Clements on crossover drivers: Give us in Xfinity a chance

Jeremy Clements isn't buying the often-told idea that Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers in the Xfinity Series help the competition.

"The problem is they're in top-dollar equipment and it's [said] it's good to race them because it makes you better. Well, half the time they're so much faster it doesn't make me better when they fly right past me," said Clements.

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"So I don't know what I'm learning from that. I say if you're a Cup driver you drive for a non-affiliated Cup team and that would make it way more fair."

The single-car, underfunded team of Jeremey Clements Racing pulled off a playoff-clinching upset win last weekend at Road America. Clements did so driving a car that was originally built in 2008 and had to be repaired from a wreck two weeks earlier.

Clements has never shied away from how difficult it is for his team to compete each weekend. He drives for his family operation, and they buy cars, parts and pieces used from other organizations.

Friday, Clements was asked how he felt about NASCAR further limiting the participation guidelines for Cup drivers in his series next year. Currently, drivers in the Cup Series with more than five years of full-time experience can run 10 Xfinity Series races. Next season that number drops to seven.

Whether Cup drivers should be competing in the Xfinity Series and if there should be any guidelines at all has been a popular topic in recent years. Some argue it hurts the series to see Cup drivers with Cup teams dominate in the lower divisions. Others are quick to point out those teams are doing nothing wrong.

This season was the first time NASCAR got involved with implementing guidelines. With the number of allowed races for Cup Series drivers reduced next year, the argument has resurfaced that it will hurt the Xfinity Series' following and star power.

Once again, Clements isn't convinced. The more opportunities the Xfinity Series drivers have to showcase themselves, the better, he believes.

"I'm not being biased here but if I'm a fan watching the Xfinity Series or the Truck Series, I'm not really wanting to watch a Cup guy dominate," Clements said. "That's just my opinion, though. I think watching the races ... Road America was a spectacular race, even without me winning and all that. I thought the race was good [and] then Iowa when Ryan Preece won.

"We need more stories like that. We need more opportunities for guys like myself instead of top-name drivers in Cup getting the big rides and winning every weekend. That's not that exciting to me.

"I don't blame the Cup guys; I would do it, too. But I'm just saying give us a chance. Who wants to watch that, honestly? I'm glad [NASCAR's] limiting it."