It’s been a month since NASCAR had to postpone the 2020 racing season due to the Covid-19 pandemic. While the current plan is to resume competition on May 3, it seems likely that it could be much longer before we once again see cars on the track.
In the meantime, NASCAR has implemented the iRacing Pro Invitational Series to fill the gap. While many of the current drivers are participating, it is, at best, a substitution for the real thing.
This week we caught up with Xfinity Series regular Jeremy Clements to find out how he’s coping during the stay-at-home order that most states have issued.
SM: Are you enjoying the time off or going stir crazy while you wait to get back to racing?
JC: I’m definitely going stir crazy and can’t wait to get back to the track to race.
SM: Are you typically the kind of person who enjoys alone time or do you miss being around people?
JC: I miss being around people and just doing things like going to a restaurant together, a bar, movies, etc. Things that before you took for granted, I guess, now thinking about it.
SM: What’s the one thing you miss most other than racing?
JC: Going out and not worrying about getting too close to people and touching things thinking it has the virus on it.
SM: If for some reason you couldn’t race anymore, what career would you choose and why?
JC: I don’t know really, that’s a tough one. I would say I would be an Uber/Lyft driver or move to a Caribbean island to do excursion tours.
SM: What has been your favorite thing to do while you’re stuck at home?
JC: My favorite thing to do at home is play with our dog Molly. She keeps me entertained most of the time. I’m always chasing her around messing with her and taking her for walks.
SM: What is your least favorite thing to do?
JC: My least favorite thing to do at home is take my wife’s pictures and videos for her social media. Ha Ha, she’ll probably get mad I said that.
SM: Have you started any new projects around the house?
JC: The projects around the house just consist of organizing, cleaning up, and some maintenance. My wife wants to repaint the bathroom since she doesn’t like the colors I’ve picked so I’m sure I’ll be doing that soon.
SM: Have you picked up any new hobbies or gotten back to a hobby you didn’t have time to pursue before?
JC: I haven’t picked up on any new hobbies really. I try and stay active working out, playing basketball, and running. I’ve been catching up on some Xbox too as well as some Netflix series and movies.
SM: I noticed you digitally signed a lot of photos on Twitter and it seemed to be a big hit with the fans. Have you thought of any more new ways to interact with fans until you can get back to the track?
JC: Yeah I did sign a lot of digital photographs for fans. That just kind of happened and was really cool to do. I haven’t really thought of anything else yet but I’ll get on that.
SM: Are you cooking for yourself at home? If so, what’s the one thing you can cook well?
JC: I do a lot of cooking. I really like these healthy homemade banana pancakes I’ve been making. I put blueberries and strawberries in them too. I always have enough for a few days as well. I also love to grill out on my charcoal grill. Anything from steak, ribs, fish, shrimp, chicken, pork. I’m always looking at something else to try. I’ve been looking at pellet grills so I’m probably going to get one of those soon since they seem so much easier to control the temperature and still get that smoky taste.
SM: What’s your favorite music or band to listen to while you’re isolated at home?
JC: I generally listen to hard rock a lot. I like to listen to The Rise Guys which is a local radio show in the morning or catch their podcast if I don’t wake up in time. There’s also one channel on XM I like, which is Octane. I listen to it a lot.
SM: What are you doing to stay active and keep in shape?
JC: Trying to stay in decent shape by lifting some weights, doing a few sets of this workout I found online and running, along with basketball.
SM: Are you participating in iRacing? If so, is it a good substitute for the real thing?
JC: I haven’t gotten to do any iRacing, unfortunately. I have a rig but I need a new PC and going to have to spend some money to get it back going. It’s definitely a good tool to use especially going to road courses to learn the tracks.
SM: What are you doing to keep positive and motivated?
JC: Trying to stay as much positive as can be and just rely on my faith in the good Lord knowing he’s got a plan. We’re in a storm now but it won’t last forever.
SM: What’s the first thing you will do when the quarantine is over?
JC: The first thing I do after quarantine is hopefully get some friends and go to Topgolf to have some fun to celebrate.
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