DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Jeremy Clements is back in contention for the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.
Clements drove his Jeremy Clements Racing Chevrolet to victory at Daytona Int’l Speedway, but was later assessed an L2-level penalty by NASCAR officials.
The No. 51 was found in violation of Sections 14.6.12K&U of the NASCAR Rule Book, which pertains to the intake manifold.
That penalty cost his team 75 owner and driver points and the victory no longer counted toward playoff eligibility. Additionally, crew chief Mark Setzer was initially fined $60,000
But the storyline changed again on Tuesday when the National Motorsports Appeals Panel heard the appeal of the Clements team and rescinded the penalty.
As a result, all of the penalties, were wiped clean and Clements and his team are again eligible for the playoffs.
Clements reacted to the news on Twitter. “Our small, family owned team works hard to bring a safe, legal and competitive car to the race track every week and are pleased that the previous ruling was overturned,” he said. “We remain focused on competing for the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship and appreciate the continued support of our fans and sponsors.”
With the penalty overturned, Clements is locked into the playoffs.
The Appeals Panel members for this hearing were Tom DeLoach, Richard Gore and Dixon Johnston.