CONCORD, N.C.: So close.
How close?
A matter of inches determined whether Parker Kligerman took the white flag in Saturday afternoon’s Drive for the Cure 250 at the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Road Course and propelled him into the Round of 8 NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs or the yellow flag waiving and sending the field into NASCAR overtime.
Kligerman was pulling away from second-place runner Sam Mayer and third-place AJ Allmendinger but when Leland Honeyman Jr. crashed on the course, NASCAR threw the caution just feet before
Kligerman’s No. 48 Big Machine Racing Chevrolet crossed the start-finish line.
Initially, it appeared that Kligerman had secured his first Xfinity Series win and an opportunity to continue in the Xfinity Series Playoffs under caution – but with replay footage appeared showcasing that he had not yet crossed the start-finish line, the debate had ended with NASCAR making the right call.
Kligerman had no choice but to reset and prepare for the biggest restart of his life.
Needing to win to propel himself into the penultimate round of the Xfinity Series Playoffs, Kligerman put up a hellacious battle with Mayer on the restart in overtime – fending off Mayer initially before getting overtaken in Turn 7 with side-by-side contact also slightly damaging Kligerman’s No. 48 Chevrolet.
With the damage and loss of momentum, Kligerman fell five more positions over the final lap to claim sixth at the checkered flag.
Without the triumph, Kligerman joined third-place finisher Shane van Gisbergen, Riley Herbst and Sheldon Creed, who will all fight for fifth in the championship standings over the final four weeks of the 2024 Xfinity Series season after being eliminated from Playoff contention.
Climbing from his race car, Kligerman was somber given the circumstances but managed a smile, talking about the opportunity his team led by longtime crew chief Patrick Donahue to not only win the race but battle in the next-to-last round.
“I thought we got it there with a white flag, and the caution comes out, and then having to refocus,” said Kligerman, who described the moment.
“I watched AJ (Allmendinger) in the Cup race last year nail a bunch of whatever years it was, nailed restarts. I was like, if I want to be this level, I gotta nail this restart. And we did that. And I thought I cut off Turn seven, enough, but he somehow got below me, and then it was on from there; I got damaged, and it was full contact.
“Sam (Mayer) didn’t do anything egregious. It was hard racing but, but as close you can be to the line.”
Fighting back his emotions, Kligerman said he wanted to cry but was not going to shed a tear, but instead reflected on having the opportunity to contend for his first career Xfinity Series win.
“I want to cry. I’m not going to cry, but I really love this game. I just really, really wanted that, and It would have met the world. But you know what, (it) meant the world to be in that position.”
Kligerman, who also serves as a television analyst during the NASCAR Cup Series broadcast said he wanted to fight for his Round of 8 spot based on points, but his Big Machine Racing team took a different strategy that gave him the opportunity to be out front.
“You know, if they called the strategy, I didn’t agree with it,” Kligerman explained. “I wanted to go for points, but they were right. (It) put us in the position to go and get that and God, I was driving my heart out for that last run. But I just, I need, what, 10, five more feet or something, I don’t know.
“I don’t know how to process this. It’s going to take a while, but, you know, just really thankful to be in this, to have the opportunity. And God, I love this game, I just want a trophy.”
Drove my heart out in those last laps. Just wasn’t enough. Thank you to my team for the incredible effort under immense pressure.
Thank you to all of you for the kind words, it means the world.
I’m absolutely gutted but I still love this game
— Parker Kligerman (@pkligerman) October 12, 2024
Follow Chris Knight on X (Twitter) @Knighter01 or email at [email protected].
