Stewart Friesen confirmed he will not pursue a waiver to remain in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ driver playoffs.
BROOKLYN, MICHIGAN – JUNE 07: Stewart Friesen, driver of the #52 Halmar International Toyota, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series DQS Solutions & Staffing 250 Powered by Precision Vehicle Logistics at Michigan International Speedway on June 07, 2025 in Brooklyn, Michigan. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Friesen qualified for the playoffs on the strength of his win at Michigan in June. However, a modified crash in July is expected to keep him out of his No. 52 Halmar-Friesen Racing Toyota for the rest of the season.
“We look forward to chasing a driver’s championship with Kaden Honeycutt and continuing the owner title push when the Playoffs begin,” Friesen stated.
NASCAR Media/Getty Images
Kaden Honeycutt will fill in for Friesen. Honeycutt is essentially locked into the driver playoffs, thanks to his performance with Niece Motorsports before they let him go. He will also be the anchor driver to the No. 52 truck’s owner title bid.
The battle for the final playoff spot will come down to three winless drivers below Honeycutt on points:
- Kaden Honeycutt: 523 points (+65 points to the cutline)
- Jake Garcia: 469 (+11)
- Ben Rhodes: 458 (-11)
- Gio Ruggiero: 448 (-21)
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series playoff field will be set Aug. 15 after the race at Richmond Raceway. The playoffs begin Aug. 30 at Darlington Raceway.
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Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick’s final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen’s stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers’ stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com