Parker Kligerman Takes Rare Path As A NBC Sports Analyst To Revive Racing Career

Parker Kligerman is all about upgrades. Whether it be flights from LaGuardia Airport to a Nascar race or when it comes to his performance, he’s made #NotDatUpgrade his motto (and a trending hashtag).

Kligerman is unique in the Nascar world, serving as a Nascar on NBC analyst, pit reporter and host of In the Wall, all while competing part-time in the Camping World Truck Series. Henderson Motorsports, the small team he runs for, almost shut down two and a half years ago, leaving him wondering about his future.

“I think from where I was two years ago – I said this to a Hall of Famer who’s been very helpful in giving me good advice – it was pretty bleak,” Kligerman said. “I wasn’t sure how I was going to continue it. I had to confront some serious self realizations at that point.”

But Kligerman didn’t give up.

Rather than taking mediocre rides across Nascar’s top-three divisions, he continued competing with Henderson Motorsports after losing his part-time Cup Series ride with Gaunt Brothers Racing, due to a driver who brought additional funding..

Kligerman’s dedication to the small team paid off in July, dominating and winning at the Mid-Ohio SportsCar Course for his third career win. It’s arguably the biggest triumph of his career, knowing he could put together a near-perfect weekend and with a team that has only one full-time employee, crew chief Chris Carrier.

The victory marks a potential turning point in Kligerman’s life. At 32, he’s reemerged as a hot commodity on the free agency market, with his name circulating in the rumor mill.

“I see it on Reddit – I’m a big Reddit person – and I thank them all,” he said. “I’ve seen my name coming up in all of these different places, and I’m absolutely flattered.

“I hope we can take that enthusiasm and it culminates with me being full time again because it would make a lot of people very excited. That’s heartwarming to me.”

Kligerman, over the last year and a half, has met with teams in the Cup Series and Xfinity Series to discuss potential opportunities. Last year, he was considered for a full-time Xfinity ride with Richard Childress Racing. While the result is still a part-time Truck Series ride, he believes he’s inching closer to a return at full-time racing.

His exposure to fans and to the TV cameras exceeds that of his peers, who often take full-time rides with small teams, hoping to excel and gain an opportunity like Ross Chastain or Landon Cassill. Others, like Ryan Preece, will race part time for large teams and hope to attract major corporate partners.

Kligerman’s path, however, puts him on TV every week. He’s seen in a variety of roles and even has his own NBC Sports show.

“When I first went to the TV side, I viewed it as a launching pad to raise my notoriety and then go back to be racing full time,” Kligerman said. “It hasn’t quite panned out like I perceived it would. It’s kept me in the sport and building my contacts in the sport and with the fans.

“I say all the time that the driving side helps the TV side because it gets my brain thinking in ways I wouldn’t consider if I was racing. It helps me experience things only I can bring to the TV side because I’m the only one doing it who’s still racing.”

Kligerman’s work with NBC enables him to see a bigger picture, whereas others may not be able to do so because their focus is only on racing.

“It’s helped with my driving and it’s helped me be a lot more relaxed to see how these things come together,” he said. “I think that’s all helped.”

Whether it be a full-time opportunity with Henderson Motorsports or elsewhere, Kligerman believes now is his moment to pounce. There are numerous slots available across all of Nascar’s top-three divisions for next season, and the potential exposure partners could have with him tops most prospects.

This year, he even ran two races for the brand-new Emerling-Gase Motorsports, giving the young team its best finish of 12th at Circuit of the Americas.

For a driver who almost gave up on his dream, anything at this point cannot be taken for granted.