Friesen Comes Up Short of Elusive Win with Runner-Up Finish at Bristol

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Close, but no cigar…again.

Stewart Friesen has come close to scoring his elusive first victory in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series numerous times this season and on Thursday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, he was within inches of finally breaking through.

The only thing standing in his way: Johnny Sauter.

The two waged war over the closing laps with Friesen nipping at his heels all the way to the finish, only to come up one spot short when the checkered flag flew. Friesen did manage to get his nose out front at one point, only to have Sauter take the position right back.

“That was cool,” said Friesen. “Couple of bad ass Silverados there. Johnny always races me hard, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. That was top notch racing.

“We were racing hard there at the end and Johnny did a good job of holding me down so I couldn’t get a good run up off the corner. That’s what you’re supposed to do. I thought I had him pinched behind a lapped car and just gave him a little too much room. I gave him an inch and he took it and got back by there.

“Proud of my guys. We battled. We didn’t have a great Silverado there in first practice this morning and they threw the kitchen sink at it. By the end of second practice, we mocked up really good. Kind of lost a little bit during time trials and they came right back for the race.”

Midway through Thursday night’s race, Friesen had earned enough points to clinch a spot in the Truck Series playoffs, making him one of eight drivers eligible to race for the championship. Even though consistency has gotten him to this point, Friesen noted that to be a true title contender, he and his team would need to score a win in the races ahead.

“Wins are everything at this level, so we’ll have to win one sooner or later. If we keep putting ourselves in position with top-five’s, and seconds and thirds and stuff, we’ll beat down that door. I’ve been racing a long time and wins are tough no matter what series you’re in.

“What championships are made of is winning races, so we’ll have to win one. You can’t be top-five your whole life and win whole lot of championships. We’ll keep working hard at it. We’ve got fast Chevys, so we’ll keep digging.”

Friesen noted that there are a couple of races that he and his team have circled in the Playoffs that they are really looking forward to as opportunities to run well and be in the mix for the win.

“Homestead, I can’t wait to get up there and run that wall. Vegas is always fun. All of the above. I love it all, man.”