By Summer Bedgood, Managing Editor
Though it was Noah Gragson who ultimately made it to Victory Lane on Friday night in Kansas Speedway, Stewart Friesen turned some heads of his own.
Leading six laps and running in the top five for most of the night in the sixth Camping World Truck Series race of 2018, the driver of the No. 52 Chevrolet certainly made his presence known this weekend.
“The 52 team battled all night,” said Friesen post-race. “We were a little tight in the first segment and (crew chief) Tripp (Bruce) made a great adjustment and got us right from a 12th-place truck to in competition. That was cool. It’s cool to be racing guys like Kyle and Noah and that race team (Kyle Busch Motorsports) for wins now.”
Friesen’s third-place finish did not come without its share of attrition. He spent much of the night battling Gragson and KBM owner Kyle Busch.
Late in the race, Busch was attempting to make a pass on Friesen for position (not for the lead) and had some momentum coming out of turn four. Friesen made a move to defend his position, and his left rear hit the right front of Busch’s car. Busch briefly drove into the infield grass before returning to the racing surface. Both were able to continue without further incident, and Friesen commented on the contact after the race.
“To race a guy as talented as Kyle is pretty darn cool,” said Friesen post-race. “It’s something I never really dreamed about doing. At that point we had both pitted. In my head we were racing for the win to cycle back through. I was probably a little bit too aggressive, and my apologies to Kyle. I didn’t mean to get him tore up. He was able to showcase some of his talent and save it, which I had no doubt in my mind. We were able to race on. I didn’t mean to get him screwed up. Trying to play a little defense there and got bottled up by a lapper.”
For Busch, when asked if he would accept Friesen’s apology, he responded simply, “Not at the moment.”
Friesen did walk up and apologize to Busch during Busch’s post-race media availability. However, the exchange lasted only a few moments and not much was said from either driver.
Friesen, whether Busch accepts his apology or not, will have to continue moving forward. Given his recent performance, it doesn’t seem like that will be difficult for him to do. Three top 10s in six starts this season — two of which were top fives — shows the 34-year-old driver is making gains and could very well become a weekly contender for the victory before the season is over.
“Wins are tough and that’s no matter what division you’re racing,” said Friesen. “They’re hard to come by. You can have the best and be great all night and then have something not go your way. I hate to say it, it’s cliche, but we’re gonna keep working hard, keep our heads down and when they happen, they’ll happen.”
The next step towards that accomplishment comes next week at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The NCWTS is back in action on Friday, May 18, at 8:30PM ET on FS1.
Friesen, Busch Briefly Tangle in Kansas
By Summer Bedgood, Managing Editor
Though it was Noah Gragson who ultimately made it to Victory Lane on Friday night in Kansas Speedway, Stewart Friesen turned some heads of his own.
Leading six laps and running in the top five for most of the night in the sixth Camping World Truck Series race of 2018, the driver of the No. 52 Chevrolet certainly made his presence known this weekend.
“The 52 team battled all night,” said Friesen post-race. “We were a little tight in the first segment and (crew chief) Tripp (Bruce) made a great adjustment and got us right from a 12th-place truck to in competition. That was cool. It’s cool to be racing guys like Kyle and Noah and that race team (Kyle Busch Motorsports) for wins now.”
Friesen’s third-place finish did not come without its share of attrition. He spent much of the night battling Gragson and KBM owner Kyle Busch.
Late in the race, Busch was attempting to make a pass on Friesen for position (not for the lead) and had some momentum coming out of turn four. Friesen made a move to defend his position, and his left rear hit the right front of Busch’s car. Busch briefly drove into the infield grass before returning to the racing surface. Both were able to continue without further incident, and Friesen commented on the contact after the race.
“To race a guy as talented as Kyle is pretty darn cool,” said Friesen post-race. “It’s something I never really dreamed about doing. At that point we had both pitted. In my head we were racing for the win to cycle back through. I was probably a little bit too aggressive, and my apologies to Kyle. I didn’t mean to get him tore up. He was able to showcase some of his talent and save it, which I had no doubt in my mind. We were able to race on. I didn’t mean to get him screwed up. Trying to play a little defense there and got bottled up by a lapper.”
For Busch, when asked if he would accept Friesen’s apology, he responded simply, “Not at the moment.”
Friesen did walk up and apologize to Busch during Busch’s post-race media availability. However, the exchange lasted only a few moments and not much was said from either driver.
Friesen, whether Busch accepts his apology or not, will have to continue moving forward. Given his recent performance, it doesn’t seem like that will be difficult for him to do. Three top 10s in six starts this season — two of which were top fives — shows the 34-year-old driver is making gains and could very well become a weekly contender for the victory before the season is over.
“Wins are tough and that’s no matter what division you’re racing,” said Friesen. “They’re hard to come by. You can have the best and be great all night and then have something not go your way. I hate to say it, it’s cliche, but we’re gonna keep working hard, keep our heads down and when they happen, they’ll happen.”
The next step towards that accomplishment comes next week at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The NCWTS is back in action on Friday, May 18, at 8:30PM ET on FS1.