TRUCKS: Stewart Friesen’s disqualification spoils strong run in 200th start

Written By Brock Beard

by Brock Beard / LASTCAR.info Editor-in-Chief

PHOTO: @StewartFriesen

Stewart Friesen picked up the 4th last-place finish of his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career in Friday’s TSport 200 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park when his #52 Halmar International Toyota finished 3rd, then was disqualified after completing all 200 laps.

The finish, which came in Friesen’s 200th series start, was his first of the season and first since August 7, 2020 at Michigan, 119 races ago. In the Truck Series’ last-place rankings, it was the 9th for the #52, the 12th by disqualification, and the 58th for Toyota. Across NASCAR’s top three series, it was the 63rd for the #52, the 66th from disqualification, and the 428th for Toyota.

Cody Dennison picked up the 1st last-place finish of his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career in Friday’s TSport 200 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park when his #2 Timcast Ford fell out with electrical issues after 8 of 200 laps.

The finish came in Dennison’s seventh series start. In the Truck Series’ last-place rankings, it was the 6th for the #2, the 43rd for electrical issues, and the 136th for Ford. Across NASCAR’s top three series, it was the 42nd for the #2, the 144th from electrical problems, and the 1,071st for Ford.

Friday’s race happened to mark both Friesen’s 42nd birthday and his 200th start in the Truck Series. He came into the race already assured his place in the Playoffs, thanks to a gutsy victory at Michigan where he led only the final two laps. This happened to be his first win in more than three years, a streak almost as long as the time since his latest last-place finish. That 2022 season also saw Friesen finish 4th at IRP, a track where he’d finished just 30th and 33rd in the two races since.

In practice at IRP, Friesen ranked 20th with a speed of 23.959 seconds (103.076mph). And when qualifying was cancelled due to lighting in the area, he ranked 21st based on the rulebook. But unapproved adjustments prior to the race meant he’d have to drop to the tail end of the field. The same penalty was handed to 26th-place Frankie Muniz in the #33 Morgan & Morgan Ford.

Friesen and Muniz took the 35th and final spot from Greg Van Alst, who on Friday debuted his brand-new Truck Series team, Greg Van Alst Motorsports, at his home track. But when the green flag dropped, Van Alst’s #35 Top Choice Fence Toyota rolled off ahead of Friesen with another six trucks trailing the pack by open track.

Leading this trailing group was 23rd-place starter Jayson Alexander, whose #02 Constant Contact Chevrolet started alongside 34th-place Boston Oliver, whose blue Mike Harmon Racing #74 Toyota almost didn’t make it to the track after the team’s dually broke down near Asheville, North Carolina. Behind Alexander came 33rd-place Norm Benning, making his first Truck start at IRP since 2011 in his #6 MDIA, Inc. Chevrolet, while Oliver’s series debut saw him ranked ahead Muniz’ penalized #33. Then in the final row came two of Muniz’ teammates at Reaume Brothers Racing – in the high side was Cody Dennison in the #2 Timcast Ford, and to his inside the #22 Epic Health & Fitness Ford of Alan “A.J.” Waller, back in the series for the first time since his series debut in Martinsville.

As the field crossed the stripe, Dennison was ahead of Waller, who was last across the stripe. Benning fell to last by Lap 8, and on Lap 9 was running 19.002 seconds back of the lead to the now 34th-place Waller’s 17.394. On Lap 10, Dennison came down pit road from 32nd, taking last from Benning before the #6 could by lapped on the 12th circuit. The Reaume team looked under the hood, then brought the #2 behind the wall, where it was later declared the first truck out of the race.

By Lap 23, many of the other trucks that trailed at the start had also gone a lap down, including Waller, Alexander, and Oliver. On Lap 31, Benning climbed past Waller into 32nd as the #22 joined Dennison behind the wall. Just like his debut in Martinsville, Waller – a Stage 4 cancer survivor – climbed out of the truck and was relieved by team owner Josh Reaume. After attempting to return to the track near the end of Stage 1, then backing up, Reaume brought the #22 back onto the speedway around 32 laps down.

Around Lap 55, Oliver pulled Harmon’s truck behind the wall, allowing Reaume to climb past into 33rd. But on Lap 100, apparent contact from Rajah Caruth’s #71 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet sent him spinning into the Turn 3 wall, ending his race. Benning remained within three laps of the lead in the opening laps, but was 13 down on Lap 70 after his first of multiple trips to pit road. The leaders had crossed the halfway point before Benning pulled off the track, citing handling issues in his first DNF at IRP. Both Benning and Oliver were black-flagged off the track. Alexander completed the Bottom Five, seven laps down.

Meanwhile, Friesen had rallied from his pre-race penalty, reaching 15th by the end of Stage 1, then 2nd to a dominant Layne Riggs at the end of Stage 2. He then found the lead early in the final stage, pacing the field for 20 laps from Lap 126 through 145 before Riggs made the winning pass for the lead. Friesen settled into 3rd by the finish, passed near the end by Corey Day on his way to a career-best runner-up finish in the #7 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet. But in post-race inspection, Friesen’s truck was found to be too low in the front heights, disqualifying the #52. This bumped Dennison out of last place, Alexander out of the Bottom Five, and Giovanni Ruggiero out of the Bottom Ten.

As of this writing, the HFR team is preparing to appeal Friesen’s disqualification, citing “a part malfunction that occurred during the race by circumstances out of our control.”

LASTCAR STATISTICS

*This marked Friesen’s first last-place finish by disqualification, and the first time a starter of a Truck Series race at IRP was classified last by disqualification.

*This was also the first last-place run for the #52 in a Truck Series race at IRP.

THE BOTTOM FIVE

35) #52-Stewart Friesen / 200 laps / running / led 20 laps

34) #2-Cody Dennison / 8 laps / electrical

33) #74-Boston Oliver / 39 laps / handling

32) #22-Allan “A.J.” Waller* / 65 laps / crash

31) #6-Norm Benning / 99 laps / handling

*relieved by Josh Reaume

2025 LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Reaume Brothers Racing (6)

2nd) Norm Benning Racing (3)

3rd) Front Row Motorsports (2)

4th) FDNY Racing, Freedom Racing Enterprises, Halmar Friesen Racing, Henderson Motorsports, Niece Motorsports (1)

2025 LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Ford (8)

2nd) Chevrolet (7)

3rd) Toyota (1)

2025 LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

Brock Beard https://lastcar.info
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