Herm & Schrader Podcast: Stewart Friesen: Battling Back After A Life-Altering Wreck

Date: October 30, 2025
Host: Kenny Wallace (A), Ken Schrader (Schrader not present in transcript)
Guest: Stewart Friesen

Episode Overview

This episode features celebrated dirt racer Stewart Friesen, who joins Kenny Wallace to recount his life and career on dirt, pivotal racing victories, and his harrowing wreck at Autodrome Drummond in July 2025. Friesen shares an inside look at recovery, family, working with his wife Jessica, and balancing his dual worlds of dirt and NASCAR Truck racing. True to form, the show is a relaxed, candid, and sometimes hilarious conversation, peppered with racer-to-racer insights and affectionate Midwestern banter.

Major Discussion Points & Key Insights

Stewart’s Background, Roots & Racing Culture

[02:27–08:52]

• Friesen hails from Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada, a region “at the end of the Niagara River… beautiful farm country, a lot of vineyards, a lot of wineries now,” surrounded by 20+ racetracks ([03:52]).
• Moved to upstate New York (“the real upstate”), now rooted in Spragers, NY—right in “dirt modified country” and the heart of Big Block racing.
• Reflections on the rabid, passionate race fanbase in upstate NY and Ontario, bolstered by long winters and racing-starved crowds come spring.
• Super Dirt Week at Oswego, NY: Town and state both go all-in, banners line the city, huge community engagement, “fan turnout was really, really big…bigger than it’s been in probably the last four or five years” ([04:59]).
  • Quote: “The whole facility kind of fit the mold and, you know, holds the whole super dirt week vibe very, very well.” ([08:52])

The Autodrome Drummond Wreck & Recovery

[10:42–20:13]

• Recounting the wreck:
  After a solid night, running well and mid-pack with aggressive setup, Friesen slid up on the cushion, right rear tire slipped off and he crashed hard into the wall.
  • Quote:
    “Last thing I remember is looking out the right side and seeing that big… butt end of the wall and going, ‘oh man, this is gonna be big.’ … I’ve thought about it a million times. If I could go back and just lift… I was a little too aggressive and got myself in a bad spot and banged up pretty good.” ([13:04])
• Injuries:
  Multiple fractures—pelvis fractured on both sides (“not quite an open book [fracture], but bad”), fractured tibia in three spots, some nerve damage.
  Quote:
  “They put a plate on the right side of my pelvis… and they put a rod in, down through my knee… to my tibia.” ([14:39])
• Medical odyssey:
  Friesen recounts the ordeal of being injured in Quebec—ambulance to a local hospital (with assistance from a French-speaking racing friend), then transfer north to Trois-Rivières for emergency stabilization, then eventually an airlift back to Albany, NY.
  “I don’t know what’s going on.” (on the language barrier, [17:31])
• Recovery:
  Intensive rehab: PT three days a week, multiple scans for nerve damage. “Trying to regain my… what little muscle I had before, trying to get back into race and shape.” ([15:58])
• Wife Jessica’s support:
  “Jess has been my superhero through all this, obviously.” ([18:16])

Family History: Growing Up at the Ransomville Speedway

[22:35–26:20]

• Friesen’s grandfather gave up the family dry cleaning business to buy Merrittville Speedway; later acquired Ransomville just over the border in NY.
• The family owned/operated Ransomville; Stewart spent summer days doing every job from weed-whacking to painting fences.
  Quote:
  “About the time I could hold a weed whacker, my grandfather had one strapped to me… we mowed the weeds… cleaned the houses and painted the fences… replaced guardrail… every day in the summer.” ([24:56])

Racing Ethics, Track Mentality & Down-to-Earth Work

[26:20–29:25]

• Stewart highlights the importance of doing every job—no job too big or small. Racing—and especially racing prep—is a full family effort.
• On prepping tracks and rough racing surfaces:
  “Track prep guys have a lot of pride in their art, and it’s an art form… If a driver comes up and starts bitching about the track? Well, that’s on the driver, not on the track because everybody had to race on that.” ([26:52])

Career Stats & Gratitude

[29:25–32:38]

• Over 900 dirt races, 433 dirt wins, scores of championships (2020 Mr. Dirt, 2014 NASCAR NY State Champion, multiple Race of Champions, and Fonda Speedway titles)—“one of the greatest dirt racers of all time.”
• On how he kept going:
  “So many people behind me. The last, I guess it’s been 20 years now, you know, being able to make a living doing this.” ([31:44])
• Emotional recollection of how friends and supporters stepped up so he could rebuild engines and stay on track.

