Sacrificing it all: Parker Kligerman reflects on NASCAR journey
10/30/2024 08:30 AM
Parker Kligerman had been contemplating the next chapter of his professional career prior to taking a full-time gig with Big Machine Racing in the Xfinity Series ahead of the 2023 season. But he wanted to taste Victory Lane once more.
After spending two seasons adapting to the grind of the Xfinity Series, team owner Scott Borchetta hired Kligerman to be the driver of the No. 48 Chevrolet. Kligerman, a racing journeyman, hadn‘t competed in an entire schedule in any series in a decade. Simultaneously, he beefed up his broadcasting resume as a pit reporter for NBC Sports.
Last month, Kligerman announced that after two seasons with Big Machine Racing, resulting in a pair of Playoff appearances, he would depart the team and stop pursuing full-time opportunities in NASCAR at the end of 2024.
"It became apparent to me that the amount of sacrifices I was making in my life were getting to a point where I was going to have to make a decision," a reflective Kligerman told Jayski. "Do I want to keep going down that path where I have to sacrifice more and more, having to spend more time away, upend my life and move to North Carolina full time? And chances of going to the next level. Personally, I wouldn‘t be content just being in Xfinity; I want to go to Cup."
In Kligerman‘s heart, he didn‘t foresee any future opportunities with some of the sport‘s Goliath teams, such as Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports. Now, he‘s going to chase other goals.
"When I did broadcasts, I viewed it as: keep me at the track to go race," Kligerman stated. "It would keep me in the eyes of trying to go full time and building partners. I thought maybe going at it with a different viewpoint of that and going into the content world, which I‘m going to do, seemed more interesting to me. I felt like I had gotten to a point where I have done this."
Kligerman noted it was fully his decision to step away from full-time racing. Big Machine tabbed upstart Nick Sanchez as his replacement, having won two Craftsman Truck Series races in 2024.
For the past two years, Kligerman split time between NASCAR‘s Charlotte hub to spend time at the team‘s race shop and his native Connecticut. While in Charlotte this year, he was living in a second bedroom at a friend‘s house to chase his racing dream.
"I wanted to try to win," Kligerman said. "I wanted to go win a championship. We‘ve gotten as close as I feel like we can get with where we‘re at."
Earlier this month in the Round of 12 elimination race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, Kligerman thought he tasted that elusive victory. Granted, it lasted for roughly 30 seconds. In the closing laps, he held off Sam Mayer in a spirited battle. Seconds before taking the white flag, the caution flew. Kligerman dropped to sixth in overtime.
In two seasons filled with close calls, that one stung the most, as Kligerman cried on what he thought was the cooldown lap. He needed to refocus and zone in on the battle that was brewing.
"I‘ve been able to put it behind me because that was my best performance ever," Kligerman said of the Roval. "By far, the best 10 laps I‘ve ever driven. I‘ve never had the opportunity to have that much pressure, that intensity with not as fast of a car as [Mayer] and to hold him off for as long as we did and to drive away. As a driver, you dream of that scenario, you put it on your back and make it work. I felt like I did that and that‘s why it‘s more brutal."
When Borchetta hired Kligerman, the agenda was to turn Big Machine Racing into a front-running team. Through an alliance with Richard Childress Racing, the No. 48 team has continued progressing. Of full-time drivers, Kligerman ranks fourth in average finish (11.9), trailing only Chandler Smith, Cole Custer and Austin Hill.
Kligerman feels that he has lived up to his end of the bargain in making Big Machine a well-rounded organization.
"I guess it‘s prototypical of every deal I‘ve ever done," Kligerman said. "[Brad Keselowski Racing] was in its first years, so I did those. [Kyle Busch Motorsports] was early on; Swann was early. I don‘t know what it is, but I keep finding myself in these positions. Maybe that‘s my legacy of trying to take younger teams and teams that aren‘t as established, trying to break them through the stalwarts of this whole deal.
"I truly believe for Scott and everyone that has given me this chance that I‘ve done what I was asked. As I leave at the end of the year, this team is in the best place it has ever been. It‘s in a far better place than when I arrived and that makes me happy to know they are in a good spot."
With two races remaining, Kligerman ranks 11th in the championship standings, though those points will get shuffled following the Round of 8 finale at Martinsville Speedway this weekend. Then, Kligerman will enter his final week as a full-time competitor leading into the season finale at Phoenix.
"I‘m at peace because I feel like I‘ve been able to take a young race team and continue to do what I‘ve done often, and that is bring them to the next level," Kligerman said. "Bring them to the promised land and go out there and create them into a powerhouse.
"I‘ve more so proved to myself that I have the ability to do this and that was enough for me."
Kligerman isn‘t sure what racing he will continue doing, though expects to make sporadic NASCAR starts. Next year‘s inaugural Truck Series race at Lime Rock Park, a venue in which he‘s a minority investor in, and the Rolex 24 are bucket-list items for the 34-year-old.
Aside from racing, Kligerman‘s focus will be turned to content creation come November, which will likely be available through YouTube.
"I see the opportunity to carve a unique area in that world," he added. "I definitely want to go down that path and see if I can be successful because it seems intriguing to me. I love creating content and doing creative things on camera and mixing motorsports and cars, trying to bring perspectives and do things that entertains people but informs. I love that stuff so I want to do more of that."
