Stewart Friesen staged an emotional comeback, overtaking Felix Roy with four laps remaining to win the opening-night 30-lap Super DIRTcar Series feature at Volusia Speedway Park. The victory was Friesen’s first Super DIRTcar Series start since a serious crash last summer and came one week after he returned to competition at All-Tech Raceway; reports differ on the crash month, with two accounts saying July and another saying it occurred in August at Autodrome Drummond. Friesen celebrated in Victory Lane with his wife, Jessica, and son, Parker, and credited his team, sponsors and EMT Andy Burke for helping him return to the track.

Friesen started the feature on the SRI Performance/Stock Car Steel pole in the Halmar No. 44, led the opening circuit and surrendered the lead to Felix Roy on a lap-7 restart. A caution on lap 23 helped Friesen regain momentum, and he completed an outside pass off Turn 2 to reclaim the lead on lap 27 and hold on for the win.

The triumph was Friesen’s 11th DIRTcar Nationals victory and his 54th career Super DIRTcar Series win; another report listed it as career victory No. 434. Felix Roy of Napierville, Quebec, finished second despite a race-shop fire the previous week, with Erick Rudolph third, defending Series champion Mat Williamson fourth and Jack Lehner fifth.

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