Stewart Friesen joins Toyota NASCAR Truck ranks in 2020

HFR announced Tuesday that Friesen would once again compete fulltime in the Truck Series in 2020 but the organization is moving to Toyota with the support of Toyota Racing Development.

The team has moved to a new shop in Statesville, N.C., and will purchase its trucks from Kyle Busch Motorsports.

“We were all very impressed after spending time with Toyota,” Friesen, a native of Ontario, Canada, said. “TRD has been welcoming to our organization. With their support, knowledge and technology, we hope to bring our team to another level.

“Through this transition, we’ve been able to retain several members of our team from last season. They’ve remained loyal to us and have new energy going into 2020.”

Tripp Bruce returns to the team as crew chief. Gene Nead has been signed as the organization’s competition director. 

Friesen, 36, is coming off his most successful Truck season, having earned the first two wins of his career and ending the year with 12 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes and qualifying for the Championship 4 in the season finale at Homestead, Fla.

HFR principal Chris Larsen said following the success in 2019, “The championship is our goal.”

“Making it to the ‘final four’ was an accomplishment, but we’re all competitive. You want to be sitting at the head table at the series banquet,” he said. “We’re working to be that team.”