Clements hopes for big year in Nationwide Series
By Eric Boynton
It can seem as though Jeremy Clements has been around the racing scene forever, about the same length of time he feels like he’s been waiting for his big break.
Although the 2003 Dorman graduate turned only 26 last month, at 18 he was one of the youngest ever to qualify for a Nationwide Series race and has been around long enough to learn the unfortunate side of big-time racing: It takes more than bountiful talent and charisma to make it to the top. It also takes a lot of money, something the Jeremy Clements Racing Team doesn’t yet have in abundance as he continues to strive for the type of breakthrough season that could catch the eye of some deep-pocketed sponsors.
“It’s very frustrating and I use the analogy all the time about if you’re good enough in sports like basketball and football you’re going to get to the top,” Clements said. “But in racing there is a lot of economics and you’ve got to be able to get a big sponsor. You’ve got to have a lot of money to buy your ride.
“It’s disheartening, but at the same time I’ll just keep going out there like I’ve been doing and keep getting experience and do as good as I can with what I’ve got. And I feel like for a small team we’re doing pretty good. We’re putting what money we do have to as good a use as we can and if I ever get the shot I feel I deserve I’ll be ready for it.”
Clements ran 16 races last year. He had a career-best 10th-place finish at the 5-Hour Energy 250 at Gateway outside St. Louis, where his six led laps were a career first. He has the chance for bigger and better things this season despite losing his main sponsor.
Toward the end of last year he hooked up with www.racedaysponsor.com, a company that tries to locate sponsors for a limited number of drivers. In addition to the ongoing quest to find him backing, racedaysponsor.com has agreed to become Clements’ primary sponsor and he’s currently scheduled to run 30 of 34 Nationwide races.
That will include driving the Car of Tomorrow, which Clements describes as “totally different cars. They’re a lot bigger, weigh a little more and are top heavy. They drive like a truck would drive. They’re not as quick as the other cars and can feel like you’re driving a tank. It’s a different world and there will be a learning curve for everybody.”
Clements will sport a new look and new number this season, driving the No. 51 Chevrolet Impala with a black and flourescent red color scheme.
“I’m excited because 51 is the number I pretty much raced all my life and we were finally able to get it,” Clements said. “The car looks really good, it’s bright and will be able to be seen, that’s for sure.”
He didn’t require any gaudy colors to convince racedaysponsor.com president Tim Viens to want to become more involved with the Clements team.
“The kid is definitely young and talented and I think he could be a top-10 driver this year,” said Viens, who first met Clements and his family at the track around the midway point of last season. “The thing about NASCAR, you’ve got to be able to afford a pit crew and have extra sets of tires and a strong motor to perform. Things like that are key components to the sport.
“I think the biggest thing Jeremy has struggled with is the finances. I foresee if I give him the (proper) type of sponsorship he’ll be able to go out and perform and be a top team.”
That’s something Clements has dreamed about since he started racing go-karts around age 7 before moving on to the Late Model and ARCA series. He even missed his high school graduation to finish third in a 100-lap event at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
Even with his experience he doesn’t quite yet consider himself a grizzled vet. But he has gained the wisdom and confidence required to compete at the highest level.
“I feel comfortable going to all the tracks and racing with these guys,” Clements said. “It’s a good feeling to have and it’s really something I’ve had for the past few years now. I know I can get it done and I truly believe in myself. Before, when you’re going to tracks for the first time everything is tough, but once you get that experience under your belt and the other drivers trust you, there’s a mutual respect.”
Clements has gained the tools needed to be successful. Now all he’s searching for is putting it all together to have the type of season that will bring the one thing he’s lacking — the money to provide the intangibles he sorely requires to get to where he wants to go.
“We’ve run good at a lot of different tracks, and honestly what we need to get to that next level and run better is more funding,” Clements said. “It’s definitely held me back even as I’m proud of what we did last year. We’re just going to stay out there doing the best we can and hopefully we’ll be able to get a better ride.
“I go back to when I was 18 to 20 and I definitely thought by age 25 or 26 I’d be in the Cup races. But it’s definitely been an eye-opening experience dealing with the money and sponsors. It’s a tough game. It’s not just going out there and driving, you have to do it all. But I’m still working at it and will never give up. I’ve raced all my life, it’s my passion, and I don’t know what else I would do.”
