For the first time since 2017, two-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Todd Bodine will return to the driver’s seat in NASCAR’s top-three series, partnering with Halmar Friesen Racing and Camping World to contest a half-dozen events in 2022.
Bodine, who last competed in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for Bobby Dotter’s SS Greenlight Racing in 2017, will pilot a second entry for HFR at Las Vegas, Darlington, Texas, Sonoma, Nashville, and Pocono, in order to reach the mark of 800 career starts across NASCAR’s National Series.
“We started talking about the possibility of doing something like this with Marcus Lemonis around this time last year,” Bodine said in a team release. “When Marcus tweeted back in October that he needed 800 reasons from the fans to make this happen, the fans responded back with thousands of reasons!”
In a combined 794 starts – 220 in NCWTS, 333 in NXS, 241 in NCS — Bodine has captured 22 victories and two championships in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, and 15 victories in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
“We are excited for the opportunity to reach the 800-start mark with top equipment from the team at HFR,” Bodine continued. “It’s also great to be back with Toyota. We have 23 wins and two championships with Toyota, so I’m proud to achieve this milestone in a Tundra. I have already heard from several Camping World Truck Series drivers, who have never raced me in the past, they sound as excited to race me as I am to come out of the Fox Studio for these six races and race them.”
The 57-year-old is the latest driver to return from what many assumed to be ‘retirement’ over the last couple of years in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, some of which include Trevor Bayne, James Buescher, Erik Darnell, and Bill Lester.
“It’s the kiss of death in the Camping World Truck Series when Todd picks Stewart [Friesen] to win on TV,” said Halmar Friesen Racing owner Chris Larson. “So, we’re excited to get him out of the studio and into our HFR Tundras for his run to 800 career starts.”
Additional details on the entry will come at a later date, however, Jessica Friesen – Stewart Friesen’s wife — did compete in a second entry for the team at Knoxville last season, in the No. 62.
? Breaking news ? We are proud to welcome Todd Bodine @Team_Onion and @CampingWorld to HFR for 6 races in 2022! @NASCARONFOX @marcuslemonis pic.twitter.com/jTK0mMQhgz
— Stewart Friesen (@StewartFriesen) December 13, 2021
