Stewart Friesen, a long-time competitor in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, will carry the colors of Aim Autism on board his No. 52 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro in the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway.
Friesen’s truck, dubbed the “Spectrum of Color” entry, will carry the colors of the rainbow, to represent the Autism Color Spectrum. These colors embody the range of abilities and challenges that each individual faces. It’s a notion that all individuals with autism cannot be generalized by one color.
The hood of the No. 52 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro will be promoting the second annual Aim Autism Golf Classic on April 17th, which will take place in Charlotte, North Carolina. At this event, fans can golf with stars of NASCAR, with all proceeds raised goings towards making a difference for those with autism.
It’s a cause that really hits home for Friesen and his family, as the Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario-native detailed on the ‘HFR Race for Autism’ website.
“After missing some key developmental milestones, our son Parker was diagnosed with autism at just one-and-a-half years old,” Friesen wrote. “Like many other families, we had very little understanding of autism before Parker’s diagnosis. After our pediatric neurologist prescribed intensive and immediate ABA (applied behavior analysis) therapy, we became very overwhelmed and lost in the Early Intervention system.”
“Ensuring that Parker would have access to the therapy he needed instantly became our life,” Friesen continued. “After countless hours on the phone and months of waiting lists, we were fortunate to find ABA therapy for Parker through Crossroads Center for Children. In going through our day-to-day experiences and lessons learned on our journey, we have felt that there is a need to help other families and children affected by autism in any possible way that we can.”
“With our family’s involvement in racing, a national platform with NASCAR, and a local dirt-racing following, we are confident in our ability to get the word out. We want to do everything we can to boost autism awareness and help support the efforts of not only the Crossroads Center but also schools like them that facilitate early awareness and intervention therapies, which have been so beneficial to our son and our family.”
Halmar Friesen Racing and Stewart Friesen will begin their 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series campaign with the No. 52 Aim Autism Toyota Tundra TRD Pro at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, February 17th.
