Parker Kligerman - The Next Great NASCAR TV Analyst?
One of the standout voices of NASCAR on NBC in their second year of coverage has been Parker Kligerman. And the former driver has a great future in television.
Going into the second half of the 2016 NASCAR season, NBC Sports was in one of its most challenging positions since its expansion of its sports framework with the addition of NBCSN. For the first time, the network would have to balance two heavyweights in sports television, stock car racing and the Olympic Games. Let the juggling act begin.
As expected, the summer games from Rio de Janeiro took precedent most times over NASCAR coverage, even moving some of their reporters to Brazil to cover the games. Kelli Stavast and Rutledge Wood left the sport for a few weeks to be a part of the network’s wall-to-wall action. That left a new hole to fill on pit road.
Enter Parker Kligerman, a young man racing part-time in the Camping World Truck Series and working as a studio analyst in Stamford, Connecticut for NASCAR America on NBCSN. He would substitute in for Stavast, as well as serve as a pit reporter for some standalone Xfinity Series races. Despite the small sampling size, many felt Kligerman excelled in the role and believe he has a great future in television.
Kligerman brings a unique perspective to his pit road role, however short it may have been. Having driven in all three nationally-touring NASCAR series, he has developed a rapport with many drivers and teams in the garage area. Perhaps some regard him still as one of those with the heartbeat of the sport, and more interested in continuing to be a racer and not necessarily a reporter.
If NBC Sports were ever to branch out and create their own full-time Xfinity Series crew, separate from that of their Cup leaders, Kligerman has to be near the top of the list. He can serve well in two roles, as either pit reporter or analyst. He already performs that role on a part-time basis, interjecting his driver knowledge into his pit reporting on NBCSN. He would join a great crew that could include Leigh Diffey, Dale Jarrett, Alex Hayden, and Ralph Sheheen.
What do you think of Parker Kligerman’s role with NASCAR on NBC? Would you like to see more or less of him on NBCSN? Send us your thoughts below and be on the lookout for our top five NASCAR TV pit reporters of all-time in the near future.
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