Parker Kligerman, a professional stock car racer and NASCAR pit reporter for NBC, recently floated a bold idea that could change the future of the sport.
While resharing a clip of Xfinity and Cup cars running together during a Goodyear tire test at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kligerman proposed a new race format — one that blends endurance racing with NASCAR’s three national series.
Parker Kligerman Has a New Race Format Brewing
During the rare session, Cup and Xfinity teams shared the track as Goodyear prepped for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, which includes the Coca-Cola 600 — NASCAR’s longest race.
Kligerman posted footage of the test on X and pitched the idea of a 1,000-mile NASCAR oval endurance race, featuring cars and teams from the Cup, Xfinity, and Truck Series — all racing at once.
Wen NASCAR 1000 mile oval endurance race. All three series at once https://t.co/MPaZt3GP2z
— Parker Kligerman (@pkligerman)
Cup Series drivers Ryan Blaney, Chase Briscoe, and William Byron took part in the test alongside Xfinity drivers Sheldon Creed, Aric Almirola, and Austin Hill.
Kligerman’s idea comes as NASCAR has already rolled out changes to its practice and qualifying formats for 2025. Practice sessions are now five minutes longer, running 25 minutes in groups. Qualifying has also been streamlined to a single round at most tracks, with times setting the starting grid.
For Kligerman, the push for an endurance race feels natural. The 34-year-old has dipped his toes into the world of endurance racing, competing in both the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring.
At Daytona, Kligerman teamed up with Forte Racing and finished 42nd overall after completing 591 laps. The team’s promising run ended early after a crash caused a broken rear wishbone. Still, Kligerman came away impressed with his teammates, Misha Goikhberg and Mario Farnbacher, calling them drivers who “pushed everyone else to be better.” You can watch his thoughts here.
Next up was the 12 Hours of Sebring, where Kligerman and his team completed 323 laps and finished 41st. Both events were bucket-list races for the Truck Series driver, who has set his sights on completing the endurance racing trifecta with a run at Le Mans.
It’s the mental and physical challenge of endurance racing that Kligerman says draws him in — and now, he’s pushing for NASCAR to embrace that challenge too. If his dream ever becomes reality, Kligerman made it clear: he wants in.