Longevity in NASCAR often leads to both on-track success and checking off milestones with each start. When the green flag waved for the Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway, Stewart Friesen marked both columns as he led the field to green from the pole, making the 1,000th start by an internationally-born driver in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in the process.
The pole position was the fourth for Friesen, tying him with Nelson Piquet, Jr. for the most by an internationally born driver in Truck Series competition. It was also the Canadian’s first pole since the 2019 Spring race at Martinsville Speedway. Since then Friesen has made the Truck Series playoffs four times, the most of any internationally-born driver in a single NASCAR National Touring Series.
Although Friesen didn’t lead a lap in the race as Christian Eckes dominated, leading every lap, the driver of the No. 52 Halmar International Toyota Tundra TRD Pro still contended. The 40-year-old finished seventh in the first two Stages of the 150-lap race. However, in the final stage he slipped out of the top-10, taking the checkered flag in 11th.
In total the Halmar-Friesen Racing driver is just one of 78 internationally born drivers to start a Truck race. He took the overall lead in starts by internationally born drivers in 2021 from fellow Canadian Randy MacDonald. The Niagra-on-the-Lake, Ontario native also leads the series in wins, top-five, and top-10 finishes by internationally born drivers.
The ‘international iron man’ is just one of 25 drivers to have started 150 or more Truck races in their career. Although all but one of his NASCAR National Touring Series starts have come in Truck competition Friesen sits fourth in all-time combined starts by internationally-born drivers.
As NASCAR continues to grow outside of the United States, drivers like Friesen, Daniel Suarez, and Shane van Gisbergen are setting the standard. NASCAR Canada has seen growth in recent years and often has both current and former stars from the NASCAR Cup Series, such as Chase Briscoe and Ken Schrader making an occasional start. Likewise the other international divisions of the sport have also seen growth and involvement from those competing in the three National Touring Series.
