NASCAR disqualifies Kligerman for too-low truck after flag-planting win at Daytona. He is appealing
Full-time television analyst and part-time NASCAR driver Parker Kligerman claimed the checkered flag for the Truck Series season opener and promptly planted it in the grass by the Daytona International Speedway logo.
It's a winning tradition that journeyman Kligerman had done for all three of his truck wins, the first back at Talladega in 2012. So it seemed appropriate Friday night for what Kligerman called the 'biggest win of my entire life' in a raucous postrace celebration.
But it was a short party: NASCAR disqualified Kligerman when his truck was found to be too low in a postrace inspection. Corey Heim was declared the new winner, and the adjustment to the standings gave actor Frankie Muniz his first career top-10 finish. Muniz is running the full Truck Series schedule this year as he attempts to juggle a second career as a motorsports driver.
Kligerman, who retired from full-time racing at the end of last season and will have a larger role as a television analyst this year, said Saturday he would appeal the disqualification as he prepared to work the Xfinity Series race for the The CW network.
'Biggest win of my life. Thank y'all for the wonderful messages. Over 700 texts,' he added on social media. "I will not be commenting any further until we are able to present what I believe is a very, very valid case.
'Until then, I'm fully focused on my job (as Xfinity analyst) because the drivers and teams deserve the full focus on the massive stage ahead of them.'
Kligerman crossed the finish line first Friday night for what would have been his fourth career victory in the Truck Series, his first win since Mid-Ohio in 2022.
His postrace celebration was popular and he rallied the crowd by telling the spectators in the grandstands "all of you fans here at Daytona, thank you so much! God, I love this place. I love racing. I love winning.
Kligerman called it quits on full-time racing at the end of last year and is shifting into another side of motorsports with his growing broadcasting career. He was backed for years by Scott Borchetta, founder of the Big Machine Label Group, and was a fan favorite despite never winning in 152 races in NASCAR's top Cup and Xfinity Series.
He had a respectable career, nonetheless, but at 34 years old, Kligerman decided his future is in broadcasting. The CW has the entire Xfinity Series schedule and Kligerman is called by NBC Sports 'one of the youngest correspondents to ever serve as a pit reporter for a NASCAR Cup race.'
The disqualification is a second NASCAR heartbreak for Kligerman. He nearly won the Xfinity Series race last fall at The Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway but NASCAR threw a late caution flag just seconds before Kligerman crossed under the white flag, which would have made the race official.
Kligerman instead lost the race in overtime. A win would have advanced him in the Xfinity Series playoffs and been the first in that series for Kligerman.
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Jenna Fryer, The Associated Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
4 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Marchand, Bennett too hot for Oilers to handle in Game 5 of Stanley Cup final
EDMONTON - Driving the Florida Panthers attack in the playoffs is a player in his NHL prime and another acting like he is. Sam Bennett, 28, and Brad Marchand, 37, continued to be a lot for the Oilers to handle in the Stanley Cup final in Florida's 5-2 win over Edmonton on Saturday to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. Marchand scored twice Saturday — Florida's first and third goals — to reach half a dozen goals in the Cup final. Florida's second goal of the game was Bennett's fifth of the Cup final and his NHL-leading 15th of the post-season. The Panthers can close out the series at home Tuesday and become the first back-to-back Stanley Cup champions since the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021. A new ingredient for the Panthers this post-season, however, is the five-foot-nine, 180-pound Marchand, who Florida acquired at the trade deadline after his almost 16 years with the Boston Bruins. Marchand's six goals was the most by any player in the championship series since Esa Tikkanen in 1988. Marchand, from Halifax, seeks the second Stanley Cup of his career after lifting the trophy with the Boston Bruins in 2011 at the age of 23. He reached another two Cup finals with Boston before he was dealt to Florida this winter. When asked what the 2011 edition of Brad Marchand would say to his 2025 version, he replied 'man, that guy's good looking.' 'Sometimes you get bounces, sometimes you don't but definitely you'd be grateful to be in this opportunity and have another opportunity to be in the finals and be part of a really good team for sure,' Marchand continued. Bennett, from Holland Landing, Ont., pushed his road goal streak to six straight games when he wired a rebound past Edmonton's Calvin Pickard to give the Oilers a 2-0 lead in the first period. A front-runner for this year's Conn Smythe Trophy that goes to the NHL's playoff MVP, Bennett ranks second in post-season in hits (103) to Edmonton's Zach Hyman (111). 'We've talked about it so much,' said Bennett's teammate Sam Reinhart. 'It's just his game translates so well to this time of year. He creates so much room for himself.' Marchand and Bennett each with five, or more, goals apiece in the Cup final are the first teammates to do so since Montreal's Frank Mahovlich and Yvan Cournoyer in 1973. 'They're just certainly capable of processing the context of the game,' Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said. 'They don't get too high, they don't go too low. Their energy level is high, and they're very focused on the game. 'There's a mental toughness there, a mental capacity to stay within the game and not try to break it open. Just wait. Patience.' The ageless Marchand scored both his goals off draws that Edmonton won, but he got to the puck first and beat Oilers to the net to score twice. 'What he can do under duress in a small area is world class,' Maurice said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 14, 2025.
