Jeremy Clements Racing Overview
Jeremy Clements Racing, formerly known as Jeremy Clements Motorsports, is an American professional stock car racing team that competes full-time in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. The team fields the No. 51 Chevrolet Camaro SS, with driver and co-owner Jeremy Clements behind the wheel for the majority of its events. Owned jointly by Jeremy Clements and his father, Tony Clements, the organization has built its identity around consistency, longevity, and the steady development of a single-car operation. Over more than 500 series starts, the team has secured two race victories, both of which stand as landmark moments in the program’s history.
Based in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Jeremy Clements Racing has long been recognized as one of the most resilient independent teams in the NASCAR national ranks. The team maintains a technical alliance with Haas Factory Team, a partnership that provides engineering and technical support. The organization carries the Chevrolet banner in the manufacturer ranks and has aligned its identity with the No. 51 car, a number that has become closely associated with the Clements family across multiple racing series.
Founding and Organizational Origins
The roots of Jeremy Clements Racing stretch back to 2008, when Jeremy Clements made his initial attempts to qualify for NASCAR Xfinity Series events. That debut year included a missed attempt at the Dollar General 300 before the team successfully qualified for the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 at Gateway, where Clements finished twenty-second in the No. 50 car. Those early efforts were organized under the Jeremy Clements Motorsports banner and laid the foundation for what would eventually become a longer-term professional program.
The organization was formally established as Jeremy Clements Racing in 2010, marking a deliberate step into a more structured team environment. The founding brought the Clements family together in a formal ownership arrangement, with Jeremy Clements serving as the driver and Tony Clements contributing as co-owner. The team’s shop, operational base, and personnel structure were built around the goal of running a consistent, single-car effort while gradually improving equipment and race-day execution.
Growth Into NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Competition
From 2010 through 2012, the team operated in collaboration with JD Motorsports, with Clements running select events in the No. 04 while still learning the rhythm of the national series. That partnership allowed the young operation to gain valuable track time and refine its approach. In 2011, Jeremy Clements Racing transitioned to running its own No. 51 entry full-time, a move that represented the team’s first true commitment to a complete schedule.
The 2012 season also introduced a brief operational wrinkle when the team fielded the No. 4 entry for select races, including the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 and the Lilly Diabetes 250, with Ty Dillon driving for Richard Childress Racing in the 51’s place. By 2013, the program had settled into a clear identity, anchored by the No. 51 and supported by a small but dedicated crew. Key hires and steady sponsorship helped the team build credibility within the garage area and prepare for the next stage of competitive growth.
Jeremy Clements Racing Competitive Journey
Jeremy Clements Racing’s path through the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series reflects the steady progression of a small, family-owned operation competing against larger, well-funded organizations. From early struggles to qualify to consistent top-fifteen points finishes and breakthrough victories, the team’s journey has been defined by gradual improvement, strategic alliances, and a commitment to finishing races.
Early Seasons and Development (2008-2015)
During its earliest years, Jeremy Clements Racing focused on simply making races and learning the demands of the Xfinity Series. In 2008, the team debuted at Gateway and finished twenty-second, then expanded its made races in 2009 with six starts and a best finish of sixteenth at the same venue. These modest results set the stage for the team’s gradual evolution from a start-and-park operation into a more competitive single-car effort.
From 2011 onward, the team began to find rhythm in the No. 51, logging three top-fifteens and a top-fifteen points finish. The 2012 season brought two top-tens and five top-fifteens, while 2013 saw Clements miss two races yet still post two top-tens. Between 2014 and 2015, the team added three more top-tens, including a near top-five at Elkhart Lake in 2014, and matched its best points finish of fourteenth. By this point, the No. 51 had become recognized for its consistency in both race results and season standings.
Breakthrough in the Xfinity Series (2016-2020)
The 2016 season marked the team’s first real breakthrough, as Clements finished fifteenth in points during the inaugural Xfinity Series Chase and posted the team’s first top-five finish, a fourth at the spring Talladega race. The momentum carried into 2017, when Clements won the Johnsonville 180 at Road America on August 27, 2017. The victory came after contact with Matt Tifft heading toward the white flag and locked the No. 51 into the first round of the 2017 Xfinity Series Chase. Although Clements finished last in the Round of 12, the win represented the first victory for the driver, the team, and the 51 car, cementing its place in series history.
In 2018, the team returned to its consistent form with two more top-tens, including an eighth at Richmond, and another top-fifteen points finish. Before the 2019 season, Jeremy Clements Racing purchased chassis from the shuttered Chip Ganassi Racing Xfinity Series program, a move that helped elevate performance. That year delivered one top-five and four top-tens, capped by a sixth at the fall Kansas race. The 2020 season brought both challenges and highlights, including a $10,000 fine for violating NASCAR’s COVID-19 protocols, which was upheld on appeal, the end of a ten-year partnership with RepairableVehicles.com, and a strong run that included a season-best third at Pocono, the best No. 51 finish since the 2017 win.
