ELKHART LAKE, Wis. – Figuratively speaking you would think a restrictor plate race would offer the prime opportunity for an underfunded NASCAR XFINITY Series to pull off the upset and score a victory.
But for XFINITY Series veteran Jeremy Clements and his family-owned Jeremy Clements Racing team, they think Saturday afternoon’s Road America 180 Fired Up by Johnsonville (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) at Road America (Wisc.) is their best shot to overcome the odds and celebrate in Victory Lane.
“Man, this is our best shot for the rest of the year I think to win,” said Clements. “You kinda get goose bumps jut thinking of the opportunity. It would be a big deal for us.”
But, Clements showed the team isn’t just using words to backup their talk, they’re showing it on the track too.
In Friday’s XFINITY Series first practice session at the 14-turn, 4.048-mile road course, Clements with the help of four spotters quickly found themselves inside the top-10 early. While they ended up 11th quickest overall, Clements was more than satisfied with their effort.
A quick turnaround and some fine-tuning, Clements returned to the track with an even better effort.
Under a steady mist during final XFINITY Series practice, Clements muscled his No. 51 RepairableVehicles.com Chevrolet Camaro to the sixth quickest overall, further adding fuel to their fire that maybe a track where road course savvy drivers typically flex their muscle, a traditional oval racer may surprise them all.
“We had a good day on Friday,” said Clements, who finished sixth in last year’s XFINITY Series race at Road America (Wisc.). “I really like this place. I’m not the best road course racer, but over time I’ve really found the knack. We started off too loose and kept working on it and got it pretty good for the race tomorrow.”
Just past the halfway point of a grueling 15-race consecutive stretch for the XFINITY Series, Clements has fared well during the month of August, which has consisted of two road course races and a stop in Thunder Valley last Friday night at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.
Three straight top-17 finishes, including an 11th at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International dating back to the beginning of the month has kept the Spartanburg, South Carolina native within sight of the top-10 in points.
A spot that would mean a lot to Clements and his father, Tony, who build engines for the team.
“You would be blown away with our budget for the race season,” added Clements. “I would love to think of what our team could do on a bigger budget, but take what we have and make it work. We’re appreciative for the blessings we do have and to finish in the top-10 come the checkered flag at Homestead would be a HUGE deal for us.”
Of course, the 30-year-old former ARCA Racing Series winner knows that a good effort on Saturday come rain or shine will help the team in their cause. Although, he isn’t sure what to expect if
Mother Nature unleashes.
“If it rains on Saturday, I’m not sure how our setup will work,” Clements said with a chuckle. “I don’t mind racing in the rain. It makes things interesting for sure. I’m no master at it, but mixing rain in the battle seemed to pay off for us last year, so I’m keeping that thought close to me.”
It would take the right circumstances, the right sequences and a lot of luck to see Clements pull off a shocker, but this road course racing and sometimes that the unexpected can happen.
And boy what a celebration that would be for Clements and his crew.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
