Parker Kligerman responds in earnest to Daytona disqualification
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Parker Kligerman said he received over 700 text messages for what he thought was the biggest win of his life.
Kligerman crossed the line first, taking the checkered flag and the trophy Friday night in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ Fresh From Florida 250.
However, he didn’t get to keep the win.
NASCAR disqualified him and his No. 75 Henderson Motorsports team for heights that were too low on each side of the rear of the truck.
In response, the team said they will appeal. Kligerman emphasized Saturday that he and the team had a very clear case to make for NASCAR and couldn’t comment on it yet.
“Biggest win of my life. Thank you all for the wonderful messages. Over 700 texts. I will not be commenting any further until we are able to present what I believe is a very, very valid case,” Kligerman said.
Overturning a disqualification, or any penalty, is rare — but it has happened. In fact, Matt Crafton’s team successfully appealed the same penalty Kligerman received at Darlington in May 2022.
A similar case also happened months later, in August 2022, when Jeremy Clements won a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Daytona. NASCAR found an issue with the intake manifold and determined his win was ineligible to count for the playoffs. Clements’ family-owned team appealed and won, getting their playoff berth back.
An appeal hearing is set for Thursday for Kligerman and Henderson Motorsports.
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com