Breakthrough in the Modern Era (2021-2025)
The 2021 season produced one of the hottest starts of Clements’s career, with three top-tens in the first eight races and a 99.8 percent lap completion rate. That performance helped the team secure First Pacific Funding as a sponsor for the remainder of the year. In 2022, Clements scored his second career victory at the Daytona night race. Although NASCAR initially issued an L2 penalty after post-race inspection discovered an illegally modified intake manifold, the punishment was later rescinded on appeal, restoring Clements’s playoff eligibility. Crew chief Mark Setzer was later suspended for one race and fined $25,000 after the Las Vegas race for a separate composite body modification violation.
The 2023 season was quieter, with seven top-fifteens but no top-ten finishes. The 2024 campaign followed a similar pattern, with one top-ten, a sixth at Atlanta. Clements opened the 2025 season with a ninth at Daytona and made his 500th Xfinity Series start at Circuit of the Americas, becoming just the fourth driver to reach that milestone. The team ended the 2025 season with four top-ten finishes, continuing its long tradition of consistency.
Modern Program and Current Direction (2019-Present)
Under the continued ownership of Jeremy and Tony Clements, the team has leaned on its technical alliance with Haas Factory Team to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving series. Investments in newer chassis, refined engineering, and stable sponsorship have allowed the No. 51 to remain a regular presence in the field. Shop infrastructure in Spartanburg, South Carolina, has supported the team’s day-to-day operations as it fields the Chevrolet Camaro SS.
The current program emphasizes finishing races, maximizing stage points, and targeting top-fifteen to top-ten results each week. The team’s competitive strengths lie in road course and intermediate track performance, where strategic pit work and consistent driving have produced several of its best finishes. Long-term goals center on building toward another playoff run while continuing to grow sponsorship and maintain the independent, family-owned character that has defined the team for more than a decade.
Philosophy and Competitive Strengths
Jeremy Clements Racing’s core identity is built on consistency, mechanical reliability, and disciplined race strategy. The team excels in races where attrition and smart pit calls shape the outcome, often capitalizing on late-race restarts and fuel strategy. Its strength on road courses and intermediates, combined with Clements’s veteran experience, allows the small operation to regularly outperform better-funded competitors.
Key Milestones and Major Moments
The team’s most significant milestones include its 2008 series debut at Gateway, the first top-five finish at Talladega in 2016, and the landmark first victory at Road America in 2017. The 2019 acquisition of Chip Ganassi Racing chassis elevated the program, while the 2022 Daytona win, later upheld on appeal, marked the team’s second trip to victory lane. Reaching 500 starts in 2025 underscored the longevity of both the driver and the organization.
Jeremy Clements Racing Achievements and Results
Across more than 500 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts, Jeremy Clements Racing has compiled two race victories, numerous top-ten finishes, and a reputation for consistency. While the team has yet to capture a drivers’ or owners’ championship, its win total and longevity place it among the most productive single-car independent operations in the modern era of the series.
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Achievements
Jeremy Clements Racing has recorded two victories in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, the first coming at Road America in 2017 and the second at Daytona in 2022. Both wins were major highlights in an otherwise top-fifteen-focused program. The team has also posted dozens of top-ten finishes, including multiple top-fives, and has regularly placed inside the top fifteen in final championship standings. Crown-jewel performances include a fourth at Talladega in 2016, a third at Pocono in 2020, and a sixth at Atlanta in 2024, each demonstrating the team’s ability to compete on variety of track types.
Conference Achievements
Within the structure of the Xfinity Series standings, Jeremy Clements Racing has consistently performed in the middle tier of the field, frequently finishing between twelfth and sixteenth in points. The team has not captured a conference-level title, but its repeated top-fifteen points finishes reflect sustained competitiveness. Standout seasons, including 2017 and 2022, saw the team punch above its weight and earn playoff eligibility through race wins rather than points position alone.
Divisional Achievements
At the divisional level, the team has built its reputation on regular-season consistency, with multiple top-fifteen points finishes. Although no divisional championship has been secured, the development of Jeremy Clements as a veteran driver with more than 500 starts is itself a major achievement for a small, family-owned operation. Seasons such as 2014, 2017, and 2022 represent the team’s strongest divisional performances to date.
Series Achievements
Across the broader NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Jeremy Clements Racing is recognized for its longevity, its two race victories, and its role as a proving ground for independent teams. The program has contributed to the development of drivers including Ryan Sieg, who made his first two Xfinity Series starts in the No. 51 in 2013. With 521 races competed through the 2026 season, the team remains one of the most established single-car efforts in the national series.
