NASCAR: New series favorite on the horizon for 2023?

Parker Kligerman is set to return to full-time racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series next year, a move that could make him a favorite on and off the track.

Parker Kligerman’s NASCAR journey has come full circle. After several years of part-time rides and a stint as an analyst for NASCAR on NBC, the veteran is set to return to full-time racing next year in the Xfinity Series, piloting the #48 Chevrolet for Big Machine Racing.

While the team is relatively new, the #48 Chevrolet has already seen success in the Xfinity Series, with the team earning their first win at Texas Motor Speedway when Tyler Reddick was behind the wheel. In addition to Reddick, the team have fielded the ride for other full-time Cup Series drivers such as Austin Dillon and Ross Chastain.

But Big Machine Racing made the decision to return to having a full-time driver for the #48 Chevrolet for the first time since Jade Buford drove the car last year, and there isn’t more of a perfect match than the one between the team and Kligerman. As they get their first full-time driver since 2021, Kligerman gets his first full-time ride since 2013.

The pairing between Kligerman and the team, however, could be even bigger and better than it seems.

Despite Kligerman having not had a full-time ride since 2013 when he competed for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the Xfinity Series, he has occasionally competed throughout all three series over the years, even scoring a Truck Series win this past season at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

The talent has always been there for the 32-year-old. It has just been a matter of opportunity, and now the opportunity is there as well.

Additionally, Kligerman will bring much-needed star power to the Xfinity Series. Having become a fan favorite through his work on TV and his social media following, he will look to be one of the next faces of an Xfinity Series which is slated to lose Noah Gragson, Ty Gibbs, and A.J. Allmendinger to the Cup Series next year.

Outside of his connection to the fans is a much-needed personality for sponsorship. Kligerman made the most out of his opportunity with Gaunt Brothers Racing, when sponsor and shipping company Fast ran a promotional “$1 Hoodie” QR Code on his #96 Toyota at Kansas Speedway in October 2021.

Kligerman became a marketing master, and the site froze due to fans following the Stamford, Connecticut native’s call to action, selling over $50,000 worth of merchandise in the process.

With a consistent question mark surrounding sponsorship in NASCAR as a whole, Big Machine Racing got the right guy to advertise more than what a paint scheme can.

From personality to racing talent, Kligerman has the ability and the opportunity to make Big Machine Racing an Xfinity Series playoff contender, and he can become the next big name in the series in the process.