Kenny Wallace spent ample time racing in the NASCAR Cup Series through the years; however, it was the Nationwide (now called the O’Reilly Auto Parts) Series that got him the recognition he deserved. Apart from his race wins and impressive results, he had a whopping 547 race starts, a record that no one managed to break… until now. As Jeremy Clements prepares to run his record-matching race at Pocono, he sends Wallace a subtle message, pinpointing exactly why he will break the decade-old record.

“I’m 41 now, so Kenny was 51. And so, I hope I still—I mean, I know I can still go a long time,” he told the media at Pocono Raceway. “So, I hope I can just make it so it’s unbreakable. Clements has had incredible longevity racing in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. In fact, he never even stepped up to the truck or the Cup Series, not even for a part-time run. He debuted in the 2003 season and had quite a few runs with different teams, but he has been dedicated to his own team, Jeremy Clements Racing, since 2010. Running full-time ever since.

The record that Kenny Wallace set with his final O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race back in 2015 was largely considered unbreakable, simply because 547 races is far too much. Most of the drivers who even crossed the 500 mark are retired, and others, after gaining such massive experience, usually find their way into the Cup Series. However, this was not the case for Clements. Apart from not having enough funding, he was far more dedicated to running for his own team in the series; he also managed to win two races over the years.

“I’d say it’s incredible. And it just shows that even though we’re a small team, we work hard, and we’re determined, and we don’t give up. So, to still be racing and loving what I get to do every week, it sure is a blessing.”

He turned 41 earlier this year and is now preparing to run his record-matching race at the Pocono Raceway with no plans to retire anytime soon. Moreover, he is 10 years younger than Kenny Wallace was when he set the record, so understandably, he has multiple advantages over the NASCAR veteran. Still running full-time, Clements would most certainly manage to break that record and keep extending it for a few years, as his plans sound so far.

But all of those years ago, when Clements made his way to the Nationwide Series for a full-time run, he had a massive realization, and although it was a bit unsettling at the time, he has made peace with the situation.

Jeremy Clements reflects on moving to NASCAR

Understandably, after spending such a long time racing in the series, Jeremy Clements has been through many generations of drivers. And although he has won only two races in all these years, he used to be quite a competitive driver in the junior series, Late Models, etc.

Even when he raced the ARCA Series, he was quite competitive with regular top-five finishes and a race win as well. However, the level of competition in NASCAR’s national series can change massively, and this was something that Clements realized soon enough after his debut.

“I won everything until I got in the series, and then I got my a– put in place,” he said (via NASCAR). “I don’t want to be good at losing, but I have learned to accept it a little easier. I don’t let it ruin my life. Man, you’ve got to shake that off. There’s another race. What keeps me driving is knowing I can do it, and if I’m placed in the right opportunity, I can definitely get the job done.”

As of now, Clements is focused far more on longevity. Understandably, his team is not in a position to win any races, and the next best he can achieve is breaking Kenny Wallace’s long-standing record, which he seems quite strongly aimed at.