After loss of Charlie Henderson, his son announces NASCAR return at Watkins Glen with Parker Kligerman behind the wheel

Driver-turned-reporter Parker Kligerman will be seen in a Henderson Motorsports truck this Friday at Watkins Glen International. For the first time since the demise of team owner Charlie Henderson, Henderson Motorsports will return to the track for a regular-season points event in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Charlie Henderson's daughter, Debbie Henderson-Creasy, and her brother, Don, shared the news on X, which was later reported by journalist Joseph Srigley. Kligerman will drive the team’s No. 75 truck with Charlie Henderson’s name on the driver’s side of the window.

Here is the official statement from Henderson Motorsports:

“This weekend at Watkins Glen will mark our first race without our dad, charlie henderson, here with us... without him in the garage, calling to check in, or glued to the tv cheering on the #75. “My brother Don and I have chosen to carry on what he dedicated so much of his life to building. to honor his legacy, we'll proudly carry his name above the driver's window and compete in his memory. We miss you deeply, dad, and hope we make you proud.”

Parker Kligerman drove for Henderson Motorsports from 2016 to 2023. Recalling his first day on the team, he wrote on X:

“When I first got to Henderson Motorsports I'll never forget looking at a banner in their race shop full of the amazing drivers who had driven for them since the 70s. True hero's of the sport. I wasn't sure if my name would make it up on that banner but by the time we got our first win, I knew I had a home.”

Named Mission 176 at The Glen, scheduled for Friday, August 8, the 72-lap race will be televised on Fox Sports 1, 5 pm ET onwards. Fans can also listen to exclusive radio coverage of the race on NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

When Parker Kligerman announced his retirement from full-time racing

In an episode of The Money Lap podcast from September last year, Parker Kligerman confirmed that he was not going to return to Big Machine Racing for the 2025 season.

At the time, Kligerman was in his second season, driving the No. 48 entry for the North Carolina-based outfit. Sharing the big news on X, the 34-year-old speedster wrote:

“I will not be returning to Big Machine Racing next year. Not only that, but this will be my last year as a full-time racecar driver in a NASCAR series, and in general being a racecar driver. I’m no longer pursuing full-time rides.”

That being said, Henderson Motorsports hopes to run 10 races this season, with Parker Kligerman competing in as many as his schedule permits.

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Edited by Hitesh Nigam