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Shocking and heartbreaking news: just over an hour after the end of the race, Parker Kligerman and Henderson Motorsports found their hard-earned victory in the NASCAR Truck Series yanked away. According to NASCAR officials, Kligerman's No. 75 truck had failed post-race ride height inspections because the rear of the vehicle was found to be too low. Therefore, Kligerman was disqualified, nullifying his win.
Kligerman and Henderson Motorsports Are to Appeal
Henderson Motorsports will contest the disqualification, and Kligerman seemed confident that they had a strong case during his early first statements on the issue. "We believe we have a valid case," Kligerman said on Saturday morning. No date has yet been set for the appeal.
Kligerman had rejoiced momentarily at what would have been the fourth Truck Series victory in his career after charging from outside the top ten to take the lead in the final laps. He will be scored in 36th place (last) in the final race standings because of the disqualification.
Corey Heim Declared Winner
Thus, with the disqualification of Kligerman, Corey Heim and TRICON Garage are awarded the win. For him, this is the 12th victory of his career in the NASCAR Truck Series.
"Well, it is my first time having this kind of scenario happening either way, so certainly glad to be on the right side of it," Heim acknowledged in such unusual circumstances. "It sucks for Parker [Kligerman] and those guys. They seemed to put themselves in a position at the right time to win the race, but obviously another level to it after the race. Grateful to be in the spot to take advantage of that."
Final Race Results and Frankie Muniz's Milestone
The revised top-ten finishers are: Corey Heim, Gio Ruggiero, Ty Majeski, Grant Enfinger, Justin Haley, Chandler Smith, Daniel Hemric, Jason White, William Sawalich, and Frankie Muniz. This is the first-ever top 10 at NASCAR's national level for Muniz, the actor-turned-racer, which he achieved in only his fifth Truck Series start.
A Controversial Weekend
Disqualification comes after a very eventful weekend filled with controversy at Daytona. Just one day earlier, Erik Jones showed up first over the line at the finish of the second Duel race to say he won the race, which was later denied after NASCAR threw a caution just seconds before the conclusion. The caution served to freeze the field, giving victory to Austin Cindric. Initially, Jones thought he had won but was later told the decision was off after the review of the video.
Kligerman Heartbreak History
Well, Kligerman has become sadly familiar with this dramatization in NASCAR. This past October he was close enough to create his first victory in the NASCAR Xfinity Series within the playoffs and move on to the next championship round. However, just before reaching the white flag, a caution flag flew, creating a race at the end of the overtime. Though his team initially celebrated afterward, Kligerman lost the race in the end.
This serves Parker Kligerman most harshly with disqualification in the NASCAR series. It may have hopes in the appeal process for Henderson Motorsports, but the incident really brings home how vital post-race inspections are and the rollercoasters that come with competitive motorsport. As the NASCAR season continues, the world will watch closely to see how this controversy plays out and if Kligerman will recover from yet another heartbreaking setback.
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