Parker Kligerman Moving On Up

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In: Xfinity Series News

In his first full-time campaign in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Parker Kligerman has quietly put together a solid start to the 2013 season. Kligerman has improved nine spots in the championship standings over the last five races and currently resides in the fourth position entering Friday’s VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. With eight of 33 races completed, the 22-year-old finds himself in the early championship hunt amongst three former Sprint Cup Series regulars – Regan Smith (1st), Sam Hornish Jr. (2nd) and Elliott Sadler (5th) – and a perennial contender in his fifth full-time season in NASCAR’s second division, Justin Allgaier (3rd).

Kligerman and his single-car No. 77 Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) operation have stuck to their plan of limiting mistakes and producing consistent finishes in the first quarter of the season, as they battle against mostly multi-car teams, many of which also compete in the Sprint Cup Series or have Cup affiliations. Under the guidance of crew chief Eric Phillips, who is also in his first full-time season in the Nationwide Series, the Connecticut native has posted two top-five and four top-10 finishes. After hiccups in weeks two and three of the season, the team has strung together a five-race stretch where they have finished 12th or better each time out. Included in that stretch, was a fourth-place finish at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. with the same Camry that they will unload this weekend, KBM-11.

 

The talented youngster has one prior start at Darlington, posting a 14th-place finish in the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at the egg-shaped oval. Phillips has a little more experience, calling the shots for three Truck Series events at the venue dubbed “Too Tough to Tame.” With Kasey Kahne behind the wheel of KBM’s No. 18 Tundra for the 2011 event, the veteran signal caller proved that the challenging track can be handled, leading 95 of 147 laps en route to victory.

 

With Phillips and veteran spotter Earl Barban in his ear on Friday night, Kligerman will be constantly reminded to abide by the age-old adage “race the track and not the cars around you.” With just seven markers standing between him and Allgaier for third-place in Nationwide Series standings, another solid finish will help in his efforts to continue ‘moving on up’ the rankings and prove that he is a viable contender for the 2013 championship. 

 

KBM PR

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