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Tag: Parker Kligerman

  • NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rankings – Kentucky

    NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Rankings – Kentucky

    The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series took center stage at Kentucky Speedway Thursday night. Barring a three-hour rain delay, it was an action filled race. Here are the power rankings following Kentucky.

    1. Christopher Bell – While Bell was the dominant truck throughout the race, it did not come without issues. On lap 28, Bell took a spin in turn 3 bringing out the second caution. Bell had another issue in Stage 2, by being involved in a wreck on lap 43, but came away with no damage. He rebounded by the end of Stage 2 to finish sixth. In the remaining laps of the race, Bell swapped the lead with John Hunter Nemechek until he took the lead for good on lap 114. He eventually held off a hard charging Brandon Jones with just a few laps remaining to score his third win of the year.

    “This is pretty special man,” Bell said. “This is an extremely tough race for me. We had our ups and downs there and through practice yesterday.” “We had such a great Toyota Tundra that I knew, I knew if the right circumstances came up we could do it and Rudy (Fugle) did a great job on top of the pit box just getting me track position after I made a mistake there and spun out.”

    2. Brandon Jones – Jones’s race came with issues as well. After starting sixteenth, Jones slipped back to finish seventh in Stage 1 and ninth in Stage 2. However, on lap 115, Jones and Ryan Truex made contact to bring out the last caution. It took him several laps to rebound, but he challenged for the win and eventually settled for second behind race winner Christopher Bell.

    “Yeah, I’m dying for a win right now for sure,” Jones said. “I was trying everything I could to get to the 4 (Christopher Bell) at the end. Eventually, I finally just started holding my line and you see him trying to move around stuff and try to mess us up a little bit. It was all fun and games for sure. I enjoyed it. It was a great start so far.”

    3. Justin Haley – Haley made his fourteenth career start last night and a career-best third. After starting 10th, Haley had a solid Stage 1 finish by finishing sixth. During Stage 2, Haley led only four laps to finish third. Haley eventually held on to finish where he finished in Stage 2, third.

    “We had a really good night in the No.24 Fraternal Order of Eagles Chevy,” Haley said. “We knew track position was going to be key and Kevin (Bellicourt, Crew Chief) worked out great strategy for us.”

    4. Noah Gragson – Gragson had a solid night at Kentucky. After starting eleventh, Gragson finished just two spots ahead in Stage 1 as the truck needed adjustments to get to Gragson’s liking. When Stage 2 began, Gragson started second and assumed the lead on lap 41 to win his first ever stage of his career. However, issues came in Stage 3. Gragson brought out a caution on lap 77 for a collision between him and Austin Cindric but started to work his way to the top. He was up to seventh with 10 laps to go, before eventually finishing in fifth place.

    “We led some laps during the second stage and were in a really good position running seventh to start the third stage,” Gragson said. “I just made a rookie mistake down there running the apron. Not running this track before, I didn’t know there was a bump there and I had a little bit of wheel into it down there in the front stretch and spun out.”

    5. Parker Kligerman – Kligerman has been solid recently in the truck series in 2017. Before Kentucky, Kligerman had only competed in three races and scored just one top 10 coming at Charlotte. Kligerman started in the 30th position after qualifying was rained out. While he did not finish in the top 10 in the first two stages, circumstances worked out for him and he came home to finish seventh, his best finish of the year.

    “Glad we had a solid night and we will take this and keep building on runs like this,” Kligerman said. “Good momentum going into our next few races.”

    Next up: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series takes a week off, before heading to the famed Eldora Speedway on July 19.

  • Analyst Kligerman on taking part-time ride: ‘Why not?’

    Analyst Kligerman on taking part-time ride: ‘Why not?’

    ABINGDON, Va. — Asked why he’d take a part-time ride despite his work as an analyst, Parker Kligerman responded “Why not.”

    Speaking to the media at the shop of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team Henderson Motorsports, Kligerman expounded on his reason for taking the aforementioned limited ride.

    “It’s fun. I still enjoy racing,” he said. “Even though I have a day job, I say this is my weekend job. For me, it only helps that job, and vise-versa. The coolest thing is just getting to go race and have fun.”

    He added that his crew chief Chris Carrier was instrumental in “why this came together the way it did.”

    “[Chris and I have] always talked about trying to get back together to go racing after our ARCA days,” he added.

    “When this whole deal came together late last year, it made sense.”

    With his role as an analyst for NBC, “partial makes sense.”

    Secure rides in any of the three national touring series haven’t come easy for the driver of the No. 75 Henderson Motorsports Toyota, who’s sharing the ride with Caleb Holman. Since his first NASCAR start for Team Penske in the XFINITY Series at Kansas in 2009, he’s run only three complete seasons in any series. He was hired to drive the No. 30 for Swan Racing in the now Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, but found himself out of a ride when the team terminated operations eight races into the season. Towards the end of 2014, he was hired as a driver analyst by NBC Sports.

