Parker Kligerman Bio
Parker Lindsley Kligerman, born August 8, 1990, in Westport, Connecticut, is an American professional stock car racing driver, broadcaster, and motorsports entrepreneur. Best known for his work in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Kligerman has also built a respected media career as a color commentator and pit reporter for NBC, The CW, and TNT Sports. Over more than a decade and a half in the sport, he has balanced a competitive driving career with broadcasting, podcasting, and business ventures, becoming one of NASCAR’s most versatile modern personalities.
He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 75 Chevrolet Silverado RST for Henderson Motorsports, and in the IMSA SportsCar Championship driving the No. 78 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo 2 for Forte Racing in the GTD class. He is a former development driver for Team Penske.
Early Life and Background
Parker Lindsley Kligerman was born in Greenwich, Connecticut, and grew up across several towns in the state. He lived in Stamford until the age of 11 before his family moved to neighboring Westport, Connecticut, where he stayed through his formative years. Kligerman currently resides in Stamford, keeping close ties to the region where he first fell in love with cars and competition.
From a young age, Kligerman was drawn to motorsports, and his Connecticut upbringing placed him within driving distance of several northeast racing circuits. That early access helped shape his path toward a professional career, and he eventually joined the prestigious Team Penske driver development program, a launchpad that has produced some of the sport’s most successful names.
Path to NASCAR
Kligerman’s climb through the NASCAR ladder began in 2008 when, as part of the Penske development program, he drove the No. 77 Cunningham Motorsports Dodge in two ARCA RE/MAX Series races. The following year, he ran the full ARCA schedule, finishing second in the championship standings and earning both the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series Rookie of the Year award and the Bill France Four Crown. That same season, he made his Nationwide Series debut for Penske in the No. 22 car at Kansas Speedway, where he won the pole position in a strong first impression.
By 2010, Kligerman was running a partial Nationwide Series schedule with Team 42 Racing, scoring top-ten finishes at Bristol and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve despite missing several early races. These results confirmed his potential and set the stage for his transition to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, where he would earn his first national series victory.
Parker Kligerman Career
Early Career (2008-2010)
Kligerman’s first national exposure came in 2008 through the ARCA RE/MAX Series with Cunningham Motorsports, supported by Team Penske. He drove the No. 77 Dodge in two races that season, learning the demands of stock car racing while balancing a busy development schedule. His dedication earned him a full-time ARCA ride in 2009, a season in which he finished second in points and swept the Rookie of the Year and Bill France Four Crown honors.
That same year, Kligerman reached the NASCAR Nationwide Series, qualifying on pole for his debut at Kansas Speedway in the Penske No. 22. In 2010, he continued building experience with Team 42 Racing, producing top-ten finishes at Bristol and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The early results, while inconsistent, marked him as a promising young talent ready for the next level.
Camping World Truck Series Breakthrough (2011-2012)
Kligerman moved to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2011, competing for Rookie of the Year with Brad Keselowski Racing in the No. 29 Ram. He returned to that team in 2012 while also running a limited Nationwide schedule in Penske’s No. 22, sharing the seat with Brad Keselowski and Jacques Villeneuve. After the first eleven races of 2012, he was released from Brad Keselowski Racing and quickly signed with Red Horse Racing to drive the No. 7 Toyota for the remainder of the season.
His first Truck Series victory came at Talladega Superspeedway on October 6, 2012, a breakthrough moment in his career. He remained a fringe title contender late in the year before being eliminated in a crash at Phoenix, ultimately finishing fifth in the series standings. The Talladega win announced Kligerman as a serious competitor in NASCAR’s national ranks.
NASCAR Cup Series and Nationwide/Xfinity Years (2013-2019)
In November 2013, Kligerman made his Sprint Cup Series debut at Texas Motor Speedway with Swan Racing, finishing eighteenth. Swan hired him for the full 2014 season alongside Cole Whitt, but sponsorship troubles forced the team to scale back early in the year. Kligerman briefly served as a practice and stand-by driver for Stewart-Haas Racing during Kurt Busch’s 2014 Indianapolis 500 and Coca-Cola 600 double-duty attempt.
As driving opportunities narrowed, Kligerman leaned into broadcasting, joining NBC Sports Network as an analyst later in 2014. In 2015, he returned to competition with Obaika Racing in the Xfinity Series at Darlington. In 2017, he rejoined Henderson Motorsports, and in October of that year, he won at Talladega in the Truck Series, his second career victory. In 2018, he returned to the Cup Series with Gaunt Brothers Racing at the Coca-Cola 600, running fourteen races in 2019 with a best finish of fifteenth at the Daytona 500.
