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Parker Kligerman stepping away from full-time NASCAR competition at end of 2024
When the checkered flag flies over the NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race at Phoenix on Nov. 9, it’ll mark the end of an era for Parker Kligerman.
The 34-year-old from Westport, Conn., announced on Thursday that he will not return to Big Machine Racing’s No. 48 car in 2025, nor be in any NASCAR series full-time in the future.
— Parker Kligerman (@pkligerman) September 12, 2024
Kligerman made the first of 109 Xfinity Series starts at Kansas in 2009, and while he’s still searching for his first victory, he’s in good shape to make the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs for the second season in a row.
Kligerman hasn’t been able to bring Big Machine Racing a trophy, but he has supplied the team with an asset that is arguably just as important: Stability and consistency in a modern sports world that wants nothing to do with either trait.
As Kligerman chases a championship to close out his final full-time campaign, questions will undoubtedly begin to swirl regarding who will replace the veteran in the No. 48 car. Big Machine isn’t a top-tier Xfinity Series team, but it's capable of winning and being a consistent playoff contender.
BMR has the advantage of being in Chevrolet’s strong NASCAR pipeline, but a few top prospects have already been snatched up. Kaulig Racing has already tapped Christian Eckes for an Xfinity Series ride in 2025 with Jr. Motorsports signing the highly touted Connor Zilisch to drive the iconic No. 88 car in the series as well.
One name that hasn’t been mentioned is that of 23-year-old Nick Sanchez, who is in the midst of a breakout season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The Miami, Fla., native boasts victories at both Daytona and Charlotte in 2024, and is in the midst of his second Truck Series playoff appearance. If the team wants a young, flashy driver who could elevate their program to new heights, Sanchez would be a solid choice.
Regardless of who replaces Kligerman, it’s fair to say that the veteran driver should be given his flowers when he walks out of the shop for the final time. It takes a good driver to produce results, but it takes an even better drive to elevate the race team around him.
It’s safe to say that Kligerman has done just that.
More must-reads:
- Why Connor Zilisch's NASCAR Xfinity Series debut will be must-see TV
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. Thinks Rick Hendrick May Be Where Carson Hocevar Draws the Line Over NASCAR Aggression
Rick Hendrick has long known how to rein in young guns when deliberate wrecks and hard pushes cross the line. In 2023, after Ross Chastain repeatedly tangled with Kyle Larson, the HMS owner publicly warned that if Chastain hit any Hendrick driver again, there would be payback, and manufacturer ties to Chevrolet would not shield him. Now, Carson Hocevar finds himself in a position similar to Chastain back then, though Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes the Spire Motorsports rookie will likely set boundaries when it comes to Hendrick. With 318 Cup Series victories, Hendrick Motorsports stands as the winningest team in NASCAR’s top tier, and Mr. Hendrick’s influence runs deep. Crossing him or his drivers rarely ends well for a newcomer, a point Dale Jr. stressed on his podcast. He said, “I am entertained by Hocevar until it becomes my problem… That goes back to the same thing. I think it’s all fine until he does something that irks a Hendrick or somebody that’s directly above his chain of command.” Junior continued, “I think you know if he goes out there and impeded the lap for Larson and the big man gets upset, because the big man has some influence over Spire. The big man has influence over most things Chevrolet. “And so when you start messing with what his program’s doing or what he’s trying to accomplish, that’s when the vice gets a little tight and Carson will feel that. But until that happens… he’s not going to make the adjustments ’cause he doesn’t feel like he needs to. Not going to change.” It’s a scenario that mirrors Chastain’s shift in tone. One warning from Hendrick at a press conference drained much of Chastain’s bravado, making him far more cautious about wrecking not only HMS drivers but anyone on the grid. After this year’s Nashville incident, where the 22-year-old Hocevar wrecked Hyak Motorsports’ Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in Stage 2 without provocation and followed it with unapologetic comments about refusing to change, speculation grew that a call from Mr. H might be coming if he targets an HMS driver. For now, Hocevar’s aggressive streak is in full view, and the limelight will remain on whether he tones it down or keeps pressing the limits until he is issued a warning from a big name in the game.
