CONCORD, N.C. — Parker Kligerman was inches away from winning his way into the Round of 8 of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs.
Instead, the yellow flag waved just before Kligerman took the white flag at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval. Had Kligerman crossed the start/finish line after the white flag waved, a caution would have sealed the victory and propelled him into the next round of the postseason. But because he hadn’t yet hit the stripe, what happened next was a restart in NASCAR Overtime in which he was bested by Sam Mayer, who took that checkered flag, trophy and playoff spot instead.
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The difference between the caution lights’ illumination and Kligerman’s No. 48 Chevrolet crossing the start/finish line was 0.05 seconds, per timestamps provided by NASCAR. Ultimately, Kligerman took the checkered flag in sixth place, 24 points away — or one win shy — of advancing to the Round of 8.
Kligerman has never won in the Xfinity Series. He announced on Sept. 12 — exactly a month ago — that this campaign will be the final season of his full-time racing career. The moment he took to sit atop his window after the race, soaking in the defeat and watching Mayer’s smoke-show celebration, encapsulated those emotions.
“This hurts,” Kligerman said. “I said on the cooldown lap, I want to cry, but I won’t, and it’s gotten close a couple times as I think about it. I just, I’ve really loved doing this, and I’ve been so grateful to have the opportunity to be here and to be at this level and to make a career doing this. And I just love the intensity and the pressure. And I really, really wanted that.
“I just felt like that was a poetic — if I could just do one thing, it would have been winning this damn race in that fashion, holding off some of the best in the world in SVG (Shane van Gisbergen), and AJ (Allmendinger), Sam Mayer, who’s a Roval master now. I thought I was driving at the highest level I’ve ever driven, and I didn’t get it done.”
It wasn’t for lack of effort. Following a restart with 11 laps remaining in regulation, Kligerman stormed from sixth to second on fresh tires, charging to van Gisbergen’s back bumper.
Kligerman completed the pass for the lead just two laps later and began setting sail until Mayer reeled him back. Mayer and Kligerman dueled fiercely but fairly over the final seven green-flag laps of regulation, with each handing the other crossover moves that dazzled, including a Mayer pass for the lead entering the frontstretch chicane that was immediately undone by a Kligerman crossover on the exit of Turn 17.
“Was it a good show?” Kligerman smiled. “Cool.”
Those moments were intense for both, understanding what playoff hopes were on the line.
“I don’t wear a heart-rate monitor anymore or anything, but I’d have to think it might have been the highest I’ve ever had,” Kligerman said.
But the respect between Mayer and Kligerman was evident. While they weren’t afraid to race hard or make contact — a Mayer crossover and slight contact in Turn 7 ultimately led to Mayer’s victory — the two effectively took care of each other’s chances to continue.
“I have so much respect for Parker because he is one of the coolest guys in the garage,” Mayer said. “He’s a really good race-car driver, and he’s driving for a team that the owner, Scott Borchetta, I respect highly. So me in that spot, I’m like, ‘God dang it, really? Am I really gonna be behind the 48 on this last restart?’ and all that kind of stuff because, again, I have so much respect for all those guys that work on the race car and the drive and own it.”
Mayer wasn’t the only driver offering respect to Kligerman after the race. Van Gisbergen was the first to greet him before Aric Almirola and AJ Allmendinger came by to offer support. During Kligerman’s post-race interviews, Austin Hill came to shake Kligerman’s hand as well.
“That’s pretty cool,” Kligerman said. “Especially guys like Aric and AJ have won Cup races, and Austin Hill won a million races, and SVG, who’s best in the world. You know, that means a lot to have your peers’ respect.
“And you know, I don’t think I raced anyone not cleanly today, but I had to be aggressive. They knew that. But I’ve raced these guys over a whole season – and for years, some of them – and that’s just really cool. I mean, Aric, he had some really nice things that was very touching. And I’m very thankful to have had him come up there because I maybe would have reacted differently. But that was really nice of him to say some really kind things.”
Despite coming so close to an ever-elusive Xfinity victory, Kligerman foresees no change in his future plans and insists this will be his final full season.
“It’s over, bud. It’s over, and I’ve been at peace with it,” Kligerman said. “I’ll tell you how peaceful it’s been. I’ve slept so well and I’ve been so calm the last month or so since I made the announcement, I went and got a blood test, and I was like, something’s wrong with me. And turns out I’m as healthy as an ox. It’s just, I guess, turning that switch off in four weeks for the first time in 22 years, I think I’m ready for it.
“But I will say, 10 to go and I’m holding off to the best of the world, I was like, ‘Damn, couple more chances at this (and) I might get more of these.’ But no, it’s time and I’m at peace. But I really want one of these trophies to finish it off.”
