Parker Kligerman did not have the easiest path to a top 15 finish. (Photo: Christopher Vargas | The Podium Finish)
AVONDALE, Ariz. – Parker Kligerman had quite the eventful Saturday at the 1-mile Phoenix Raceway.
Following an accident during Saturday morning’s practice session, the 32-year-old Westport, Connecticut native had his work cut out for him, starting in 37th place. While the accident and a short turnaround time preparing a backup ride is never ideal, the No. 48 Big Machine Racing Spiked Coolers Chevrolet Camaro team kept their heads up.
It was a slow and steady climb for Kligerman, finishing 24th in Stage 1 and 19th in Stage. However, the methodical racer kept his team in contention for a solid finish.
In the closing moments of the United Rentals 200, Kligerman avoided the chaos and madness prevalent with racing in “The Valley of The Sun.”
At one point, Kligerman ran as high as seventh place, perhaps a barometer of his team’s potential in an incident free weekend.
Still, with 107 green flag passes and 56 quality passes along with 101 laps spent in the top 15 per NASCAR’s loop statistics, it was a race that showcased Kligerman and the No. 48 team’s resolve to be a consistent frontrunner.
Following a practice crash, Kligerman methodically worked his way up the leaderboard at Phoenix. (Photo: Michael Donohue | The Podium Finish)
Finishing in 15th, Kligerman offered his best Jeff Burton-like charge with a drive that would have netted a “Hard Charger’s Award,” gaining 22 spots in a sprint-like race. Similarly, the stock car veteran demonstrated his determination following a tough start to the Phoenix race weekend.
If anything, Saturday’s 200-lap race offered a glimpse with the No. 48 team’s resiliency and perseverance when adversity strikes. Likewise, the team, led by crew chief Patrick Donahue, can count on Kligerman with extracting the most out of their Camaro on any given weekend.
After four races, the multifaceted racer has made steady strides with his new-to-him team and a package that has changed a bit since last year.
Following a 23rd in the season opener at Daytona, Kligerman charged from the 23rd starting spot to place 10th at Fontana and tallied an 11th at Las Vegas.
Although Kligerman dropped from 10th to 12 in the points standings, he sits six points behind Daniel Hemric, a fellow Chevrolet competitor. Moreover, Kligerman has a respectable average finish of 14.8, a consistent mark for the tenacious racer.
The final two races of March may provide some memorable madness for Kligerman and the No. 48 Big Machine Racing team. (Photo: Michael Donohue | The Podium Finish)
Kligerman and his No. 48 team await next Saturday’s Raptor King of Tough 250 at Atlanta Motor Speedway (5 p.m. ET on FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), a unique intermediate venue that behaves like a superspeedway. Presently, the ninth year NASCAR Xfinity Series competitor has not competed on the 1.54-mile track since its refit completed prior to last season.
Nevertheless, this month’s final two Xfinity races may offer some hope and potential winning opportunities for Kligerman with this adept superspeedway skills and confidence attacking road courses like Circuit of the Americas.
The spotlight may be on the bigger, juggernaut operations of Richard Childress Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing and JR Motorsports. However, Kligerman and his Big Machine Racing team have the makings to become a formidable top 10 force at about any venue in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
