NASCAR is no stranger to drama; as once again it has experienced a tremendous storm revolving around recent events for Henderson Motorsports, and many fans feel justice has not yet been served.

“Biggest win of my life. Thank you all for the wonderful messages. Over 700 texts. I will not be commenting any further until we are able to present what I believe is a very, very valid case.” This was Parker Kligerman, driver of the No. 75 truck, who crossed the finish line at Daytona, only to see its victory taken away by a technicality. His loss meant that the shift of spotlight to Corey Heim, the runner-up, turned into a winner of the event. Obviously, the feeling was dramatic for Kligerman and his crew as they entered into a rollercoaster mood, from joy to despair in a few hours.

The aftermath: The team still holds that they won that race fair and square even after the National Motorsports Appeals Panel upheld the penalty. And, crew chief, Chris Carrier’s heartfelt statement says it all!

Henderson Motorsports, a small but resilient team since the 1980s, has competed in over 400 NASCAR races with only five wins. While Parker Kligerman’s claim to fame would have stood had his victory at Daytona not been disqualified, it remains Kligerman’s tag to first cross the finish line after starting from the 23rd position and overcoming a grueling race punctuated with eight caution flags. Now, while their appeal got ruled over, an endearing and sentimental message by Chris Carrier circulated over X.

Henderson Motorsports took their X and wrote, “A Statement from Our Crew Chief, Chris Carrier, Regarding Our Disqualification from Daytona.”

The captivating message read, “We believe NASCAR missed an opportunity to build confidence with its teams and fans by not overturning this ruling, especially given the clear miscommunication and inconsistent post-race inspection practices surrounding our truck. To our fans-your support means everything to us. While we can’t change the record book, this will always be considered a win in our book, and nothing can change our mind about that. Thank you all so much for standing behind us.” 

It’s very clear whatever the NASCAR decision and the penalty go, the determination of the underdog team will stay intact. Their statement regarding the disqualification indicates that it was some communication errors between NASCAR inspectors and their team that allowed the wrong measurements to come into play. While the ultimate appeal was denied, Henderson Motorsports is still very proud.

As even Charlie Henderson, the team owner also stated, “We’re obviously disappointed with the outcome of the appeal. Our team put in a tremendous effort at Daytona, and we’ll move forward, focusing on the races ahead. We remain committed to providing Parker with the best equipment, and I am certain you will see our team in Victory Lane again this season. Thank you to our fans for all the support.”

What’s more in for Henderson Motorsports and their star?

It’s not just crew chief Chris Carrier who showed a positive approach despite the unfavorable outcome, but Parker Kligerman who from the start believed that their stance was correct showed similar views. 

He wrote on X, “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 legal. And won legal…Due to an unfortunate circumstance in tech. It was measured at an improper height that made the rear low by 1/8 inch on the LR  and 1/4 inch on the RR…I will go into full details with my buddy @landoncassill on @themoneylap podcast next week I still have the checkered flag.”

Well, fans can look upon them and stay updated to get the details of the proceedings, but the interesting adorable memory that he shared with the image of the checkered flag, that once he grounded at Daytona, after acclaiming his career’s biggest win is still under his possession. 

Kligerman’s fans might feel sad about the results of the appeal, but you really no need to feel small over that part, before they are back on track in Bristol Motor Speedway on April, 11. Followed by Rockingham Speedway on April, 18th, North Wilkesboro Speedway on May 17th, Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 23rd, Indianapolis Raceway Park on July 25th, again Bristol on Sept, 11th. And the legendary Talladega Superspeedway on Oct, 17th. 

Hope the initial setback for Parker Kligerman and the team will act as extra care and focus on their game, without compromising their next win.