Parker Kligerman has spent the last decade doing what almost nobody in NASCAR manages. He raced on weekends and reported on those same races for NBC. He swapped fire suits for headsets, pit boxes for broadcast booths, and somehow kept both careers running. But living two lives at once is very tiring, and eventually, he had to make a change.
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Now, that change has finally happened. After a great 11-year run on television, Kligerman is officially leaving his job as a pit road reporter and studio expert for NBC.
On a recent episode of Money Lap, the podcast he co-hosts with fellow driver Landon Cassill, Kligerman made a significant announcement.
“For the first time since 2014, since I joined NBC Sports, I’m no longer a part of their coverage,” Kligerman said. “My time has become just something I’ve had to be very careful with. And so it just didn’t quite make sense.”
The main reason he is leaving is simply a lack of time. Kligerman actually tried to slow down his busy life back in 2024 when he officially retired from full-time Xfinity Series racing. But even stepping back from full-time racing was not enough to save his NBC job.
This year, The CW network took over the TV broadcasts for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and Kligerman’s TV schedule with them grew much larger. He is now calling races for The CW, growing his podcast, and still racing part-time in the Truck Series for teams like Kaulig Racing and Spire Motorsports. Because of all this, his calendar was full.
Kligerman joined NBC in 2014 at just 24 years old, one of the youngest pit reporters in the modern era. He was actively racing in the Truck and Xfinity Series at the same time. When a crew chief called for a track bar adjustment mid-race, Kligerman explained it from experience. That was his edge over everyone else on pit road.
His time on pit road gave out some of NASCAR’s most memorable broadcast moments. He was holding the mic when Martin Truex publicly called out Joey Logano after a clash at Martinsville. The interview went live over the stadium PA. The crowd reaction, he said, was electric.
He was also there for Denny Hamlin’s now-famous “Joe Logano” slip, a moment that spread across the internet instantly. Then there was Kevin Harvick at the Roval. Harvick had just hit the barrier following his on-track feud with Chase Elliott. Kligerman tracked him to the infield care center and refused to let him dodge the question.
“I think this guy’s gonna take the mic and beat me over the head with it,” Kligerman said. “He was nice about it, but he gave me that look like, ‘Parker, you better stop.'”
And then, of course, “the ground is wet.” A memory the NASCAR broadcast world has not forgotten.
His NBC seat, for now, goes to Trevor Bayne. Bayne is very famous himself. He is known for becoming the youngest driver to ever win the Daytona 500 back in 2011. Bayne recently did a great job working as a pit reporter for Amazon Prime Video, and Kligerman completely supports NBC’s choice.
“I think Trevor Bayne is now part of the broadcast in kind of the capacity I was in,” Kligerman said. “He’s done an awesome job on Amazon. I know he’ll fit in seamlessly.”
The TNT exit is a separate story. The network restructured its studio lineup for Year 2 of its NASCAR broadcast deal and brought in seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson. Kligerman stepped away from that desk too, along with pit reporter Alan Cavanna. Jimmie Johnson’s championship pedigree and active role as a Cup team co-owner gave TNT something different, a Hall of Fame voice paired with current garage access.
Two networks. One year. For someone who built his name by doing more than anyone else at once, the calendar finally ran out of room.