On Saturday, August 16, 2025, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver Stewart Friesen was featured in an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90. During the interaction, Friesen opened up about the reason behind his decision to skip the playoff waiver.At the Big Block Modified in Quebec, Canada, held last month, the Halmar Friesen Racing driver was involved in a horrific crash. The #53 Toyota driver sustained serious injuries, and he is still recovering from them. Following the same, he missed a major part of Mission 176 held at 'The Glen.' Reflecting on the same, the Truck Series team announced Friesen will not be taking the medical waiver to retain his eligibility in the playoffs.However, fans were wondering about the reason behind the major decision. During the interview, Stewart Friesen explained the same and told the media (via SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90 on X):"So right now I'm just focused on, you know, getting my body back to, you know, to kind of give me that option. and, you know, not, not thinking super long term. There's a lot of doctor's appointments and follow-ups." [00:00 onwards]"A lot went into it, as far as, you know, beginning with a timeline on, you know, how my recovery was going to go. I think we started talking about waiver stuff, just to kind of give us ourselves a security net in case. You know, I was able to get back in sooner than expected. But obviously that's not going to work out," he added.Continuing further, the Truck Series driver clarified:"So, you know, we kind of felt for the integrity of the series and the playoffs. You know, we just kind of withdraw that or not submit that waiver and, you know, let the cards fall where they may. And you know, it opens it up for somebody else to get into the top 10 and make a race out of it."Stewart Friesen landed his spot in the playoffs after he won at the Michigan International Speedway on June 7, 2025. Despite not being able to compete in the playoffs, Friesen's #52 Toyota is still eligible for the owners' championship. The Halmar Friesen Racing team will field Kaden Honeycutt in Friesen's truck during the playoffs.Stewart Friesen’s wife shared an update on his health after he returned to his homeAfter sustaining pelvic and leg fractures, Halmar Friesen Racing driver Stewart Friesen was initially treated at a local medical center. However, later, he was transferred to Albany Medical Center in New York and had his surgeries done. According to the medical reports, his pelvis, right leg tibia, and fibula suffered serious injuries.The surgeries were successful, and the driver is out of any danger as of now. Friesen was discharged from the medical center, and his family brought him home. Now he's surrounded by his loved ones and is on a path of speedy recovery. Reflecting on the same, his wife Jessica stated:"He has some extra plates, screws, rods, and pins as well as a fractured C7 and fractured left hip, but we are thankful to finally be on the other side of these injuries and on the road to recovery."Stewart Friesen currently ranks 14th on the Truck Series points table with 397 points. He has secured one win at Michigan, followed by six top-ten finishes and three top-five finishes in 16 starts this season. Additionally, he has three unfortunate DNFs followed by an average finish of 16.