The record books will officially show Connor Zilisch as the winner of Friday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Daytona International Speedway, in what is his seventh victory of 2025 in the second-tier series.
However, what happened on the high banks of “The World Center of Racing” on the evening of Friday, August 22, is a much better story, and one that will go down in infamy as one of the most heartwarming stories in NASCAR.
You see, Parker Kligerman has been on the hunt for his first win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for quite some time, and it’s involved some painstakingly close calls. Then, after the end of the 2024 season, the Woodbury, Connecticut-native decided to step back from full-time racing.
Kligerman crossed the start-finish line with the lead in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at Daytona in February, but his Henderson Motorsports entry failed post-race tech, robbing him of the victory.
Come August, when Connor Zilisch, the 19-year-old phenom tearing up the NASCAR Xfinity Series scene, breaks his collarbone, team owner Dale Jr. gives Kligerman a call to serve as a relief driver for the No. 88 WeatherTech Chevrolet at Daytona.
Zilisch was credited with the pole, as a result of the metric, and ran the first 15 laps of Friday’s event, before coming down pit road and handing the reins to Kligerman, who picked up right where he left off at the end of last season, at got to the front by Lap 38.
Leading some laps in the second stage, Kligerman fell back outside the top-five until the final stage of the race, where the 35-year-old charged back to the front of the pack and sat in line waiting to make his move, which he did with 10 laps remaining.
“Obviously hate the circumstances for Connor [Zilisch], he’s an amazing generational talent,” said Kligerman in Victory Lane. “I feel honored to have gotten the call and race the seat that he has been in, that Kyle Larson has been in, I knew I had to hold up my end of the bargain.”
RACE RESULTS: 2025 Wawa 250 at Daytona
In NASCAR Overtime, Kligerman was able to manage the runs from his teammates at JR Motorsports, Sammy Smith and Justin Allgaier, crossing under the checkered flag in first place, earning his “first Xfinity Series victory”.
“For me, it’s such a me thing that this will not be on Racing-Reference, at all. I’m still going to count it as a win, I’m just going to take the checkered flag, we get the check of course, but this is just really cool, and to do it with a guy that younger me thought in the world I would get to speak to him, let alone drive one of his race cars, is just a dream come true.”
When a huge wreck erupted on the final lap of the race, and the caution was displayed, Sammy Smith was given the runner-up position, with Justin Allgaier in third place. Jesse Love, winner of the Daytona event in February, finished fourth with Sam Mayer inside the top five.
Brandon Jones earned a sixth-place result for Joe Gibbs Racing, with fellow Toyota teammate Dean Thompson just behind him in seventh. Garrett Smithley and Brennan Poole earned great underdog finishes in eighth and ninth, with Carson Kvapil rounding out the top-10.
Ryan Sieg led the most laps over the course of Friday’s event at Daytona, and was battling for the victory in the closing stages of the race when he got turned off the front bumper of Leland Honeyman, triggering an 11-car wreck that took out several heavy-hitters, including Christian Eckes and Matt DiBenedetto.
Leaving Daytona International Speedway, Justin Allgaier reclaims the regular-season points lead over Connor Zilisch, who, heading to Portland International Speedway, only sits three points below the No. 7 Chevrolet. Sam Mayer remains third in points, 26 points back.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series is poised to head to the West Coast next weekend for the Pacific Office Automation 147 at Portland International Speedway – the second-to-last road course event on the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule.
