Brandon Clements is the winningest driver in Carteret County Speedway, but all those wins have come in the Mini-Stock division. This weekend, he is looking to add to his win total as he makes the jump to Late Models.
Clements, 27, from Swansboro, is not new to Late Model racing. He has previously raced in Limited Late Models and has wins at Coastal Plains Raceway in Jacksonville and Southern National Motorsports Park in Lucama. This will be his first race in a Late Model since 2013. Despite the absence from the Late Model scene, Clements, teamed up with Wendell Davis, is confident he can win on Saturday night.
“I feel like we have a car we can go out and win with,” Clements said. “Wendell Davis is helping us out. He’s got us a good car, so I feel like we can win. That’s the plan.”
Because of his previous experience racing in a Limited Late Model, the adjustment from the Mini-Stock to the Late Model was not a big one for Clements.
“I thought it was going to be a bigger learning curve to get back in a late model,” Clements remarked. “We jumped in it yesterday, got up to speed and it felt like I never really got out of it. I tested in Chris Burns’ car some but it’s been since 2013 since I raced weekly in late models.”
Clements also feels his experience at Carteret County Speedway will be an advantage. Clements has raced in just about every race ever held at the 4/10-mile track in Swansboro and has more wins than any other driver.
“I think that plays to our advantage,” Clements explained. “The difference between the cars, a racecar is a race car, but with a crate motor, you’ve got to keep the momentum up and I think it will help us be a little bit better.”
Clements will make his first Late Model start at Carteret County Speedway on Saturday night. He comes to Carteret fresh off a win at Coastal Plains Raceway last Friday. Clements is supported by Smith Custom Homes, Braswell Carpet Cleaning, Viking Turbine Services, Animed Animal Hospital and Left Turn Designs.
