Kligerman Nips Enginger In Exciting ARCA RE/MAX Run At Kentucky

SPARTA, July 19, 2009: Eighteen-year-old Parker Kligerman earned his fourth consecutive ARCA RE/MAX Series victory by upstaging Grant Enfinger during a classic side-by-side last-lap battle in the “Click It or Ticket. Buckle-Up! Kentucky 150” tonight at Kentucky Speedway.

Kligerman claimed the sixth-closest series victory in track history by 0.599 of a second after guiding his No. 77 Cunningham Motorsports Dodge past Enfinger’s No. 83 BeasleyAllen.com Ford on the inside line in Turn 4 as both cars barreled toward the checkered flag.

“I knew he was going to go high. I had to go low, but I kept getting loose at the bottom and I didn't want a repeat of last time here (when I spun out and finished 17th). We went back at it, I saw him go high and I thought he'd drive it in.

“So, the second I went in there I just wanted to force him out. I decided to get on the throttle regardless of where he'd be. I figured we'd either hit or look like heroes. We looked like heroes, so that's good," he said.

The first-year series driver earned much sought after redemption following his May 9 showing here that marks his only finish outside a race top 10 this season. He maintains control of the series championship lead by taking his fifth win, seventh top-five and 10th top-10 finish. He earned those wins in the past six series events.

Enfinger, an accomplished Late Model racer competing in the ARCA RE/MAX Series with a limited budget, led all of but two of the closing 30 laps before being nipped at the finish line. He earned his season-best second-place finish in just his third start.

“I drove it in there (Turn 4) a little bit too hard and heard him get back on the gas. I did everything I could, but ran out tires a little bit. He was unquestionably a lot faster and I think the best car won. It was kind of David and Goliath here, and I think we caught everyone by surprise by staying in front of him as long as we did,” Enfinger said.

Second-place championship contender Justin Lofton placed third in his No. 6 Lofton Cattle-CGS Imaging Toyota and has now earned two straight top-five series finishes at the track. Craig Goess earned a season-best fourth-place finish and Brian Ickler rounded out the top five after placing 21st in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series “Built Ford Tough 225 Presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers” earlier tonight.

Kentucky Speedway plays host to its fourth and final 2009 race weekend featuring IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights action July 31-Aug. 1. Both series open the weekend with Friday practice sessions and qualifying before staging a Saturday doubleheader featuring the IndyCar Series “Meijer Indy 300 Presented by Red Baron and Edy’s” and Firestone Indy Lights “Kentucky Indy Lights 100” along with modern rock group Carolina Liar in concert.

Weekend tickets, new infield camping and more Big Deals can be reserved by visiting the tickets pages of http://www.kentuckyspeedway.com, by phone at 888-652-RACE (7223) or through the Kentucky Speedway ticket offices at 400 Buttermilk Pike, Suite 100, in Ft. Mitchell, Ky., or the Sparta, Ky., Fan Center off of Interstate 71 Exit 57 and Ky. Hwy. 35 North. Fans also can reserve tickets at Meijer stores and Tickets.com outlets.