Vikings WR gets brutal injury news for second straight season
A Minnesota Vikings wide receiver's season is already over. The Minnesota Vikings announced on Tuesday that wide receiver Rondale Moore is being placed on season-ending injured reserve due to a leg injury that he suffered in the team's first preseason game against the Houston Texans this past weekend. It is a devastating blow for Moore who is now being sidelined for an entire season, before it even begins, for the second year in a row. Moore signed a one-year, $2 million contract in free agency with the Vikings this offseason in the hopes he could return from a different injury that cost him the entirety of the 2024 season. Moore was a member of the Atlanta Falcons in 2024 after being acquired in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals for backup quarterback Desmond Ridder. This is now two different teams that Moore has been a part of but will never play a game for them due to injuries. Moore was injured while returning a punt. He began his career with the Arizona Cardinals, catching 135 passes for 1,201 yards over three seasons before being traded. He was never going to be counted on to be a key contributor for the Vikings offense this season, especially given the superstars they already have at wide receiver in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, but he still had a chance to be an interesting depth player. Now it is fair to wonder what the rest of his career might even look like. Missing two full seasons due to two different leg injuries is going to be a brutal thing to try to come back from. Missing two seasons for any reason is difficult, but when you add the leg injuries to the equation, it makes the obstacle even steeper.
Browns Coach Was Asked If Shedeur Sanders Will Start Second Preseason Game
The Cleveland Browns kicked off their preseason with style last Friday, starting fifth-round pick Shedeur Sanders at quarterback. Despite not having many first-team reps under his belt, he absolutely delivered under pressure. Sanders finished his preseason debut with 138 passing yards and two touchdowns. The Colorado product also had 19 rushing yards against the Carolina Panthers. Although he could've called out his naysayers following the team's 30-10 victory, he chose to take the high road during his postgame press conference. He even gave his coaching staff and teammates all the credit for his performance. "I'm comfortable with being uncomfortable, so that's what it is," Sanders said. "I got pockets of finding my rhythm, and I got to get into that quicker, regardless of anything. But overall, I felt like me out there, and I couldn't do it, of course, without the time. I couldn't do it without the playcalling. I couldn't do without anything." After watching Sanders pick apart the Panthers, NFL fans are hoping to see more of him this Saturday against the Philadelphia Eagles. However, there's no guarantee he'll get a ton of snaps. Speaking to reporters this week, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski was asked if Sanders will start against the Eagles. He refused to name a starter for his team's second preseason game. "I’m not there on the game itself. By Wednesday, Thursday, I’ll have a better feel for the game and how we’re gonna handle that, and I’ll update you guys. But not there yet," Stefanski said. A few moments later, Stefanski was asked if he knows who'll start Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals. One again, he was unwilling to commit to one of his quarterbacks. "I think you take everything into account, but we’ll see how we get through this week and then make a decision – make a decision on when to make a decision." It's possible Cleveland will want to see Dillon Gabriel under center before they give the keys to the offense back to Sanders. The rookie from Oregon returned to 11-on-11 drills earlier this week.
Six Major Toronto Raptor Storylines Heading into the 2025-26 NBA Season
Preseason rarely decides a season, yet it often reveals trends coaches and players embrace early. This preview matters for Toronto because a young roster is now defining roles and habits. Last year closed with optimism, tempered by lessons about process, health, and late-game execution issues. Six storylines stand out, tying together personnel returns, development surges, and evolving tactical preferences ahead. They offer a framework for what progress should look like when games start counting again. Fans should watch integration, depth, and defense, while noting how structure translates into efficiency nightly. Each section below traces a discrete focus, grounded in the team’s recent numbers and context. The picture that emerges is pragmatic, cautious about conclusions, yet clear about the necessary steps ahead. 1. Ingram’s Health and Fit With Toronto’s Core Toronto’s most significant variable is Brandon Ingram returning from the ankle sprain that stalled momentum. He received a plasma-rich platelet injection on April 9, with progress rechecked in May. Before the trade, he averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.2 assists for New Orleans. He also signed a three-year, $120 million extension, underscoring organizational belief in his fit. Preseason minutes should emphasize chemistry with Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley, and RJ Barrett on ball. Spacing, delay actions, and handoffs can spotlight his playmaking without stalling possessions. Medical clearance matters, but role clarity matters more for smoothing touches and decision-making tempo overall. If rhythm appears early, lineups featuring Ingram and Barnes could punish switches and rotations consistently, a factor sure to draw attention from odds makers and fans tracking lines on FanDuel Sportsbook. If timing lags, Toronto can throttle usage, preserving health while protecting core offensive principles early. 