Parker Kligerman knows what it’s like to have victory slip through his fingers. Throughout his NASCAR career, he has come painfully close to winning, only for bad luck, late-race chaos, or controversial calls to steal the moment away. But heading into the 2025 NASCAR Truck Series season opener at Daytona, Kligerman was determined to change his luck. And as the checkered flag dropped everyone thought Kligerman had finally done it.
After years of close calls and heartbreaks, he crossed the finish line first in the 2025 NASCAR Truck Series season opener at Daytona. It was a moment of redemption. He had charged from outside the top ten in the final laps, pulled off a daring move, and took the checkered flag in one of the most thrilling finishes of his career. His team, Henderson Motorsports, erupted in celebration. But then disaster struck.
Just over an hour later, NASCAR officials stripped off Klingerman from his win as his No.75 truck had failed post-race inspection. The ruling cited a ridge height infringement, disqualifying him and handing the victory to Corey Heim. While his team appeared but was unable to prove their case Klingerman remained winless. After that, he made his feelings known saying, “Thank you all for the support. This has been one of the hardest weeks of my racing life. I worked with the team 24/7 on the appeal since Saturday night. The truck raced legally. And won legal.”
However, as the time moved Klingerman also moved on and joined the NBC’s Broadcast booth. But he wasn’t done with racing entirely. Just a month after Daytona heartbreak Veteran driver launched a mini reality show on YouTube, putting amateur drivers to the test. In his newest video, Kligerman created a competition inspired by a popular fan belief. In a recent poll, many people claimed they could complete a competitive NASCAR lap with no professional training.
Kligerman, tired of hearing “How hard can it be?” from armchair racers, decided to put that theory to the test. The challenge featured four amateur drivers, including his brother, who competed in a series of increasingly difficult racing events. They drove an 800-horsepower, $125,000 race car, and if they managed to beat Kligerman in a head-to-head showdown, they could win up to $5,000 of his own money.
To Kligerman’s surprise—and embarrassment—he lost two out of the three challenges. In the third, he barely managed to save himself from total humiliation. The video quickly gained traction, and fans wasted no time roasting him. NASCAR insider Jeff Gluck led the charge, joking, “Just finished watching. Are you sure you wanted to post this, @pkligerman?” This comment reflected how humiliating it was for Klingerman to lose against an untrained driver in his territory.
Just finished watching. Are you sure you wanted to post this @pkligerman? https://t.co/cGI1Bb35TP
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) March 21, 2025
While Kligerman’s YouTube antics have been entertaining, his Daytona loss remains a serious topic in NASCAR. The disqualification not only cost him a win but also sparked debates about post-race inspections and officiating. After his appeal was denied, NASCAR officials acknowledged that communication failures played a role in the situation. Mike Forde, a NASCAR executive, admitted that verbal instructions had led to confusion and that going forward, all inspection procedures would be provided in writing.
“It’s all going to be in writing—just tightening up that area so that if a crew chief isn’t available because of health reasons, or whatever the reason is, they at least have this in writing,” Forde admitted on the first episode of the Hauler Talk podcast. This change is massive, especially for smaller teams like Henderson Motorsports. Unlike powerhouse teams with deep resources, small teams operate with limited staff.
When Kligerman’s crew chief was pulled away for media duties, there was no leadership present during the inspection. Now, with written guidelines, teams will have a clearer understanding of the rules, making post-race penalties more transparent. Kligerman may have lost a win, but in a way, he forced NASCAR to improve its officiating. But for now, NASCAR fans can’t stop buzzing about another unexpected loss.
Fans hilariously troll Parker Kligerman!
Parker Kligerman aimed to showcase the superiority of NASCAR drivers in his latest video, but he miserably failed in the mission. But this successfully entertained fans who hilariously took a dig at his efforts. Some fans believed Kligerman still had an advantage due to modern race car technology. They wanted to see how he would perform without electronic assists. “That’s pretty cool. Do it without traction control or ABS,” writes a user.
However, some fans went a step ahead and teased Klingerman for his Daytona heartbreak. A user wrote, “Parker moved over to racing people where his car doesn’t have to pass tech inspection.” Another fan echoed the sentiments and said, “Anddd… the car failed inspection.” While these comments took a direct jab at his Daytona mishap it can’t be ignored that Klingerman won the race from 23rd position. The 34-year-old driver had announced his retirement after the 2024 season, but he returned for one final shot in Daytona. But that too ended in heartbreak.
Perhaps the most fitting reaction of all was from a fan who wrote, “Dude became the Mr. Beast of racing.” Comparing Kligerman’s challenge to the famous YouTuber’s over-the-top competition, this comment summed up the internet’s view of his new role perfectly. Whether intentional or not, Kligerman was now NASCAR’s version of Mr. Beast. Jokes apart one thing is clear Parker Kligerman has managed to entertain NASCAR fans in his own way.
Given how the mature drivers beat Kligerman on a couple of challenges, a few others also fancied their chances to earn a quick buck. Now, there are no criteria mentioned by the NASCAR driver on who could participate in the challenges, but this fan who’s tagged themselves as ‘noob’ wanted to get a clear idea about the rules. “Does it matter if I have raced in the past? Or do you have to be a total noob?”
Although wins might have eluded Kligerman, he certainly has stayed true to his fans and support group. With more challenges like this, who knows he might have to turn into a full-time content creator.
The post “Mr. Beast of Racing”: NASCAR Fans Pull the Leg of Daytona Victim as He Announces Hilarious Challenge appeared first on EssentiallySports.