Jeremy Clements takes blame for Road America incident

Coming to the white flag: 1st and 2nd spin in battle for the win at Road America

It took 256 starts but Jeremy Clements is finally in victory lane. Clements took the win today with a spin and a win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series event at Road America.

He found himself in a last lap battle with Matt Tifft at Road America. Contact was made, both cars spun. Clements got going again and took the win anyway. Tifft got moving as well, he finished 2nd.

Related: Road America results

When NASCAR goes road course racing it’s always a show. Add fenders and road courses become short tracks. It was such a great show but there’s usually some hurt feelings and short sticks involved.

Now, both drivers have seen the replay. What’s their take on the incident?

Jeremy Clements takes blame for Road America incident
ELKHART LAKE, WI – AUGUST 27: Jeremy Clements, driver of the #51 Repairable Vehicles.com Chevrolet, celebrates with his pit crew in victory lane after winning the NASCAR XFINITY Series Johnsonville 180 at Road America on August 27, 2017 in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Jeremy Clements

The winner speaks from victory lane, “I don’t even know what to say. I’m just shocked. I mean, this is a car built in 2008. Everything we got is old and used. I just can’t believe it.”

“It’s like… Is this real? It’s pretty neat to win at Road America. It’s one of my favorite road courses.”

Clements takes blame, “I wanna say sorry to Matt Tifft. I definitely didn’t mean to spin him out there. I got in there hot and he just kinda came down, I was there. We collided.”

“I was really beating a lot of people right there. I could really get into the last corner a lot deeper.”

Clements is then shown the replay. He updates his story and his apology. He takes full blame.

“Yeah, that’s my fault. That was definitely not his fault. Now, watching the replay, I got in there and got loose under him, trying to keep off of him.”

“I’m very sorry to Matt. I didn’t mean to wreck him but I definitely had the better car. Hats off to those guys. I mean that’s the Gibbs team. That’s the best of the best. To be faster than them at the end was pretty dang cool.

Jeremy Clements Racing
Jeremy Clements Racing

A small team is in the playoff’s. How does that feel?

Clements, “Oh my gosh. It’s crazy! I mean, we’re spending, our budget is a fraction of a big team. This is just a dream come true. I wanna drive for a big team but it just hasn’t been the way it’s gone. I try to keep doing this, to keep my name out here and get as much experience as I can. In case I ever do get the call.”

“Hey, all you big team guys… Look at me. Let’s go.”

“I hope everybody enjoyed the show!”

Related: Bristol Mid-Race fight

Matt Tifft vs Jeremy Clements at Road America
Matt Tifft at Road America

Matt Tifft

The runner up finisher was composed. Tifft, “Obviously, no matter what, it’s tough.”

“He got a little bit free underneath me. I wish we could have raced it out until the last lap.”

“We were really struggling on old tires. I don’t know if he had newer tires there. We were struggling in some of the braking zones, just getting some wheel hoping stuff.”

‘It’s tough to get that close. We’ll keep knocking on the door. That’s all we can do.”

Road America Video Highlights
August 27, 2017
NASCAR Xfinity Series

Links

Jeremy Clements
Website | Facebook

Matt Tifft
Website | Facebook

Road America
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NASCAR
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