    While it’s his primarily focus. He’s also “tickled to death” that he can do his “day job” with all his traveling and still run eight to 10 races a season.

  • RBR Enterprises, Kligerman Team up for Daytona

    RBR Enterprises, Kligerman Team up for Daytona

    CERRO GORDO, N.C. (Feb. 3, 2016) – Ricky Benton Racing (RBR) Enterprises announced Wednesday that Parker Kligerman will be behind the wheel of the No. 92 Valvoline/Advance Auto Parts/BTS Tire and Wheel Distributors/Goodyear Commercial Tire Network Ford F-150 when the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) makes its first stop of 2016 at Daytona International Speedway for the NextEra Energy Resources 250.

    “Over the last few years, I have watched the Ricky Benton Racing team improve their program and results,” Kligerman said. “Having this opportunity, as they come off one of their best years in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, is a massive honor.”

    Daytona marks a return to the NCWTS for Kligerman, who competed full-time in the series in 2011 and 2012 (winning once in 2012) before moving to the Xfinity Series in 2013. In addition, he had 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup starts in 2013 and 2014. Kligerman ran the full ARCA Series schedule in 2009, finishing the year with nine wins, 14 top fives and 18 top 10s in 21 races.

    When not racing over the past two seasons, Kligerman served as an analyst for the NBC Sports Network.

    “Parker comes to us with a great racing rėsumė,” said RBR owner Ricky Benton. “He has proven that he can be competitive and win races in good equipment. Now it’s our job to make sure we give him fast trucks and put him in a position to be successful.”

    Meeting the team
    As part of joining the RBR team, Kligerman met with employees of Black’s Tire and Auto Service, the company owned by Benton and one of the team’s primary sponsors.

    “I was recently able to spend time with many of the Black’s Tire Service employees and learned about the passion they have for what they do,” Kligerman said. “The BTS culture is about taking care of customers and providing them with experiences that make them customers for life. I hope to provide the same level of passion and success on track.”

    Benton appreciates what his new driver did to ingratiate himself to his new team.

    “Black’s Tire and BTS is a big family,” Benton said. “A big part of why we do what we do with the race team is for our employees. In fact, many of the guys who work on our trucks on race weekends spend their weeks working for our BTS customers. It means a lot to have Parker take the time to get to know our people.”

    RBR 2016
    Beyond the new driver, there are very few other program changes for the Ricky Benton Racing team for 2016. Mike Hester returns atop the pit box as crew chief. The team will again be running Roush-Yates-powered Fords F-150s

    Daytona F-150
    The RBR Enterprises Ford F-150 that the team will be taking to Daytona for the NextEra Energy Resources 250 is T-2. It is the same truck that David Gilliland drove to a sixth-place finish in the 2015 running of the race. In addition to Valvoline, Advance, BTS and Goodyear Commercial Tire Network, the truck will be carrying the colors of Wynn’s and Fayetteville, N.C.-based Highland Construction.

    On Social Media

    Follow RBR Enterprises on Twitter or like them on Facebook.

    About Valvoline: Valvoline was founded in 1866 by Dr. John Ellis when he discovered the lubricating properties of distilled crude oil, thus the world’s first petroleum based lubricant. Over the past 150 years Valvoline has reach many milestones such as, its first car race in 1895, the first all-purpose gear oil in 1939, used in Allied vehicles in World War II, introduced Valvoline Racing Motor Oil to the world in the mid-60’s, led innovation with Durablend, the first synthetic-blend motor oil in 1996, and in the early 2000’s Valvoline launched Maxlife High Mileage Motor Oil. Today it remains the best-selling racing oil of all time. Valvoline is very proud of its association with NASCAR. Valvoline is owned by Ashland Oil Inc. of Kentucky. The Valvoline product line is blended and packaged in 60 plants worldwide. As Valvoline celebrates 150 years of success they are busy planning for the next 150 years that will keep the world moving.

    About Advance Auto Parts: Advance Auto Parts, Inc. is a provider of automotive aftermarket parts. The company’s stores offer a selection of brand name, original equipment and private label automotive replacement parts, accessories, batteries, and maintenance items for domestic and import cars. The company’s operations consist of 5,261 stores, 111 distribution branches, which operate in the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands primarily under the trade names Advance Auto Parts, CARQUEST, Autopart International and WORLDPAC. They also service 1,325 independently owned CARQUEST stores.

    About BTS Tire and Wheel Distributors: BTS Tire & Wheel Distributors offers wholesale distribution services to tire and automotive dealers across the Southeast, operating out of locations in North and South Carolina. For more information, visit bts.tireweb.com. There are 37 Black’s Tire and Auto Service retail locations throughout North and South Carolina. To learn more about Black’s Tire or to find a location, visit www.blackstire.com.

