By Seth Eggert, Associate Editor
CONCORD, N.C. – Winning in the NASCAR Xfinity Series sometimes can be by ‘an inch or a mile,’ and in Parker Kligerman’s case a matter of inches kept him out of victory lane.
A spirited ‘battle royale’ with Sam Mayer left the driver of the No. 48 Big Machine Spiked Coolers Chevrolet Camaro SS in the lead in the closing laps of the Drive for the Cure 250 presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield on N.C. A shifting issue by Mayer allowed Kligerman to build about a 10-car length gap over the JR Motorsports driver.
Around the same time Leland Honeyman Jr. crashed into the tire wall in Turn 3. NASCAR officials waited several seconds to throw the caution, which ultimately came as Kligerman approached the start-finish line to take the white flag. The Westport, CT native was about two feet from claiming his first career victory. However, the race was pushed into overtime.
“I’m not going to get up here and be angry. NASCAR, everything I’ve watched plenty from the other, the media side and the fan side and thought, ‘oh damn, that that hurts,’” Kligerman explained. “But restarting you just got to buckle in, refocus, and we did that. I just watched the replay into Turn 7 I guess (Mayer) had went wider. I could have opened the entry up more and not let him cut in on me.
“But man, the last laps up to that were the some of the best I’ve ever driven my entire career, and I just knew I had to be perfect there and I was. I love this game, and I really wanted it. I really, really, really wanted this. I wanted to keep going to the playoffs, but it was not to be. I was thankful to be in the position.”
In overtime, Kligerman initially cleared Mayer in the infield section of the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL. Exiting Turn 7, Mayer dove in on corner exit. Kligerman attempted to block, and the two drivers collided. That left Kligerman with a tire rub that ultimately dropped him to sixth at the checkered flag, outside of the NASCAR Playoffs.
The decision to go for the win and not Stage points by crew chief Patrick Donahue ultimately put Kligerman in that battle at the end of the race. Although he didn’t agree with the plan at the time, he conceded that the team ultimately made the right call.
“I didn’t agree with going for not going for points, but Patrick and them stuck to this plan of trying to be in position to win and we did that, and it was the right position to be in,” Kligerman admitted. “It’s a call and that’s sports and you know that sometimes you’re an inch short or a mile short or whatever. It doesn’t matter what as Vin Diesel says (in the Fast and Furious franchise) it doesn’t matter if you win by an inch or a mile. Sometimes you get a caution or get the white flag by and in or a mile and it was an inch for us this time.”
What Kligerman didn’t know was the numerous scenarios each driver behind him faced while he was in the lead. Kligerman, Mayer, and Shane van Gisbergen all had to win. If A.J. Allmendinger won, it would have moved van Gisbergen into the playoffs and Mayer out. All Kligerman knew was his own, and Mayer’s situations, and the battle royale that ensued.
“I didn’t even know behind us what the situation was,” Kligerman stated. “I was trying to look at the board and I was going to ask, but then I was like, don’t even ask. You know you got to win. That’s all that matters. And I knew the No. 1 had to win because I asked when he was beating our back bumper off with like 5 to go. I’m like, ‘does he have to win,’ and they say ‘yes, he has to win.’ I knew it was the ‘death match battle royale’. That’s how we raced it out and the final restart, you’re just expecting it to be aggressive, which it was.”
Now Kligerman has four more races where he can attempt to be the playoff spoiler. Those four Xfinity races also mark the final four of his career as a full-time NASCAR driver. Several weeks ago the 34-year-old announced that he would not compete full-time after this season.
Post-race several drivers, including Allmendinger, Almirola, Austin Hill, and van Gisbergen came up to Kligerman, offering apologies and words of advice after the tough finish.
“That’s pretty cool, especially guys like Aric and AJ who have won Cup races and Austin Hill who’s won ‘millions’ of races and SVG, who’s best in the world on road courses,” Kligerman said. “That means a lot because they have your peers respect and you know, I don’t think I raced anyone not cleanly today, but had to be aggressive and they knew that.
“I’ve raced these guys over a whole season and for years, some of them, and that’s just that’s really cool. I mean, Aric, he had some really nice things that was very touching. And I’m very thankful to have you have had him come up there because maybe it would react differently, but that was really nice to him to say some really kind things.”