Getty Parker Kligerman celebrates a win at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
The Camping World Truck Series race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course came to an end with part-time driver Parker Kligerman sticking the checkered flag in the infield grass. He celebrated a major achievement while team owner Don Henderson turned heads with some post-race comments.
Don Henderson, the owner of the one-employee team, spoke to reporter Casey Campbell after the end of the O’Reilly Auto Parts 150. He explained that the team has the goal of running full-time in the Camping World Truck Series. However, there is one current setback. The team needs to acquire funding.
Retweet to congratulate Parker Kligerman on his NASCAR Truck Series WIN at Mid-Ohio!
Henderson knows that it will not be a simple task to gain funding for a full-time run. The team has primarily worked with Food Country USA during its time in the Truck Series dating back to the 2012 season. Though he noted that wins will certainly help the team achieve this goal.
Kligerman should have more opportunities to contend for wins in the No. 75 Chevrolet. The trip to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course was his eighth start of the year, which was on the lower end of an earlier prediction. He confirmed on Twitter in December 2021 that he would run between eight and 12 races.
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Kligerman Made History for Henderson Motorsports
GettyParker Kligerman turned in a historic performance for Henderson Motorsports.
The race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course was huge for both Kligerman and Henderson Motorsports. The Connecticut native showed that he can contend with drivers in better-funded vehicles while returning to Victory Lane for the first time since the 2017 season.
This win, which was Kligerman’s third in the Truck Series, made history for Henderson Motorsports. He led 56 laps in the No. 75 Chevrolet, which set a new mark for the Truck Series organization. This was also more laps led than in the first 79 races combined (53).
Exactly how it’s done, Parker 💨
“It’s hard to put into words [what this means], I was pretty emotional on the cool-down lap because this whole team it’s like a team of second chances,” Kligerman told FS1 after exiting his No. 75 Chevrolet. “Two years ago, I thought my driving days were done. This team gave me a call, wanting to get back racing and it’s just been a steady improvement.
“It’s just unbelievable when you put a talented group of humans together, what they achieve,’’ Kligerman continued. “And we’re doing this on absolutely a fraction of the trucks we run against. This is a small team that ‘could,’ but we’re not a small team that doesn’t win. We win.”
Kligerman Previously Ran Full-Time for Another Organization
Kligerman has spent the past few years splitting his time between race cars and pit road while working as a reporter for NBC Sports. He hasn’t started more than 14 races in a single season since the 2019 Cup Series campaign, but he has two full-time Truck Series campaigns on his resume.
Kligerman made his full-time debut in the series during the 2011 season. He joined Brad Keselowski Racing for the 25-race schedule, and he finished 11th in the championship standings after eight top-10 finishes and four top-fives.
Kligerman returned to the series in 2012, and he secured his first career win after losing his seat at BKR and moving over to Red Horse Racing. He took the No. 7 to Victory Lane at Talladega Superspeedway after starting ninth overall.
Prior to the race at Mid-Ohio, there were four former BKR drivers that secured their first career Cup Series win in 2022. Austin Cindric won the Daytona 500 to start the 2022 season, Chase Briscoe won at Phoenix Raceway, Ross Chastain won at Circuit of the Americas, and Tyler Reddick won at Road America.
Kligerman’s win was in a different series, but it was meaningful in a different way. He showcased his ability to contend, as well as the quality of vehicles brought to the track by Henderson Motorsports. Now he and the team have the goal of doing so on a regular basis in coming seasons.