NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Parker Kligerman has announced his decision to retire from full-time racing after the 2024 season in an emotional message.
Before hanging up his competition helmet, Kligerman is determined to make one final push in the Xfinity Series Playoffs and fight for the championship to end his 15-year streak of success in stock car racing.
Parker Kligerman made his Xfinity Series debut in Kansas in 2009 and has built an impressive record since then, earning 47 top-10 finishes and one pole position in 109 Xfinity Series races.
He also earned three wins and two pole positions in the Truck Series in 117 races, with 53 top-10 finishes, and competed part-time in the Cup Series.
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Kligerman revealed his intentions in a heartfelt statement, saying:
“When I was nine years old, my family got cable television.
“Of course, I immediately came across a channel called SpeedVision, where I saw for the first time men in colorful pajamas, with sweaty faces and stern looks – er, racing. At that moment I knew: That’s what I want to do! I’m going to be a professional racing driver.
“And for nearly a decade and a half, that’s exactly what I was. Fireproof pajamas, sweaty face and all. It’s been 22 years since I first begged and borrowed a go-kart (my mom really couldn’t take the begging anymore) and began a journey that, for an endless number of reasons, should never have gone beyond go-karts. Let alone offered me multiple opportunities, a career, and possibly a sense of purpose.”
Kligerman’s path has not been without obstacles, as he has had to take one-off rides to maintain his racing career. He enjoyed two full-time Truck Series seasons (2011-2012) with Brad Keselowski Racing before finding early Xfinity Series success with Kyle Busch Motorsports, finishing 9th in the standings. However, his full-time involvement with Swan Racing in the Cup Series was ended when the team was sold, leading him into an era marked by sporadic rides until he finally secures a full-time ride in the national series again in 2023.
This season, the experienced driver finished second at the Atlanta race, giving him renewed hope of a strong championship challenge, with nine races remaining in which he must win in the Xfinity Series.
It is not yet clear who will replace Kligerman at Big Machine Racing in the 2025 season, but an announcement is eagerly awaited.
