Joseph Srigley of TobyChristie reports that Stewart Friesen, a full-time competitor in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, has been transported to a local hospital following an accident in a Super DIRTcar Series event at Autodrome Drummond on Monday.
The incident occurred during a feature event at the Drummondville, Quebec-based racetrack when Friesen was in a three-wide battle and went wide on the straightaway, sending his Halmar International-sponsored machine up the racetrack and towards the barrier.
Friesen went off the main track surface and came into contact with an ARMCO barrier at the entrance to the corner, which sent his vehicle tumbling into the air skywards while bursting into flames. When the blue machine came back in contact with the ground, it continued to roll before being struck again by another driver.
An initial update, which came from the social media channels of the Super DIRTcar Series, stated that Friesen was “alert and communicating” with officials and EMTs.
About a half-hour later, the series posted an update saying that safety officials helped Friesen from his racecar, and that he would be transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.
Friesen is three days removed from competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Indianapolis Raceway Park, where, after crossing the line in third place, he was disqualified by NASCAR.
UPDATE (Tuesday, July 29 at 7:23 am ET):
After being involved in a gnarly accident in a Dirt Modified event in Drummondville, Quebec, Stewart Friesen has sustained multiple significant injuries, according to a statement released by his wife, Jessica.
In the accident, Friesen suffered an unstable/open-book pelvic fracture with a large hematoma present on the area, as well as a fractured right leg. Both of these injuries will require surgery.
Luckily, though, all CT scans have come back clear of any significant head, neck, or spine injuries. However, the Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario-native remains in a tremendous amount of pain.
In the meantime, Friesen has been transferred to a larger hospital in the area to undergo these procedures. Per a released statement, Friesen’s vitals are stable, and after receiving additional pain medication, he is in better spirits and resting.