Partnership with Jessica Friesen: Love, Racing, and Family

[36:40–41:39]

• Stewart met Jessica at the track as teens; recognized instantly that she could “wheel” even at 14 years old.
• Their relationship developed gradually, often crisscrossing tracks and states amid divided racing ambitions.
  • Quote:
    “We started crossing paths more often… and we started dating. She had her own goals… sprint cars… She traveled the country for a couple years… We were kind of off and on… then in 2011… the tracks started to align.” ([40:06])
• Jessica remains an elite racer in the family and now helps manage the Friesen operations from booking to payroll.

Dirt vs. NASCAR: Making a Living in Racing

[41:50–50:07]

• Stewart and Kenny unpack the realities of prize money, sponsorship, and sustainability in dirt and NASCAR Truck racing.
  • Friesen:
    “On the dirt side… if you can get your name out there, a car owner is going to pick you up… give you 25% or 40% and a place to stay… I think there’s more avenues to make a living doing it on the dirt side.” ([42:24])
  • Kenny:
    “When I went to nascar… I mean, I was right when we were getting ready to go wheels up, NASCAR was going to the moon… You win all the time, so yeah, Stuart Friesen can make a living running dirt because you’ll win all the time.” ([45:46])
• Top three in any dirt division can make a living; after that, it drops off—a theme echoed by Brad Sweet, with Friesen in agreement.
  • Quote (Friesen): “Top five pays the bills… If you want to do this and make a living… you got to be in the shop working on your stuff.” ([48:43])

New Faces in Northeast Dirt Racing

[51:23–52:49]

• Friesen names young talents—Alex Yankowski, Tanner Von Doren, Logan Watt (age 16/17)—as racers poised to inherit the Northeast dirt legacy.
  • Quote:
    “As we’re getting into our 40s… who’s coming behind us? There’s a lot of guys… going to start pushing and take our share of the pie here pretty soon.” ([52:49])

Life Now: Two Worlds, Two Teams

[53:01–64:22]

• Jessica is still “wheeling” (recently finished P10 in Super Dirt Small Block out of 98 cars; time trialed P5).
• Kenny and Stewart swap notes on the logistics of running a NASCAR Truck operation (Halmar Friesen Racing) out of Statesville, NC, while keeping the dirt team running in upstate NY.
  • Jessica handles team logistics (hotel, payroll) for the truck team.
  • Stewart credits crew chief Tommy Conroy for keeping the dirt cars ready when he’s on NASCAR duty.
• Technical talk: Adapting to changes—torsion bars replaced by coilovers, multiple rulebooks (Big Block, Small Block, Short Track Series), meticulous tire work and scaling.
  • Quote:
    “Yeah, scales are still our best friend.” ([63:56])

Looking Ahead: Return to Racing

[64:47–65:46]

• Stewart is eager to jump back into racing ASAP—hopes for World Finals in three weeks, but likely aiming for Speedweeks in February.
  • Quote:
    “Honestly, right now I want to be in this car at world finals in three weeks. I ran that by my wife and that’s probably not going to happen… I think February… Daytona for the truck, Volusia for the Big Block.” ([64:47])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On community and fan support during recovery:
  “The outpouring of support was unbelievable… it just means the world to know that so many people are thinking about us and hoping we get better.” ([66:29])

• On the unique challenge of dirt racing life:
  “No job too big, no job too small. It’s just the jobs that need to get done, whatever it is.” ([25:32])

• On learning humility from early days at the track:
  “If a driver comes to [Schrader] after a race and the first thing he does is start bitching about the track, well, then… that’s on the driver, not the track.” ([26:52])

• On women in racing:
  “Jessica time trialed fifth out of 98 cars. She can wheel… she can lay down a lap and run with the best of them.” ([54:09])

Key Timestamps

• Dirt racing beginnings: [02:27–08:52]
• Autodrome Drummond wreck & hospital saga: [10:42–20:13]
• Early life, owning a racetrack: [22:35–26:20]
• Track prep discussion: [26:52–28:07]
• Detailed career stats: [29:25–32:38]
• Meeting & marrying Jessica: [36:40–41:39]
• Dirt vs. NASCAR finances: [41:50–50:07]
• Young guns in modifieds: [51:23–52:49]
• Jessica’s racing and team management: [53:01–60:49]
• Technical shop talk: [61:58–64:22]
• Return plans and heartfelt thanks: [64:47–67:06]

Final Thoughts

This episode stands out as both a tribute to Stewart Friesen’s enduring spirit as a racer and a window into the realities of grassroots, family-oriented racing at the highest level. The balance of humor, humility, technical detail, and vulnerability make it an indispensable listen for any racing fan—and a testament to the close-knit, gritty, and passionate nature of the dirt racing community.

For more:

• Watch the episode on Dirty Mo Media YouTube
• Listen on major podcast platforms (search: Herm & Schrader)