"This doesn’t happen very often": NASCAR insider argues for a rule change after Parker Kligerman/Connor Zilisch's Daytona win

The Wawa 250 officially went down as Connor Zilisch's seventh Xfinity Series win of the 2025 season, but it was Parker Kligerman who handled nearly the entire race in the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. It reignited the debate over whether the rulebook on relief drivers should be updated for modern times.

Under NASCAR rules, the driver who starts the race is credited with all results, regardless of who finishes. That meant Zilisch gets the win in the record book, even though Kligerman executed the overtime finish at Daytona International Speedway.

The unusual situation also made its way onto The Teardown podcast, where Jeff Gluck raised the issue of whether NASCAR should rethink how wins are credited.

"I get that NASCAR's always had relief drivers. I get that the driver of record is the driver in the record book. And that was partly because, if I'm not mistaken, back in the day when relief drivers were so common, guys were getting in and out, in and out... but it's changed today... It's modern-day NASCAR now. It's the modern era. Could NASCAR not just go and say the winner of this race was Connor Zilisch slash Parker Kligerman and in the record book, it has both their names?" Gluck said. (46:51 onwards)

Gluck pointed to IMSA as a comparison, where multi-driver lineups share not only points but are also jointly recognized as race winners.

"The last time it happened was 2007 with (Aric) Almirola and (Denny) Hamlin. I hate to tell everybody, but 2007 was 18 years ago… This doesn't happen very often... I feel like they should just put his name in the record books. I mean, he won the race... I think it's something that could be changed." (49:10 onwards)

The fairness of the situation is hard to ignore. For Parker Kligerman, who shouldered the workload and crossed the finish line first, there's no official recognition beyond the celebration itself. It's a dynamic that feels out of step with how today's NASCAR operates.

A full-time analyst on Xfinity telecasts for The CW, Kligerman also knows Daytona heartbreak firsthand. Back in February, he appeared to win the Truck Series opener at the same track, only to be disqualified when his truck failed post-race inspection.

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How Parker Kligerman drove Connor Zilisch's car to victory

Parker Kligerman and Connor Zilisch after winning the Wawa 250. Source: Imagn

The circumstances of the Wawa 250 only added to the intrigue. Connor Zilisch started the race but, still nursing a broken collarbone from Victory Lane celebrations at Watkins Glen, climbed out during a Lap 13 caution. Parker Kligerman took over the No. 88 and never looked back.

Despite rain delays and an overtime finish that pushed the race to 104 laps, Kligerman kept the JR Motorsports Chevy at the front. On the final restart, teammate Justin Allgaier pushed Zilisch's entry to the lead. A massive 13-car wreck in Turn 4 froze the field, sealing the victory.

NASCAR will credit Zilisch with his seventh win of the season, tying Christopher Bell for the most by a rookie in series history. For JRM, it was a dominant night, locking in a 1-2-3 finish with Zilisch, Sammy Smith, and Allgaier. As the series heads to Portland next weekend, Zilisch is expected to be back at full strength.