2. Poeltl’s Paint Protection and Coverage Tweaks Jakob Poeltl remains the stabilizer, anchoring paint coverage and orchestrating actions from the elbow every night. Early last season, he was asked to play higher in pick-and-roll, with mixed outcomes. Later, he dropped more often, protecting the rim and closing cracks more comfortably. Coaches leaned on his reads, toggling sets to lift shot quality for teammates. Poeltl, 29, is the oldest signed player, giving this group a needed veteran anchor presence. During the NBA preseason, the Raptors should frequently experiment with coverage depth, weakside tagging rules, and early-clock rim runs. His health matters, given a late-season metacarpal contusion that warranted careful management recently. If he anchors drop while wings chase over, rotations can tighten without sacrificing rebounding positioning. If the staff prefers higher coverage, second-line timing, and stunts demand crisp preseason reps, together. 3. Barnes’ Two-Way Ascension and Leadership Test Scottie Barnes enters camp as the fulcrum, balancing usage, efficiency, and defensive responsibility this preseason. He averaged 19.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 5.8 assists across 65 appearances last season. Toronto’s defense surged to second after the All-Star break, settling 15th on aggregate. Barnes anchored coverages, switching, rotating, and cleaning mistakes while energy stayed remarkably consistent. Coaches experimented with heavy on-ball responsibility, which produced lessons alongside occasional downturns in production. Preseason will spotlight decision speed, screening angles, and when to attack versus facilitate reads. Barnes also finished the year managing a metacarpal contusion, so the workload should be scaled prudently early. Leadership questions become far easier to answer if efficiency rises while defensive impact holds. If not, guard pairings and late-clock structure must support him without blunting aggression or creativity. 4. Rajakovic’s System: Process Gains vs. Scoring Output Darko Rajakovic kept modern principles, building motion, delay actions, and handoff sequences into habits. Toronto threw the sixth-most passes and ran the third-most cuts, emphasizing continual movement across possessions. Isolations were the fewest in the league, with handler-finished pick-and-rolls the fourth-fewest. Handoffs were frequent, ranking eighth, while Poeltl toggled sets cleanly to lift shot quality. Results lagged, with the offense finishing 26th, after placing 24th the prior season overall efficiency. Clutch stretches hurt further, as the group posted the second-worst overall net rating late league-wide. Preseason focus should test counters that preserve movement while generating cleaner pull-up spacing windows. Health for Immanuel Quickley, Barnes, and Ingram could turn process gains into actual scoring. Bench lineups must also sustain tempo, so structure persists even during substitution waves consistently. 5. Rookies and Newcomers Pushing a Defensive Identity Toronto doubled down on defense, adding prospects who can pressure, swarm, and finish possessions. Collin Murray-Boyles arrived ninth overall, after averaging 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks for South Carolina. At the combine, he measured 6-foot-6.5 with a 7-foot-0.75 wingspan and weighed 239 pounds officially. Second-rounder Alijah Martin posted 1.5 steals, measured 6-foot-1.5 without shoes, and weighed 208 pounds. Undrafted guard Chucky Hepburn signed a two-way contract after winning ACC Defensive Player honors. He averaged 2.4 steals as a senior, bringing on-ball toughness and turnover creation upside. Returnees Ja’Kobe Walter, Jonathan Mogbo, and Jamal Shead add continuity from last year’s rookie minutes. Toronto allowed 115.2 opponent points per game, ranking 18th, and addressed that with real depth. 6. Raised Expectations After a Rebuild Year Last season ended with a 30–52 record and a clear developmental mandate from leadership. Toronto finished seven games back of the final play-in, which strategically aligned with rebuilding priorities. The organization framed the year as the first phase in a three- to five-year project roadmap. That approach yielded a high pick, adding Murray-Boyles and retaining Brandon Ingram on extension terms. Players voiced playoff aims, but healthy availability and consistency must precede any ambitious targets. Preseason becomes a checkpoint, translating optimism into matchups, substitution patterns, and reliable closing groups nightly. What to Watch as Roles Solidify If these threads align, optimism turns concrete, and opening weeks become a launchpad rather than a tease: Use preseason to track availability updates, especially Ingram’s ankle and Barnes’ workload ramp timelines closely, Note how spacing evolves in delay actions when Quickley and Ingram effectively share initiator duties, Watch Poeltl’s coverage depth, then check whether wings sync rotations without conceding corner threes frequently, Track steals, deflections, and on-ball pressure from Murray-Boyles, Martin, and Hepburn in bursts against starters, Assess late-clock structure, given last year’s second-worst clutch net rating under pressure and pace control, Consider organizational signals, since leadership changed following the draft. That shaped accountability pathways for players and staff, Finally, substitution patterns should be monitored; a sustained tempo should survive bench minutes without drift or slippage. A Thrilling Raptors Preseason Ahead The Raptors enter the preseason with more clarity than a year ago but no shortage of questions to answer. Health for Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes, the integration of defense-first rookies, and fine-tuning Darko Rajakovic’s system will all shape how quickly Toronto can turn optimism into results. If depth, defensive buy-in, and late-game execution align, this young roster has a genuine chance to turn a rebuilding year into the foundation of a playoff push.
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