    About Wynn’s: Wynn’s, formerly Wynn Oil Company, traces its history to 1939 when the original Wynn’s Friction Proofing Oil Treatment® formula was first developed and introduced to the automotive market. In the more than 70 years following the introduction of that single product, Wynn’s has grown to become a worldwide manufacturer and marketer of innovative automotive specialty chemicals, service equipment and complete automotive maintenance programs. Today, Wynn’s operates as a division of Illinois Tool Works, Inc.

    About Highland Construction: Founded in 1981, Highland Construction is a North Carolina-licensed general contractor specializing in fire and water restoration. Over the past 35 years, Highland Construction served thousands of businesses and homeowners. The company is based in Fayetteville, with offices in Wilmington and Jacksonville N.C.

  • Parker Kligerman – Seeking the Next Best Opportunity

    Parker Kligerman – Seeking the Next Best Opportunity

    Imagine yourself, sitting in the car that is about to make your dream come true. Imagine being in what NASCAR is calling the best class of rookies we have ever had. Imagine being picked by famous drivers and fans as “The Dark Horse” for the season. Imagine pulling your belts tight and then hearing the most famous words in NASCAR history. Imagine being on the cusp of everything you have dreamed of. Imagine doing all that and then waking up one day and it is over before you have a chance to really start it.

    All of these things happened to Parker Kligerman this year and though many would be frustrated and even bitter, he isn’t. Kligerman considers it a chance to learn and to grow and is determined that it will not bring him down. This is his story.

    Kligerman grew up in Connecticut, a place you normally wouldn’t associate with racing. “I think there is racing everywhere,” Kligerman said. “I really got into racing when I was about nine years old. We got Speed Channel and I saw some kids go-karting on there and decided I needed to be doing that.”

    Four years later his parents got him a go-kart and he has been racing ever since. Kligerman knew he had to get out of Connecticut and start racing in other places so he headed out to the Midwest. He also began racing in the south to get his career going.

    He went on to race some in the ARCA series as well. When asked if that was when he got his big break, he simply stated, “Well, every opportunity is a big break.” He also added, “I didn’t have a lot of funding so any time I could find an opportunity to get into a race car, I made the most of it.”

    Kligerman would race in just about anything including midgets and that is where he made the right connection. He got what he calls, “a line to becoming a Penske Racing development driver.” He continued saying, “That was a big step into getting my foot in the door in the NASCAR ranks. To be associated with such an iconic race team as Penske Racing, it was a huge break, it was one of the few reasons I was able to move into the NASCAR ranks through their support and belief.”

    Kligerman also discussed the frenzy around the class of 2014. When asked if being around all the Austin Dillon controversy ever made him feel overshadowed, he said that he expected it. “I think in a lot of ways obviously the 3 coming back into the sport in a Cup level, it was a big deal for everyone involved,” he explained. “He deserved the press and the fan support. I felt like I had an ample amount of support, press and fan support, and I have great fans out there.”

    Kligerman went on to say, “I think you make your own headlines and you make your own luck, and whatever it is that you get is most importantly dictated by what you do on the track and that is what I am focused on. I don’t really put too much stock in the other stuff.”

    One wonders if he had any inkling about the sweeping changes at Swan Racing that left him without a ride. Did he have a feeling it was coming or was he taken by surprise?

    His response was, “Ah no, I actually had inklings and I knew of some things going on. One of the largest was they were going to two cars which was never a decision that I was fully supportive of and I didn’t think as an organization we were strong enough internally for that kind of a move. I felt like it put a lot of strain on the organization and sure enough in the end it did. That’s not to put anyone down, it’s just the situation we were in and at the end of the day I was given a job and that was to put the 30 car in the best position possible week in and week out and that’s what we did.”

    Kligerman continued, “Financially I think the team was put in a little bit of a tough spot and obviously going the way it did. It wasn’t a surprise as much as inkling or an idea. I just didn’t know the capacity that would happen.”

    When asked what that felt like, he answered, “You know, as a race car driver you never want to be in the position where your performance on the race track isn’t the main story. We started to see that become the issue at Swan. The performance on the race track wasn’t the main goal, basically survival was. As a driver and as an organization that can wear on you. I think in a lot of ways looking forward that some of my decision making and the opportunities that I take going forward, is to make sure the opportunities and the focus is solely on the performance on the race track and not so much of the internal things. I think goal wise it becomes something where you’re more worried about your performance than how to survive which is never a fun situation for anyone involved. Going forward I’m trying to make sure I am never in that spot again.”