Henderson Motorsports and Big Machine Racing Era (2020-2024)
Kligerman rejoined Henderson Motorsports in 2020 for ten Truck Series starts in the No. 75 Silverado, with a best result of fourth at Bristol. In 2021, he expanded his schedule to twelve races, earning two top-fives at Watkins Glen and Darlington, and made a one-off Cup appearance with Gaunt Brothers Racing at Kansas. In July 2022, he earned his third Truck Series victory at Mid-Ohio in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 150, a decisive win against Zane Smith.
On October 29, 2022, Big Machine Racing announced Kligerman would drive the No. 48 full-time in the 2023 Xfinity Series season. He made the Xfinity playoffs for the first time in his career, the first playoff appearance for Big Machine Racing, and was eliminated at the Charlotte Roval. He returned to BMR in 2024 but announced in September that he would not return to the team and would retire from full-time racing at season’s end. In a dramatic 2024 Charlotte Roval race, Kligerman appeared to take the white flag as the leader but was deemed to have been a few feet short when a late caution flew, costing him the win and ending his playoff run.
Driving Style and Strengths
Kligerman is widely regarded as a versatile and analytically minded driver, comfortable on a range of track types from superspeedways to road courses. His smooth, calculated race craft has produced strong finishes on tracks like Bristol, Watkins Glen, Darlington, and Talladega, and his road course pace has been a consistent strength. His long-running partnerships with crew chiefs and engineers at teams such as Red Horse Racing and Big Machine Racing reflect his collaborative approach behind the wheel.
Notable Races and Milestones
His signature wins came at Talladega in 2012 and 2017, and at Mid-Ohio in 2022, all dramatic moments that highlighted his plate-track and road course instincts. His 2014 Daytona 500 crash, in which his car flipped into the catch fence, remains one of the most memorable incidents of his career, though he emerged uninjured. In 2025, after a disqualification at Daytona for a ride-height violation gave the win to Corey Heim, Kligerman was later credited with a victory at the Wawa 250 at Daytona as the substitute driver for the injured Connor Zilisch in the JR Motorsports No. 88, with Zilisch officially named the winner for starting the race.
Parker Kligerman Career Wins
Across more than fifteen years in NASCAR’s top national series, Parker Kligerman has built a reputation as a consistent winner in the Craftsman Truck Series and a competitive presence in the Xfinity Series. His three verified Truck Series victories anchor a career defined by perseverance, versatility, and a willingness to reinvent himself through broadcasting and business.
Craftsman Truck Series Highlights
Kligerman has recorded at least three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series wins: at Talladega Superspeedway on October 6, 2012, at Talladega in October 2017, and at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on July 9, 2022, in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 150. He also started from pole at Homestead-Miami in 2012, capping a season that ended with a fifth-place finish in the championship standings.
Other Wins and Performances
In 2009, Kligerman was a dominant force in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, finishing second in points and winning both the Rookie of the Year award and the Bill France Four Crown. In 2025, he was credited with a victory at the Wawa 250 at Daytona in the Xfinity Series as the substitute driver for the injured Connor Zilisch, though Zilisch was officially named the winner under NASCAR rules.
Parker Kligerman Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Parker Kligerman’s immediate family remains limited. He grew up in Connecticut and has credited his upbringing in the state, with early proximity to northeast racing culture, as an important influence on his career path.
Personal Life
Kligerman currently resides in Stamford, Connecticut, near where he grew up. Outside of racing, he is the co-founder and president of Focus Now Solutions, the manufacturer of the focus-enhancing beverage Focus7 Shot, and is part of Lime Rock Group, LLC, which owns Lime Rock Park. In 2023, he co-founded the motorsports media company The Money Lap with fellow driver Landon Cassill.
2025 Season Performance
Parker Kligerman opened the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season at Daytona in the Fresh From Florida 250, driving the No. 75 for Henderson Motorsports. He unofficially crossed the finish line first but was later relegated to last after post-race inspection found the truck too low, with Corey Heim awarded the victory. Kligerman continued his part-time Truck Series schedule through the year, drawing on his long experience at plate tracks and road courses.
Beyond the driver’s seat, Kligerman has expanded his broadcasting footprint, working as a color commentator for NASCAR on The CW, a studio analyst for NASCAR on TNT Sports, and a pit reporter for NASCAR on NBC. He also continued growing The Money Lap, his motorsports media brand co-founded with Landon Cassill, which includes a podcast that has featured guests such as Dale Earnhardt Jr., James Hinchcliffe, and Cole Custer. The 2025 season reflects Kligerman’s transition into a semi-retired driver fully engaged in the broader business and storytelling side of the sport.
