Clements appealing Daytona Xfinity penalty

Jeremy Clements Racing is appealing the L2-level penalty dished out by NASCAR on Tuesday that stripped the team's playoff eligibility attached to his Xfinity Series win at Daytona International Speedway.

Jeremy Clements posted a statement on Twitter announcing his team's appeal while also saying the intake manifold violation was not a performance advantage. NASCAR penalized the No. 51 team after the race-winning engine was inspected at the R&D Center per the rules. The penalty also included docking the team 75 driver and owner points in addition to a $60,000 fine for crew chief Mark Setzer.

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“In response to the penalty NASCAR announced yesterday, we have filed a notice of appeal. During NASCAR’s tear-down process of our Daytona engine, our intake manifold was found to be too short from the carburetor face to the bottom of the plenum. This deviation restricts power to the motor, eliminating any positive impact to the motor’s performance.

“We are appreciative of NASCAR thorough inspection process and look forward to the opportunity to have our voice heard. We appreciate the continued support of our fans and partners as we allow the process to play out.”

Daytona was the second career win for Clements. Pending the appeal, he would have to win one of the three remaining races in the Xfinity Series regular season to qualify for the playoffs, which begin on Sept. 24 at Texas Motor Speedway.