12/12/2003

STEWART FRIESEN LEADS CANADIAN FAMILY AT ATLANTIC CITY

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - Eleven months ago Stewart Friesen nearly scored a stunning victory in the Atlantic City Indoor Race at the seaside resort's famed Boardwalk Hall.

The fast-rising Canadian star will get his chance to finish the job when indoor Three-Quarter Midget action returns to the Hall's concrete floor on Jan. 9 and 10.

"I'm definitely looking forward to it,' said Friesen, who finished second to fellow Canadian Andy Mackereth in last January's Indoor Race A-Main. "We were close to winning [earlier this year], so I think with a couple breaks we could pull it off."

Friesen, 20, of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., comes to Atlantic City as one of the hottest young driving talents in the Northeast. He recently landed a fulltime ride for 2004 with the high-profile Madsen Motorsports DIRT 358-Modified team, which had employed veteran short-track standout Brett Hearn for the last eight years.

A top DIRT Sportsman competitor since 1999, the versatile Friesen has also made starts in the Sprint Car, asphalt Late Model/Sportsman and TQ Midget divisions. His TQ Midget exploits include a victory in a Niagara Falls (N.Y.) Indoor Midget Series event when he was a mere 16 years old. Friesen, whose father Jamie co-promotes the Ransomville (N.Y.) Speedway, hasn't entered a TQ Midget race since January's meet in Atlantic City. He also will be swapping cars next month, moving from his grandfather Stan Friesen's No. 51, which he drove to his second-place finish at the Hall, to Harry Macy's No. 9.

But he's still confident he can adapt to the small cars quickly.

"I feel like everyone will be going in there on an almost-level playing field because it's the only indoor show of the year," said Friesen. "Everybody won't be totally in the dark like last year, but nobody should have a real big advantage."

In addition, Friesen isn't completely unfamiliar with Macy's TQ Midget.

"I drove Harry's car once a few years ago at Wall [Township Speedway]," said Friesen. "It's a real good car."

Friesen, who is in his sophomore year at Windsor (Ont.) University, will fly in to Atlantic City from Detroit on Friday morning of the Indoor Race weekend. He'll then meet up with the rest of the Friesen clan, including his teenage cousins James Michael and Curtis Friesen, both of whom will compete in the event.

James Michael, who ran a schedule of TQ shows at Lancaster (N.Y.) Motorsports Park and the Can-Am Midget Series in 2003, will drive his grandfather Stan's No. 52. He performed respectably in last January¹s Indoor Race, finishing 12th in the B-Main.

Curtis, meanwhile, will make his A.C. debut in the No. 51 that Stewart drove last January. The 2004 installment of the Atlantic City Indoor Race will feature two full nights of racing competition.

The Fri., Jan. 9, program will see the top-40 drivers from time trials compete in four heats, two consolations and a 30-lap feature. Time trials are scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. and the first green flag will fly at 8 p.m.

Another round of time trials will be contested on Saturday afternoon, with all drivers getting a chance to race on Boardwalk Hall's concrete oval. A format of A-B-C-D-E mains will be utilized, with the 50-lap A-Main topping the card. Race time is 6:30 p.m.

Reserved-seat tickets are on sale through all Ticketmaster outlets. For more information call 609-888-3618.

Sources:  AARN/LongIslandJam.com
Posted:  January 6, 2004