    When asked what he has been doing since leaving Swan Racing and about his old teammate, Kurt Busch. Kligerman said, “I got the call from Kurt to be backup on the 41 for the All-Star race and the 600 while he did the Indy 500 and that was kind of an honor to get that call and I was flattered to be associated with a top notch organization such as Stewart-Haas Racing.”

    He added, “I’ve been actively pursuing other opportunities throughout the sport in NASCAR, outside NASCAR, and all over. We continue to do all our media stuff and our podcast, “Kickin’ It with Kligerman,” just became a radio show.”

    His main focus is “making sure that when we make a decision on what my next move is that it’s the right decision. I do have time on my side. I am only 23 years old so I feel I can take a step back and really start to evaluate what’s out there and what the situation is and find the best situation possible for me. That is more important than just jumping into something for the sake of jumping in something. I’m having a little fun too. I am going to drive a couple of different type of racecars over the next few weeks that we will be able to announce. I am just having a lot of fun with the situation and hope we can get back to something full time that can compete for a championship and win in the near future.”

    Kligerman has been through quite a bit and when asked what he thinks is his biggest accomplishment so far he responded, “As a driver 23 yrs old”, he said, “I made it to the top of the sport and with very, very little family funding almost non-existent, going on talent alone and being able to work with sponsors and as a driver being determined and grateful for every opportunity I have gotten to get to the highest level of the sport at such a young age. If I were to look back I would be very proud of that and of the times I had good equipment and went out there and raced and have been beat up on and the times I had subpar equipment and went out there again and got the most out of it, and got it in a better position than I deserved. As a driver that’s the best you can hope for.  If it all were to stop now I would be proud of the career I have had, proud of the ability I have had to get to the top of our sport, and now that I am here, hopefully I can find the situation that allows me to go out win and fight for championships.”

    Inquiries about the rumors that he was looking toward IndyCars resulted in this answer, “Well yeah, I have always had an interest in open wheel racing and that’s where I started. I want to take this time not being in a full time ride, to go out there and drive as many things as possible and just experience other forms of racing. As a race car driver you won’t always have the opportunity to be in the position I am in, so I am kind of making the best of it.”

    Kligerman is also proud of his podcast telling me how it has grown significantly and is becoming one of the largest racing podcasts and now it’s become a radio show syndicated for Performance Motorsports Network.

    Kligerman is not waiting for things to happen, he is making things happen. He also wanted to make sure to thank his fans.

    “To my fans I am grateful for your support. I think we have some cool things coming up that I really think are going to be fun, so stick with us.”

    Kligerman has every right to be down about the way things have happened. He could have given up, maybe some would have but he is not even close to showing us all what he is about. He has only just begun.
    ᐧ

  • Swan Racing Lacking Sponsorship; Could Close Doors Soon

    Swan Racing Lacking Sponsorship; Could Close Doors Soon

    Swan Racing drastically stunned the racing community on Thursday after announcing their organization will be downsizing due to lack of sponsorship.

    ”The team has been unable to secure the kind of sponsorship required to effectively operate the team,” Swan Racing said in a statement. ”As a result, the team management is exploring every available option. We hope to be in position to provide a detailed update in the near future.”

    Brandon Davis, current owner of Swan Racing Company, bought the team in August of 2012 and did the classic start-and-park every weekend; however, this season he signed two young guns, Parker Kligerman and Cole Whitt, to a full-season, no start-and-park, deal.

    Davis partnered with former NFL linebacker Bill Romanowski and famous rapper 50 Cent to help fund the operation. But, after multiple torn up racecars, it’s doubtful the team will even make it past the ninth race into the season.

    According to Motorsport.com, Ramsey Poston, Swan Racing’s spokesperson, explained that it was unlikely both cars, if even one, would be at Richmond International Raceway next weekend.

    The franchise released a multitude of employees on Thursday, according to multiple sources, and many of those are already seeking employment with other organizations.

    BK Racing, who already fields two-cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, is willing to add Whitt’s No. 26 to their every growing team, if Swan does close its doors.

    “My mission is to ensure @ColeWhitt races in every #NASCAR Sprint Cup event this season,” that remark was tweeted by Anthony Marlowe, Swan Racing co-owner.

    Nobody has alluded to anything about Kligerman’s future at Swan, but after he’s had four DNF’s it’s likely he’ll be the first driver released.

    SpeedwayMedia.com will continue to update the whole ordeal of the Swan Racing situation on our social media pages.

  • Kligerman’s struggles continue at Martinsville

    Kligerman’s struggles continue at Martinsville

    Parker Kligerman joined the Swan Racing team during the off-season to drive the No. 30 Toyota and compete for the rookie of the year honors in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

    Kligerman competed full time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series last year driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports, compiling 18 top-10 finishes in 33 races. That team was forced to end operations due to the lack of sponsorship for 2014.

