“Very sad day for our sport”: NASCAR driver mourns the loss of team owner
The NASCAR community lost one of the longest-tenured owners at Henderson Motorsports, Charlie Henderson, who passed away on Saturday, June 14. Parker Kligerman, a former driver for Henderson Motorsports, shared an emotional tribute in which he talked about how the team owner welcomed him during an important time of his career.
Charlie Henderson is remembered as one of the most respected independent team owners in NASCAR. Henderson Motorsports began racing in 1982, competing in the Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series. Under his ownership, the team became well-known for being tough, resourceful and capable of outperforming its level of equipment.
One of the big names to emerge from the motorsports team was Parker Kligerman, who delivered a few memorable wins in the Craftsman Truck Series.
Former NASCAR Cup driver underscored the unyielding support and faith that Charlie Henderson and his family gave him, particularly during tough times in his racing career. He wrote on X:
"Very sad day for this sport and the Henderson family. Charlie, his whole family & this race team have meant so much to me over the last decade...Charlie and his family In some of my tougher moments in my racing career, have always been there to give me a shot and truly believed in me when many others didn’t. And together we have done some incredible things!"
"And It was all led by Charlie, who would always push us to make the cars faster, he’d ask us incessantly, “what do you need to win?” He was so dedicated even when it wasn’t in his best financial interest!"
Parker Kligerman began his NASCAR career as a developmental driver for Team Penske making an early mark in the ARCA Series before moving up to Xfinity Series and Truck Series. He achieved his first major NASCAR victory at Talladega in the 2012 Truck Series and has since accumulated multiple wins, and top-five finishes with Henderson Motorsports.
Parker Kligerman thanked NASCAR legend Charlie Henderson
Parker Kligerman went through a rollercoaster of feelings after what he thought may be the biggest win of his career at the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway.
Driving the No. 75 truck for Henderson Motorsports, Kligerman climbed to the front on the last lap and was declared the winner after a late caution flag. The win was Kligerman's fourth in his career in the Truck Series and his first at Daytona. In a post-race interview, an elated Kligerman thanked his team and Charlie Henderson. He said during post-race interactions:
"Thank you, Don and Charlie Henderson. I wish they were here right now. Scott, we did it finally! Scott Borchetta, thank you for getting us this beautiful truck; Chris Carrier, who makes this whole thing happen. I'm out of breath. I can't believe it."
"I was just making moves. Every move I made felt like it worked. For some reason it really did... God, I love this place. I love racing. I love winning. I'm ready for the next chapter of my life, but this one means a lot. Happy Valentine's Day to all the moms out there as well. Love you, Mom."
However, during the post-race inspection, officials found that Kligerman’s truck did not meet the required ride height, with the rear end sitting too low on both sides. As a result, NASCAR disqualified Kligerman, stripping him of the win and relegating him to last place in the official results.