Surprise Redemption: Kligerman’s Return To Daytona Glory

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – While Connor Zilisch was officially credited with the win in the Wawa 250 powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona Int’l Speedway, Parker Kligerman found surprise redemption at the World Center of Racing in the process.

Though it was in a relief driver role, Kligerman wheeled JR Motorsports’ No. 88 Chevrolet to victory after controlling the closing laps, completing a comeback arc following his heartbreaking NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series disqualification from the victory at Daytona in February.

It was an opportunity that was shocking in how it all materialized.

After winning at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) Int’l, Zilisch fell in victory lane during the on-car celebration and broke his collarbone. After undergoing surgery, he was able to start Friday night’s race at Daytona, but had to be replaced under caution on lap 13 by Kligerman.

Since Zilisch started the race, he earned all the points and the win, but Kligerman did the heavy lifting.

Kligerman retired from full-time racing after the 2024 Xfinity Series season to focus on his career in TV broadcasting and media, but still planned on making select starts in the Truck Series.

That has come to fruition, but Friday night was something special, as Kligerman later noted.

“If it had been anyone other than Dale Earnhardt Jr. calling me, I probably would not have done it,” he admitted. “I didn’t have this burning desire to jump in and try and run an Xfinity Series race again, but JRM has the best cars in the series right now that are winning all these races with this guy [Zilisch] … who was really cool to hang out with this week and get to know better. I think just all those circumstances together added up to make me want to do it.

“It meant a lot because it was very unexpected … and I think at the same time, I’d already kind of made peace with [ending the driving career]. I figured I had done my last Xfinity race already. This was just a bonus and a cherry on top.”

The decision to stop racing full-time was tough for Kligerman, and with how many good runs he has had this year, he has been questioning returning back to full-time action.

However, he believes it will take a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lure him back in.

“I- Poss[ibly]- I don’t know, maybe not?” Kligerman said when asked if he would consider committing to driving fully again.

“I think it would take a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I don’t know if it's out there or [if it] could materialize,” he added. “I’m really excited about the stuff I'm doing outside of racing now. I feel so fortunate to have been here so long and to be here in the capacity I have been and do the different things I’ve done, but I don't know. It’d have to be insanely life changing.

“I’m sitting here after having won, so it’s really easy to be like, ‘Oh yeah, let’s do this every week, let’s go.’ But I don’t know. I know how good [Zilisch] is and the guys like him. It would have to be a seriously good situation to want to entertain that. Not to be a downer, I just don't think it possibly is out there. And that's okay. I'm fine with that. I'm really excited about what I'm doing and enjoying it, and I get to do cool stuff like this sometimes.”

Ironically, there is a minute chance that opportunity could come from the person who owns the car he just drove.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., co-owner of JR Motorsports, said that Kligerman was the first person they called when they knew Zilisch needed a replacement. Earnhardt also said that all of JR Motorsports is in agreement that Kligerman is high on their list now.

“I hope that he gets some opportunity,” Earnhardt said Friday night. “He was the first guy that I thought of, and I called the people in [JR Motorsports] that mattered and listed his name as the person I thought we should have. And nobody had a better idea. I think that should say where he is on our list. If we can’t present an opportunity for him, I hope that the phone does ring.

“I know he’s in a tough spot because the deal that he gets would need to be good enough for him to have to pause his media career, and he’s got a really good opportunity there … so that’s a tough spot to be in.

“I think Richard Boswell was in this situation one time. Richard drove our cars in [Hooters] Pro Cup and there was a moment where me and him had to sit down and have a conversation about, ‘Hey, is the driving thing really going to work out or should you pursue this engineering career?’ And he became a crew chief, right? And just won last week with Austin Dillon. So that was a very, very hard choice that he made, and it was heartbreaking for him to turn his back on his driving opportunity. But it was something he had to do.

“And Parker's sort of in that same place in life. This may present an opportunity he wants to pursue, but at some point he has to decide, right? If he goes all in on the media side because there's some real opportunities there for him to have some success with all the partners that we have on the Cup side and the Xfinity side as well … there’s some great, great momentum and there’s a lot of people that want to play in that space. You don’t want to give up your seat there either.

“So that’s a tough situation he’s in. But so proud of what he did for us tonight.”

What Kligerman did was win, even if he didn’t get statistical credit for it. But that didn’t matter to him, not in his words, at least.

“I made the joke all week and I even saw people on Reddit and my family said to me, ‘It would be such a you thing to win and not [get] any credit for it and not be in the record books.’ And I was like, ‘Yep, that’ll be me. We’re going to win, just watch.’

“And sure enough, here we are.”

Wherever Kligman’s career goes from here, he has earned the respect and love of not just the fans, but his teams and competitors as well.

That was on full display at the World Center of Racing, a place which haunted Kligerman six months ago, but came back around to repay him under the Friday night floodlights.

The next race for the NASCAR Xfinity Series is at Portland (Ore.) Int’l Raceway, where Kligerman is expected to return to his regular broadcast duties for CW Sports.

Coverage of the Pacific Office Automation 147 starts Saturday, Aug. 30 at 7:30 p.m. ET, live on The CW, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.