    Under new ownership, the team began to make several positive moves during the off-season signing several advertising partners to help fund the season. The team also signed, Cole Whitt, to drive a second car full time.

    Though expectations were realistic, they were expecting to have better results than they have seen thus far this season. Kligerman opened the season with a respectable 29th place finish. Kligerman’s teammate, Whitt, finished 28th, giving the team high hopes for the season.

    After Daytona, however, Kligerman has had little to be happy about. The team has struggled in every event since the season opener with a best finish of 34th at Bristol. He also finished 42nd twice at Phoenix and Fontana. At Bristol, Klgerman commented about his season saying they have the same equipment as his teammate, they have just had bad luck. Whitt’s results have been moderately better. He followed up his 28th place finish at Daytona with a 27th at Phoenix. He also scored the team’s first top-20 of the season at Fontana finishing 18th.

    Kligerman’s struggles continued at Martinsville on the third lap of the race when he got involved in a crash. The damage sent him to the garage area for more than 80 laps to make repairs. There seems to be an increase in tension among the team. While making repairs there was a heated exchange between Kligerman and a crew member.

    Hopefully, the tension was due to the current situation and not based on the season as a whole. Kligerman is a very talented driver and once he can shake off the bout of bad luck, we will see him in the top-25 consistently.

  • Interview: Parker Kligerman Chasing Bristol Triumph; Hoping For Successful Rookie Season

    Interview: Parker Kligerman Chasing Bristol Triumph; Hoping For Successful Rookie Season

    Parker Kligerman and Swan Racing are entering Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend hoping to revive themselves from dismal finishes the past two weeks at Phoenix International Raceway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

    Kligerman, whose best finish this season came at Daytona International Speedway in the Daytona 500, is entering his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in Bristol, Tennessee this weekend, and he expects the results to be promising.

    “In the lower series I’ve never finished outside the top ten at Bristol up until this year, so I have a lot of confidence.” Kligerman explained following a dismal finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. “Bristol is a place I really love going to and I enjoy racing there.

    “(Starting the season off slow) has put us in a precarious position heading to Bristol as we’ll be forced to qualify in on time,” Kligerman explained about finishing outside the top 40 in two of the three races ran this season. “But we’ll fight back, and make sure everyone keeps working hard and we’ll get past this.”

    Kligerman’s career stats at the challenging half mile stretch in all three of NASCAR’s premier series are quite impressive. He posted a ninth place at ‘Thunder Valley’ in the NASCAR Nationwide Series while piloting Kyle Busch Motorsports’ No. 77 Toyota last season. His tenure with Red Horse Racing during 2012 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series led to an outstanding career best runner-up finish at the ‘Last Great Colosseum’.

    “The Cup car at Bristol really suits my driving style, so I’m hoping I can be even more successful this weekend then I have been in the lower series,” Kligerman told me on Tuesday evening.

    While Kligerman and Swan Racing will be attempting to score their first Bristol triumph, they’re chasing one ultimate goal, and that’s finishing this season top 25 in the point’s standings.

    “We (Swan Racing) look at a successful year as a top 25 finish in the points standings,” Kligerman told me. “We aren’t focused on winning a race, or making the Chase, our organization is fighting to become one of those mid-field organizations. If we can breakthrough into that (mid-field group) we can really feel like we accomplished something.”

    Following a average 2013 season, Swan Racing completely re-constructed their race team by adding Kligerman and fellow rookie Cole Whitt to their driving line-up. The addition of a second full-time car has really forced the organization to step-up their game.

    “Putting another car on the racetrack for any organization can put a strain, or really just rise the stress level of your team,” Kligerman explained about Swan Racing extending to a two car team this season.

    Kligerman doesn’t expect him or Cole to make the NASCAR ‘playoffs’, or even win a race, however, the doors always open for a lower organization to score a victory on fuel strategy or at a restrictor plate track. And with the new Chase system, a victory within the first 26 races almost guarantees you a berth in the post-season.

    “Winning a race, or making the Chase, would be a massive financial gain and also a huge thing for our partners and I think it’d be a big thing for our sport, it would show hard work and determination can get you into the post-season and make a run for a championship.”

    Kligerman, in his first season at Swan Racing, is expecting consistent results and possibly a chance at the Rookie of The Year award, despite experts saying that Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson are likely to take the award due to being with top-tier multi-car organizations. This weekend at Bristol could be the ‘eye opener’ that fans need to realize just how good this 23-year-old Connecticut racecar driver really is.

