Racing in NASCAR isn’t for everyone. It takes a lot of character, fighting spirit, and endurance to survive in the NASCAR arena. While some have struggled to survive in the sport, many have performed multiple duties. With some drivers participating in the Cup, Xfinity, and the Truck Series, one only wonders how they do it so effortlessly. However, in the case of Parker Kligerman, his commitments have changed.

Parker Kligerman currently drives the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro for Big Machine Racing in the Xfinity Series. While he does that, he’s also known to be a TV analyst and a pit reporter for NBC. Indeed, it is commendable what he does, and our on-ground NASCAR reporter met the talent in person and predicted firsthand how juggling between two professions could take a toll.

As EssentiallySports landed in Pocono for the NASCAR weekend, Parker Kligerman got into an exclusive chat with our on-ground reporter, Jordan Jenkins, where he explained the harsh reality behind his dual role.

Parker Kligerman gets candid about his multiple roles in NASCAR

After running on a part-time basis, Parker Kligerman finally capitalized on a full-time role as a driver last year in the Xfinity Series. While the #48 Chevrolet Camaro driver did a decent job with 18 top-10 finishes last season, his best is yet to come. Amazingly, 14 of those top-10 finishes came in the second half of the season, in the final 20 races.

Naturally, he looked happy after an impressive campaign. Earlier in June, Parker Kligerman told NASCAR.com, “Productive in almost every category except for getting a checkered flag. We have done everything but get a checkered flag.” Currently, in this year’s campaign, he sits in the 9th position, 162 points behind the leader, Cole Custer.

While he already has two top-five and eight top-ten finishes to his name in the 2024 season, he still has a long way to go to achieve success. With there being plenty of scope to improve, Kligerman would love to make it count in this campaign. However, it doesn’t get any easier for him with his multiple on-track duties.

At Pocono Raceway, while gearing up for the Xfinity race, Parker Kligerman offered a candid response to EssentiallySports’ Jordan Jenkins about balancing his dual roles as a driver and a journalist. Kligerman shared, “Lot of great people on the racing side just in terms of having everything. Be prepared and then on the TV side working with a lot of great people on the production and obviously, the talent who helped me out in terms of just making sure my preparations are right. It really comes down to preparation. You gotta walk in each weekend, prepare for both jobs at a really high level and that’s like Monday to Thursday is what I do & when I get here it’s just about executing so it really takes the pressure off.”

While it is easier said than done, Kligerman seems to be handling it pretty well so far. The reason why it has become more taxing for the former Team Penske driver is because of the transition to full-time duty in the Xfinity Series.

How has the change in priorities kept him more occupied?

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It is one thing to race on a part-time basis in NASCAR and another to do it full-time. Luckily for Parker Kligerman, Big Machine Racing gave him the opportunity to race full-time last season. While it has helped his cause, it has changed almost everything for the 33-year-old driver. Earlier this year, Kligerman also spoke to The Athletic journalist Jeff Gluck, where he explained how things have been different for him.

He said, “It’s massively different. There are mental aspects to knowing there’s a season-long trophy you’re playing for, and that you are a figurehead of this organization trying to accomplish that. Whereas in a part-time capacity, especially for me, my main income at the time was television. When it flips the other way, suddenly every result and everything you do is now more impactful. Because it’s become your full-time thing, your full-time income and everything you’re thinking about.”

While it took Parker Kligerman some time to digest that he would be racing full-time, he managed to turn things around in the second half of last year. He said, “And in the second half of the year, we were way more successful. As a team, we got better and learned all sorts of things, and I got better for sure. And a lot of it was to change my mentality of tackling races and preparing. This year has been a lot easier because I’ve done it for a year.”

From a neutral perspective, it is difficult to understand the nitty-gritty of a full-time role. However, Kligerman gave an example for the fans to relate to. He said, “Imagine just suddenly changing jobs. You think it’s the same thing you’ve always been doing, but now everything is different. Every tool they use, every communication product they use. That’s us. If you move up the grid, or if you go from part-time to full-time, it’s that level of adjustment.”

Clearly, Parker Kligerman has hit his stride and adapted to the demanding NASCAR lifestyle with impressive efficiency. Beyond his on-track efforts, he co-hosts “The Money Lap” podcast with Landon Cassill, delivering no-holds-barred takes on NASCAR, F1, and more. As he juggles these diverse roles, fans are eager to see him snag that elusive checkered flag soon.