OHSWEKEN, Ontario — Should you traded slide jobs with Donny Schatz and Logan Schuchart to earn your first World of Outlaws win, you’d most likely always remember it. Stewart Friesen hasn’t, and he’s able to do it once more.
Ten years after scoring his first World of Outlaws NOS Power Drink Dash Automobile Sequence win at Ohsweken Speedway, Friesen, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Sequence driver and Large Block Modified star from Niagara-on-the-lake, Ontario, will likely be again in a dash automobile for the collection’ return to Ohsweken Might 14-15.
He’ll pilot the No. 52 automobile for Glenn Styres, who owns Ohsweken. However when he gained towards the World of Outlaws in 2015, Friesen was driving for his spouse, Jessica. She was pregnant with their son Parker on the time, so Friesen jumped behind the wheel for a couple of races. He nonetheless remembers their night time at Ohsweken “prefer it was yesterday.”
“Undoubtedly caught us unexpectedly somewhat bit,” he stated about profitable the race in solely his fourth World of Outlaws begin. “It was form of an ideal storm for us. We had a smaller 410 motor that Jess ran somewhat bit at the moment.
“We timed good. Made the invert. We had been capable of win the Warmth Race. I believe we beat Pittman within the warmth race, which was actually actually cool. Obtained within the sprint – I can keep in mind it prefer it was yesterday, it was an superior night time for us. Obtained within the sprint, [Jessica, who was his crew chief] let me make some calls on the setup, and it didn’t work. I believe we ran sixth or eighth within the sprint. And she or he goes, ‘OK, you bought to attempt what you needed to attempt, now we’re going again to my approach.’ She turned some bolts for the characteristic and turned some stuff round, and it was a extremely balanced automobile. It bought actually slick, which performed into our fingers, and we had been capable of come away with one. It was actually actually neat.”
He began seventh within the characteristic after which discovered himself battling Schuchart and Schatz – who had three wins there already – for the win on the finish. Coming to the checkered flag, Schatz was respiratory down Friesen’s neck and virtually pulled even with him within the closing nook, however Friesen bought a adequate drive off Flip 4 to attain his first win.
“It was actually actually cool,” he stated in regards to the second. “Such an excellent expertise attending to race with these guys. It’s a reality and a part of my resume that I’ll always remember. If we get an opportunity to do it once more someday, that will be superior. You by no means know.”
He took a while away from dash automobile racing after that 12 months as his focus turned to his new child son and NASCAR profession. However lately, the fireplace has reignited.
Final 12 months, he teamed with Styres, a lifelong pal, to run some dash automobile races at Ohsweken and elsewhere. They gained at Utica-Rome Speedway and completed fourth towards the World of Outlaws at Weedsport Speedway. When the season ended, Styres informed him to only let him know when and the place he needed to run the automobile in 2025. One other probability to win towards the World of Outlaws at Ohsweken and to be part of their return to Canada was one alternative he wasn’t going to overlook.
“It’s large. It’s the largest race of the 12 months within the Southern Ontario area,” he stated. “It’s massive for the realm, massive for the race followers there. The entire dash automobile division has grown a lot at Ohsweken throughout my profession. Glenn began the observe from scratch and needed to run dash automobiles and run Friday nights, and their weekly 360 subject is likely one of the hardest, if not in the US, however in Canada, clearly. It’s a tricky subject and a variety of good runners. It’s cool to see how that division has grown over the past 10-15 years. Having one of the best within the enterprise come again with the Outlaws, like I stated, we’re excited. It’s one thing we’re excited for and everybody at Ohsweken is worked up too.”
Whereas he’ll be one in all few drivers getting into the race with current laps on the observe, Friesen nonetheless tempered his expectations.
“When it’s sooner earlier within the night time, it’s not one thing I’m actually used to,” he stated. “Time-trialing at Weedsport final 12 months when the observe nonetheless had some grip was an eye-opening expertise. As soon as it slicks off and slows down, it performs into our wheelhouse. Ohsweken has form of been each. I’ve been there a pair instances with the dash automobile within the final couple years and it has been hammer down quick. Glenn has the gear to get the job carried out. He has a extremely good motor. I’m excited for all of it.”