  • Swan Racing Finds Redemption in Budweiser Duels

    Swan Racing Finds Redemption in Budweiser Duels

    Things went bad in a big way for Swan Racing during Sprint Cup practice on Wednesday. Early on, Cole Whitt suffered a blown tire that caused his car to slam the outside wall, which resulted significant right side damage. As the team prepared to unload the back-up, a second wreck erupted in the tri-oval as practice resumed. Cole’s teammate Parker Kligerman ended up ripping a hole in the catch-fence before sliding upside down for a few hundred feet. With just one back-up between the two teams, Swan Racing was in a tough spot. With Parker’s car irreparable, they opted to fix Whitt’s wounded No. 26 Toyota Camry

    After working late into the night and early in the morning, they managed to make the car raceable. But the job was only half-done. Now, the two rookie drivers had to survive the duels and drive their way into The Great American Race.  Cole Whitt locked himself in with an 11th place finish, but teammate Parker Kligerman wasn’t so fortunate. After an apparent fuel pick-up issue on the final lap, he dropped out of a transfer spot and ended up 17th. That was not enough to make the show, so Parker had to sit and anxiously await the outcome of the second Duel. Whatever happened in that race would determine his fate.

    During the second race of the night, he tweeted “This is POSITIVELY the most nerve-wracking thing of my entire life. I’m ready for fatherhood after this. How hard can it be?” After the violent last lap wreck that sent Clint Bowyer flying through the air, NASCAR had to closely look at the video in order to determine the proper finishing positions for each driver. Parker once again tweeted, “No official word yet…. This is insane! C’mon @NASCAR…. We’re freaking out over here!”

    The official word finally came down, and the No. 30 Lending Tree Toyota Camry of Parker Kligerman was in the show, via the car’s 2013 owner’s points position. Parker said that sitting there and waiting helplessly was “one of the worst feelings of my life.” Here’s more from PK:

    “Pretty big change, eh?  We’ll start there.  Obviously that was a letdown yesterday, as I said to a lot of people here.  One of the most interesting moments of my life, sliding on your roof.But my guys worked incredibly hard.  I know you hear that a lot, pretty cliché.  You don’t understand, we obviously had our second car hurt.  Our guys were trying to put a backup in it, had a Cole’s seat in it.  We had to take that seat out.  Redo everything.  We get in the Duel, in the last lap running ninth with Lending Tree onboard, who just came onboard the morning before, suddenly start to have the fuel issue we had and see the grasp that we had on both cars making the 500 slip away from us, it was one of the worst feelings of my life. Then the worst feeling would be watching that race right there, and I was not a fan of any driver in that race at all throughout the whole thing.  Thankfully it all worked out.”

    Parker went on to quote 1976 Formula 1 World Champion James Hunt, when asked about luck…“I don’t believe in bad luck.  It only brings bad luck.”

    Cole Whitt described the last lap frenzy of the first Duel as he muscled his way into the Daytona 500:

    “I think we were nose to tail for quite a bit there towards the end.  I tried to shuffle Alex out – no offense – it’s the nature of the beast. We were coming down to the end, wanted to get ourselves in.  I didn’t want to be the last car in line.  I was there for a second.  I kind of side-drafted him, put him last in line.  Then made a move later, shuffled myself out.  Maybe a little karma to myself. Alex is a good friend of mine.  We’ve come up through the Sprint car ranks together. Everything focused at the end.  I was trying to get in.  I don’t know where Alex was behind me coming to the last lap.  I tried to pick the best line I could.  I knew guys pulling down to the bottom, it would take a while for them to pull up that speed they needed when they were pulling from the top groove, trying to suck up.  People were losing guys behind them. I gave the 14 a pretty big shove on the last lap to make sure our run was going to be as strong as possible to the line.  Tried to stay hammer down. I didn’t even know if we were in by the time we crossed the finish line.  It was a nail-biter for sure.”

    Cole Whitt will start the Daytona 500 in 23rd and Parker Kligerman 41st. Swan Racing finished 22nd with Michael Waltrip in the 2013 Daytona 500, and look to improve on that effort this year with a second car and two new faces behind the wheel.

  • Surprising and Not Surprising: AAA Texas 500

    Surprising and Not Surprising: AAA Texas 500

    As the race for the six shooters and black cowboy hat moved from afternoon into evening, here is what was surprising and not surprising in the ninth annual AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

    Surprising:  Although no one could argue about the strength of Jimmie Johnson’s performance and victory at Texas, when it came time to discuss the Chase and the battle with Matt Kenseth, now seven points behind Johnson, there were some fighting words involved.

    “I have been watching a lot of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) fighting lately, and you’ll fall into a rhythm and think that somebody has got the fight won, and it doesn’t end that way,” Johnson said. “That’s how this is going to be.”

    “Matt didn’t have maybe the best day and still finished fourth,” Johnson continued. “This thing is going to go to the last lap at Homestead.”

    “I think this is just going to be a dog fight there,” Rick Hendrick, Johnson’s team owner, said. “I think it’s going to be the last lap at Homestead because the teams are that close.”

