the ISMA Ultra 94 Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge presented by Yokohama. For admission prices and schedules, go to www.canadian tiremotorsportpark.com.
Weekend winners ... With 111 cars checking in at Ohsweken Speedway for the Jibs Action Sports Kids Race and Autograph Night, it was a busy Friday show. Scott Kreutter of Alden, N.Y., won the 360 Sprint Car feature, and Shone Evans of Scotland won the Crate Sprint Car main. Dave Bailey of Hagersville added another Thunder Stock feature to his collection, while Ancaster’s Kyle Wert won the Mini Stock feature ... Over on the Merrittville oval Saturday, Bailey won his third feature of 2018 at that track. Mat Williamson won his ninth Modified main of the season, and fellow St. Catharines racer Brad Rouse took his fourth career Sterling Silver Trophy race in honour of local pioneer Bill Willard Sr. Rouse also won his second Gabe Bellante Memorial for the Harvey’s/Swiss Chalet DIRTcar Sportsman feature at New Humberstone Sunday night.