NASCAR Cup Series driver Christopher Bell. Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

NASCAR Cup Series star to fill in for injured driver in Truck Series race at Watkins Glen

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Aug 2, 2025 2:39 PM ET

Halmar Friesen Racing has found a replacement driver for the Aug. 8 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Watkins Glen.

With team co-owner and full-time driver Stewart Friesen out due to injuries suffered in a July 28 crash at a dirt race in Quebec, Canada, HFR has tapped NASCAR Cup Series star and 2017 Truck Series champion Christopher Bell to drive the No. 52 Toyota at Watkins Glen.

Christopher Bell will drive the Stewart Friesen truck at Watkins Glen next week. Then TBD after that race. @NASCARONFOX
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) August 2, 2025

Bell, 30, is a 12-time Cup Series winner and has advanced to the Cup Series Championship 4 twice. In 57 Truck Series starts, he's won seven races and scored 43 top-10 finishes. Bell's last Truck Series start came at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2024, where he started 14th and finished fifth.

Friesen successfully underwent surgery following pelvic and compound leg fractures suffered in the July 28 crash at Autodrome Drummond. His team is yet to name a replacement for any races besides Watkins Glen, and Friesen's status for the remainder of the season, including the Truck Series playoffs, which he is qualified for by his June 7 win at Michigan, is currently unknown.

My heart is so full having our family together today. pic.twitter.com/GXeVT7Y71K
— Stewart Friesen (@StewartFriesen) August 1, 2025

The Truck Series race at Watkins Glen is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET on Aug. 8, with coverage on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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