    “It’s going to be a war,” Coach Joe Gibbs, Kenseth’s team owner, said. “And I just hope we all survive.”

    Not Surprising:  Dale Earnhardt Jr. acknowledged Jimmie Johnson’s dominance best, telling his crew chief Steve Letarte that his car won even though he finished second for the third time to his five-time champion teammate.

    “He (Johnson) was in a class of his own,” Dale Junior said. “We were joking that he won the DP but we were first in the GT class.”

    “They were super-fast and I was super, super impressed with those guys’ car,” Earnhardt Jr. continued. “I’m happy to have a good effort and looking forward to the last couple of races.”

    “Hopefully we will get us a win,” Junior said. “We keep getting close.”

    Surprising:  Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Aflac Ford Fusion, went from hero, sitting on the pole, to zero, getting knocked out of the race at Texas due to engine failure. Yet even in his disappointment, Edwards surprisingly was still able to pull off a plug for his erstwhile sponsor.

    “I think a valve spring broke,” Edwards said. “We don’t usually have a lot of engine trouble.”

    “We had such a great weekend going,” Edwards continued. “Aflac has coverage for just about everything but I don’t think they cover sick engines which is too bad.”

    Edwards was not the only one with a sick engine as Ford mate David Ragan also lost one, as did Timmy Hill and Bobby Labonte.

    Not Surprising:  While speeding penalties are costly enough to the average driver, they were especially costly to two of the Chase competitors, particularly Matt Kenseth, whose penalty no doubt cost him the point’s lead, and Kyle Busch, who battled not only the speeding penalty but also an early crash to finish 13th.

    “We were just being too aggressive,” Kenseth said. “That speeding penalty got us behind — we definitely didn’t need that.”

    “If I wouldn’t have messed up, maybe we could have ran second.”

    “Kyle (Busch) feels horrible because he sped on pit road late in the race,” Dave Rogers, crew chief of the No. 18 Snickers Toyota, said. “He was giving us all he had to give us the best possible finish and we took a little bit more that what was there.”

    “This is a team and we’ve got his back.”

    Surprising:  While Texas provided a surprising venue to showcase the strength of Penske Racing, with two top-ten finishes, both drivers, however, acknowledged that neither of them had what it took to be stronger than team 48.

    “From the start of the race, we moved our way forward,” Joey Logano, driver of the No. 22 AAA Ford said. “Overall we can’t be disappointed with a third place finish but the 48 car was just ridiculously fast.”

    “I thought we had decent speed,” Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford, said. “We were leading at one point and the yellow flag came and we pitted and came out ninth, which ended our shot of being able to derail Jimmie if there even was one.”

    “His car was so much faster than the field,” Keselowski continued. “It was pretty embarrassing to be quite honest.”

    Not Surprising:  The pattern of inconsistency for team No. 24 and driver Jeff Gordon continued, with the win at Martinsville last weekend being negated by the hard hit into the wall after a tire went down at Texas.

    “I hit the wall hard,” Gordon said “I just know the left front went down as I was going down the front straightaway.”

    Gordon finished 38th, close to 200 laps down, his worst finish since Watkins Glen.

    Surprising:  Parker Kligerman made a surprisingly good debut in the Sprint Cup Series for Swan Racing, finishing top-20.

    “Although 18th doesn’t sound that great, for a rookie and this team, it’s a great finish and it’s one of the best finishes for these guys,” Kligerman said. “It was a long tough race but the team persevered and everyone fought hard.”

    Not Surprising:  Since Greg Biffle never, ever forgets, his love tap of Jimmie Johnson in the waning laps of the Texas race was not the least bit surprising. It did not, however, help him to feel at all better even though he finished twelfth in the race when the checkered flag flew.

    “That was a tough one,” Biffle, driver of the No. 16 3M Ford Fusion, said. “The car wasn’t very good in traffic.”

    “We didn’t get it until it seemed like about 20 to go or whatever that last stop was,” Biffle continued. “We just weren’t where we wanted to be.”

    Surprising:  While most, if not all eyes were on the Chase race between Johnson and Kenseth, there were other drivers in the field who literally paid no heed as they were marching to the beat of their own drummers.

    “We actually made a lot of gains throughout the weekend,” Danica Patrick, drive of the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet said after finishing 25th. “We never quite got it, but we certainly made progress.”

    “I’m excited to get to Phoenix next week,” Patrick continued. “GoDaddy is based out there, so it’s a big race for us.”

    With her 25th place finish, Patrick also gained three spots in the point standings to 25th as well.

    Not Surprising:  Problems continued on and off the track for Juan Pablo Montoya as he winds up his NASCAR career and prepares to return to the IndyCar Series.

    Montoya brought out one of the few race cautions on track due to a tire issue, which was a shredded right front tire according to Crew Chief Chris ‘Shine’ Heroy. JPM was able to soldier on to finish in the 20th place at Texas Motor Speedway.