Boston Globe
4 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Panthers hammer Oilers in Edmonton, move to cusp of repeat Stanley Cup title
'It was very solid game, definitely,' goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky said. 'But the series continues and we are excited about the next game. It's going to be a big game.' Advertisement Florida this time built a multigoal lead and built on it, unlike a couple of previous games in the final. Bobrovsky stopped 19 of the 21 shots he faced, making some important saves when needed, and was aided by lockdown defense that took ice away from the Oilers. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Marchand, Bennett, and Sam Reinhart provided the offense. Marchand joined Mario Lemieux as the only players in the past half-century to score five-plus goals in a final multiple times, and his 13 career goals in the final are the most among active players. 'I'm just enjoying every moment,' said Marchand, who is in his fourth final and third since winning the Cup with the Bruins in 2011. 'It's such a special group of guys, and I'm having so much fun here right now. I honestly feel like a young guy in the league again, just excited to be part of the group.' Advertisement Connor McDavid scored his first goal of the series after the Oilers fell behind, 3-0. Reinhart's came 46 seconds later to restore the Panthers' three-goal lead, and by the time Corey Perry scored with 3:13 left, it was too late. Eetu Luostarinen sealed it with an empty-netter with 1:19 left, silencing the once fired-up crowd for a final time. 'We just got to play our game earlier,' Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse said. 'We can all agree in our room that we can be better.' Related : Edmonton's power play went 0 for 3, a product of the Panthers' aggressive penalty kill knocking McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the rest of the top unit out of their usual rhythm. Calvin Pickard lost for the first time in eight starts this spring, allowing four goals on 18 shots. He got the nod over Stuart Skinner after entering in relief and Skinner could be back in for Game 6, with the Panthers aiming to close things out following another cross-continental trip back to the other corner of North America. They are in this spot after bouncing back from blowing a three-goal lead and falling in overtime in Game 4, taking advantage of their depth to send the Oilers to the brink again. 'We've been pretty good at bouncing back all playoffs,' Marchand said. 'We learned a pretty good lesson there last game, and thought we did a much better job in this one.' Advertisement
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Drivers react to NASCAR's use of tire packs to enforce track limits
In Mexico City, NASCAR has placed tire packs around the track at the apex of several corners, even adding another one after the first practice session. While drivers may use as much pavement as they want in some areas, such as the exit of the final corner, NASCAR wants to avoid drivers cutting corners. They've also painted yellow lines through the esses, and crossing that line will result in a stop-and-go penalty at a designated location around the track. But the addition of tire packs is a welcomed one for most drivers, who would rather focus on avoiding those than having to worry about the painted lines on the track. Wallace in favor of tire packs Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing Toyota "I think it is good for us," said Bubba Wallace when asked about the tire packs in a Friday press conference. "Us Cup drivers, we push to find the limits of the race cars and the race tracks, and it seems like we are always revamping the race tracks to meet the driver's needs – like, well the track needs to be wider here for us. Slow down, slow down and we can make the corner. Advertisement "We are taking a race track and making it 'Cup cars 2.0' and it doesn't make sense to me, so I was a big fan of the tire packs. It forces you to stay on the track limits and I spent the majority of my time on the sim, staying tidy and staying on the racing surface, and I think hopefully that pays dividends for when we get on track later. But I'm a big fan of the tire packs, keeping us on line and keeping us on the racing surface.' NASCAR is also being cautious about placing tire packs in the faster sections of the track. They infamously put a tire pack at the exit of the original Charlotte Roval chicane, which several drivers (including Wallace) clobbered in ugly practice crashes. So far, the tire packs have caused no issues in Mexico City. Changing the way you approach the corner with tire packs Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott was also asked by a different media outlet about track limits, noting how the tire barriers weren't there when they practiced on the sim in preparation for this weekend. Advertisement "I ran laps (on the sim) where I was really aggressive running off the road and kind of taking advantage of different areas that I felt might be worth a little bit of time. But I would say the majority of laps that I ran, you know by choice, was just really staying inside the lines because I had a feeling that might be a little more of a reality," said Elliott. "But, you know, there are some areas that I think you'll take advantage of off the racetrack. I think the tire barriers have, especially through (turns) eight and nine or whatever numbers… I don't know which track map you're looking at, right, the numbers change. But the last two, that's before you get to the stadium section, for clarity, the tire packs, where they're located through that section, I think will significantly change how at least I was approaching that section in the sim. "But ... we have some practice to get some time on the track. I think everyone's going to be super aggressive with taking every advantage that you can take and probably stepping over that line. And if you get caught, you'll get caught, and you'll learn what you can and can't do. So my intention is to go and push the limits as far as I can push them. I'll probably step over them, you know, at different points in time. And I want to know for sure what's going to be called and what wasn't. Allgaier: "Any mistake can be a big mistake here" Justin Allgaier, JR Motorsports Chevrolet Justin Allgaier, JR Motorsports Chevrolet also asked reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier about the tire packs during his press conference appearance. The JR Motorsports driver said he and Michel Jourdain Jr. have been going over this very topic as he prepares for Saturday's Xfinity race. Advertisement "For us, there are sections with track limits and there are sections without and I think it's going to be interesting because we're in a little bit of a moving target," said Allgaier. "I think track limits can be relaxed or enforced harder based on how aggressive we are, and how much we're trying to make in those sections. The tire packs, or the barriers that they've put in some of the different corners of the racetrack, I think are different than what I expected, until you see it and you feel it and understand it. I mean, even so, (even before making) a lap on track, I'm already changing my approach to a couple of different corners. That's going to be something else that's very interesting to me, is how do we race here? Where are the most effective passing zones?" The tire packs also mean that drivers will have to be extra careful in minimizing mistakes as any off-road excursion could result in significant damage to the car. "Any mistake can be a big mistake here," noted Allgaier. "If you get off and you make a mistake, maybe other than turn one, it has the potential to be a big moment and damage to your car right so without really having the ability to go to a backup car, those are going to be important moments to not have, right." Read Also: Daniel Suarez crashes in Xfinity qualifying disaster, will start last in Mexico Shane van Gisbergen 'hates' racing in the rain, "but I'm good at it" Ryan Truex: 'Crazy few weeks' before his surprise JGR ride in Mexico Daniel Suarez: 'Sky is the limit' when Mexico and US work together To read more articles visit our website.
