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“It’s amazing when you put the throttle down and it sets you back in the seat,” Auto City’s 2008 Modifieds Champion, Nick Clemens, said. “Some days it’s 90 degrees and you’re wearing two to three thick layers of fireproof suit. But when you get that green flag, you just forget about all that. It’s just you and the car. You don’t think. You just drive. It’s such a rush.”

Clemens started out riding in the back of an old Ford SuperCab listening to his Dad and Sam Fauer on the way to Crystal and I-96.

“Sam’s son, A.J., and I were about the same age,” Nick said. “We’d put the back seat down, munch on Combo’s and Dew, and listen to Dad and Sam talk strategy for the race we were headed to.”

“When I was eight years old, Dad was back and forth between starting me in Jr. Dragsters or Quarter Midgets. In the end, quarter midgets won out. Dad thought we could do more with the circle track and it was a little less expensive.”

Clemens raced Quarter midgets for nine years before moving over to Thunder Trucks and then to Modifieds in 2003.

“I’ve driven other stuff,” Nick said. “Trucks, Late Models and Street Stocks. But I grew up around the Mods. They’re less expensive to run than Late Models, too. In a modified, you get all the horse power of a Super Late Model with less weight and half the tire. You have to get up on the wheel and drive it!”

Racing is like an intricate puzzle to Clemens. An addicting, can’t put it down, have to know more kind of puzzle.

“I love building the engines and setting up the car as much as I love driving it,” Nick said. “All of it is so competitive. The more you learn about it, the more you want to know. You’re always looking for that ‘magic set-up’, always wanting to be the best and beat the best.”

Nick does all the set-up and maintenance on his own car, but he also has a great team helping him all year long. His dad is the Crew Chief, assembles the engines and does all the drive train work. Ricky Bryant does engine work. Ben Wildfong works on the pit crew. And Nick’s girlfriend, Alison Harrington, does all the graphics for the car, keeps qualifying times on race day, takes care of the tires and T-shirts for the team.

In all his spare time, Nick has been attending the University of Michigan-Flint. He graduated in December of 2008 and is now tutoring at his alma mater, Mt. Morris Sr. High, while searching for a full-time Social Studies teaching position.

“My students are fascinated by my racing,” Nick said. “Auto City is part of the community around Mt. Morris Sr. High. So, the students are familiar with it. When they find out that I drive at Auto City, it helps me build a good rapport with them, it puts us on a common ground.”

Clemens races for the driving, the speed, the competition, the challenge of building and set-up, the camaraderie on the track and the roaring crowd.

“You always want to make the show exciting for the fans,” Nick said. “They paid good money to see a good show, and I want to give it to them. They’re the reason you do it. There is nothing like getting out of your car and seeing the crowd on their feet cheering for you.”