    But off track, Montoya also has problems as Forbes reported that he is in trouble with the US taxman. The IRS is alleging that the driver owes $2.7 million in additional taxes and penalties due to some interesting and complicated deductions, many of which were made prior to his coming to NASCAR and to the United States to live with his family.

    Montoya has just two more races in the NASCAR Series and then will return to IndyCar racing but this time to drive for Roger Penske and serve as teammate to Penske driver Helio Castroneves.

    Surprising:  After a challenging season of his own, Kasey Kahne actually surprised himself with a top-five finish at Texas Motor Speedway.

    “We had a pretty good Time Warner Chevy today,” Kahne said. “We were seventh to tenth most of the race and we worked our way to fifth there at the end.”

    “I’m glad we were able to have kind of a flawless race and race all day and make a little bit of ground up at the end.”

    Not Surprising:  Kurt Busch’s quest to finish off his season with Furniture Row Racing with outstanding performances is proving most difficult.

    “Nothing good to say about this race,” Busch, driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row/Denver Mattress Chevrolet said. “That’s all we had and it was a struggle all weekend.”

    “We definitely need a turnaround in the final two races because it has been too good of a year to end on a struggling note.”

  • Nelson Piquet’s penalty looks bad on sport

    Nelson Piquet’s penalty looks bad on sport

    Nelson Piquet Jr. was fined $10,000 and ordered to attend sensitivity training earlier on Monday after posting an Instagram comment with a gay slur directed at fellow Nationwide Series competitor in Parker Kligerman. Kligerman posted a selfie following a workout and Piquet opined by adding in a three letter slur. From the context it appeared that Piquet was just messing around with Kligerman. Kligerman seemed to respond jokingly to Piquet’s comments. It seemed harmless right? NASCAR certainly didn’t believe so. This decision will ultimately have a negative impact on the sport.

    Honestly, I have a real problem with NASCAR’s decision making when it comes to this. When are we going to grow up? This is NASCAR. We should be setting an example and that is an example different from other sports. What do you see happening in America right now? How about taking a look at our public schools? Bullying is a huge problem in public schools, but that wouldn’t be an issue if the schools made silly rules that prevent people being bullied from protecting themselves. As a result, some of these kids are taking matters into their own hands and taking their own lives. It is a very sensitive subject, but the facts are there. Bullies in school are the equivalent to the criminals committing gun crimes in places like Chicago and Los Angeles. There are laws that take guns away from people who abide by the law, but criminals are criminals. They will commit crimes no matter what stands in their way. Why do I even bring that into this article?

    NASCAR should not be regulating the actions of the drivers and by actions I mean the specific rhetoric. If a racer wants to go out and go on a homophobic rampage then that is his/her decision, but keep in mind that there may be some consequences for what you have done. These drivers are not children. I’m sick and tired of the political correctness that has been plaguing sports in America today. I may be completely dead wrong on this issue. Maybe our sport is going through a huge cultural change and not all of us realize it, but it’s not the NASCAR that we are accustomed to. If NASCAR allows the drivers to show their true personalities on and off the race track, I guarantee you that more fans and more people will tune into the races. Our viewership will expand instead of decline.

    Floyd Mayweather Jr. isn’t exactly the most popular boxer out there, but the man knows how to win prizefights and win a lot of money in the process. Why did so many people buy PPV for his fight with Oscar De La Hoya back in 2007? The pre-fight hype and the trash talk added so much to the story. The things that Mayweather said in Oscar’s face would certainly give him a major fine in NASCAR today and you can probably add some of the things he has said to fellow rival Manny Pacquiao as well. NASCAR is in the same box. Do we allow our drivers to show their true feelings? That is something that NASCAR is missing and we need to regain it soon before it is too late.

    Now, I’m going back to Piquet. Was what he said wrong? I didn’t find it to be derogatory in that context, but people still can find it offensive. Piquet has a right to say what he wants to say. The First Amendment guarantees that. What really made me skeptical was the statement from Piquet. I just did not find that to be legitimate from Piquet. And by that I mean that Piquet didn’t really want to say that. It seems that these sort of statements are forced upon drivers like Piquet to ensure the reputation of the sport doesn’t get damaged, but NASCAR should be focusing on having good racing instead of this. I know that this is a very tough topic to discuss in the NASCAR garage, but I’m not afraid to speak my mind on the issue. I didn’t find Piquet to do anything wrong. He made a joke on Instagram. That’s it. He’ll have to face the consequences of how sponsors treat him and how other fans treat him for now on, but that’s essentially his own doing and NASCAR should put their emphasis on making the racing product better for the fans, not regulating what drivers say. I see more fans coming to the track if they take my suggestions.Comment with your thoughts!