The Complete 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Driver Roster (So Far)
What’s Happening? The 2026 NASCAR Season is fast approaching, and teams are setting their lineups for the coming season. This article…
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NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series veteran Stewart Friesen is getting back behind the wheel of his No. 52 truck following a violent crash that cut his 2025 season short.
Last season, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series owner/driver Stewart Friesen looked to be back in the swing of things.
The 42-year-old won his first race since 2022 at Michigan International Speedway in June, and, late July, he was sitting comfortably in the points at 13th, with his playoff spot already locked in place.
But the Canadian’s season took a turn on July 28, when he suffered multiple injuries in a dirt race after his big block modified went airborne during a race at Autodrome Drummond in Drummond, Quebec, Canada.
Shortly after the crash, his wife Jessica posted to social media that Stewart had been transferred to a new hospital for surgery, and that he was in stable condition.
At the time, Friesen had a month until the start of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series playoffs, though it seemed he was unlikely to compete at all, something confirmed by Halmar Friesen Racing on August 14, when they posted to social media that they would not pursue a playoff waiver.
But, fortunately, Friesen will be back this season, telling SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s The Morning Drive that despite ongoing physical therapy, he is walking without assistance and that he has completed some sim sessions with Toyota.
What’s Happening? The 2026 NASCAR Season is fast approaching, and teams are setting their lineups for the coming season. This article…
In the aftermath of Friesen’s injury and his decision not to compete in the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs, there was still a lingering issue facing the team.
Though Friesen was out for the rest of the season, the No. 52 still had races to complete and was qualified for the Owners Championship Playoffs.
To get the team through the first race after Friesen’s injury, the team called on Christopher Bell to pilot the truck at Watkins Glen. Bell would start in second and bring the No. 52 home in fourth.
But the team still needed to develop a concrete plan for the rest of the year, eventually calling on recently signed Toyota prospect Kaden Honeycutt to drive the truck.
This quickly became one of the best stories in all of NASCR’s National Series, as, due to Honeycutt signing with Toyota and TRICON Garage for 2026, his then-current team, Niece Motorsports, had released him prior to the race at Watkins Glen.
To keep his own playoff hopes alive, Honeycutt scored a ride with Young’s Motorsports before driving the No. 52 for the rest of the season, all the way to the drivers and owners’ Championship Four, where they finished in third.
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