TALLADEGA, Ala. — Team radios buzzed throughout Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway, and much of the chatter surrounded eventual race winner Parker Kligerman.
Christopher Bell, Ben Rhodes and Grant Enfinger were among the drivers to say Kligerman was making them nervous with the aggressive manner in which he was bumping other trucks from behind.
There were some dicey moments, including Kligerman shoving Cody Coughlin to the lead and also causing others to bobble with his bump-style drafting.
MORE: Kligerman holds on as wrecks unfolds
“Get him off me,” was the directive from race leader Bell in the final laps.
“Try not to let the 75 get behind me,” came from the No. 27 channel (Rhodes’ team) earlier.
Reaction from Kligerman and crew chief Chris Carrier varied between thoughtful and direct, but both defended the racing in their own ways.
“I’ve been a crew chief for 40-something years,” Carrier said. “Most of those guys complaining are guys that want to be Sunday drivers. Better grow up. If you want to cut the grass, you better not mind grass in your shoes. That’s part of it, like it or not. Grow up.”
“I know there were a couple (drivers) that got upset and I was like, whatever,” added Kligerman, an analyst for NBC Sports. “I thought we were here to race. I find out later in the race, yeah, you could get a little loose.
” … I didn’t spin anyone out, so I think it worked. We passed a lot of trucks, we got ourselves to the front a couple of times and when it came down to it, everybody was doing the same thing. I don’t see any harm or foul.”