HFR Won’t Pursue Truck Playoff Waiver For Friesen

Halmar Friesen Racing will not attempt to secure a playoff waiver for Stewart Friesen. (Peter Casey/Nigel Kinrade Photography)

STATESVILLE, N.C. – Halmar Friesen Racing officials confirmed Thursday evening that they will not pursue a playoff waiver for the injured Stewart Friesen.

Friesen was involved in a vicious dirt modified crash at Canada’s Autodrome Drummond on July 28, and is out for the balance of the Truck Series season after suffering an open-book pelvic fracture and a broken right leg, both of which required surgery once Friesen returned to the United States.

The Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario native was released from the hospital Aug. 6 and returned home to continue his recovery with wife Jessica and son Parker.

It was implied on NASCAR’s “Hauler Talk” podcast this week that the HFR team was looking into the possibility of a waiver, but that never seemed a likely reality given Friesen’s expected lengthy road to recovery.

Kaden Honeycutt, who was released from Niece Motorsports Aug. 4, was quickly signed by HFR to fill in for Friesen starting at Richmond (Va.) Raceway.

Honeycutt will chase a driver’s championship for himself, providing he locks into the 10-driver playoff field, and the owner’s title for HFR after the team locked into the postseason at Michigan Int’l Speedway in June when Friesen went to victory lane.

“Halmar Friesen Racing has elected not to pursue a driver waiver for Stewart Friesen for the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series playoffs,” the team said in a statement. “We look forward chasing a driver’s championship with Kaden Honeycutt and continuing the owner’s title push when the playoffs begin.”

The news sets up a tight points battle for the final berth into the playoffs Friday night at Richmond.

Honeycutt sits 65 points above the playoff cut line and 54 points ahead of 10th-place Jake Garcia, meaning his spot in the postseason is assured as long as he earns three points in the eero 250, whether those come from stages or by finishing 34th or better in the 35-truck field.

Garcia, however, only has an 11-point buffer over Ben Rhodes for the final playoff spot, with Gio Ruggiero just 21 points back of making the postseason in 12th place.

That means there’s plenty to play for on the racetrack, even if one of NASCAR’s more popular veterans won’t be chasing a driver’s championship this year in his own right.