Jesse Love

Early career

Love began racing at age five. Early in his career, he drove in the Quarter Midgets of America Series, where he won multiple races and championships before turning ten years old. He then went on to win championships in three different divisions of USAC in the same year, becoming the first driver to accomplish that. At the age of thirteen, Love, competing for Naake-Klauer Motorsports, was granted an age waiver to compete in the RPM Pro Late Model Series by Madera Speedway track promoter Kenny Shepherd due to his talent in the 51Fifty Energy Drink Jr. Late Model Series the prior year (in which he won another championship). In 2018, Love drove full-time in the INEX Legend Car Racing Series, winning five of the eight races on the schedule en route to that series' championship. The other series he raced in that year were the BCRA Midget Series and the Hunt Magneto Sprint Car Series, both of whom Love had to apply for an age exception to participate in.^[1] Love drove for Keith Kunz Motorsports in the SRL Southwest Tour, a late model racing series, in 2019.^[2]

ARCA

On January 14, 2020, it was announced that Love would run full-time and for rookie of the year in the ARCA Menards Series West in the No. 19 Toyota for Bill McAnally Racing.^[3] He replaced Hailie Deegan in that car, who left the McAnally team and Toyota's driver development program to join Ford's driver development program, running full-time in the twenty-race ARCA Menards Series for DGR-Crosley.^[4]

After finishing second in the season-opener at Las Vegas Bullring, Love won his first West Series race in the first of the two races in the doubleheader at the Utah Motorsports Campus road course on June 27. It was just his second start in the series.^[5]

In addition, Love and his BMR teammates would compete in the ten races of the twenty-race ARCA Menards Series' Sioux Chief Showdown. He made his debut in the first Showdown race at Phoenix Raceway on March 6. A few weeks earlier, Love and his teammates also made their debut in the ARCA Menards Series East at New Smyrna; Love finished twelfth.

Love finished the 2020 ARCA West season with three wins and nine top-five finishes in eleven races en route to the championship, beating out season-long rival Blaine Perkins. He became the youngest West Series champion at just fifteen years, nine months, and 24 days old.^[6][7]

In 2021, Love returned to BMR for his second season in the West Series, and moved from the No. 19 to the No. 16, replacing Gio Scelzi with the team condensing from four full-time cars to two and the No. 19 car being closed down. He also returned to Venturini Motorsports for a nine-race schedule in the main ARCA Menards Series (including all three combination races with the ARCA Menards Series East) as well as one non-combination race in the East Series (at Dover). In both series, he drove the No. 25.^[8] He earned his first career win of the season at Salem Speedway, outdueling Ty Gibbs in a restart with 46 laps to go.^[9]

On January 3, 2022, it was announced that Love would return to Venturini Motorsports for the majority of the 2022 season, running all of the races where he was eligible.^[10] During the season, he earned eight top fives and twelve top tens. He would also earn his second career ARCA win at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack, leading every lap in a dominating fashion.^[11]

Love would be upgraded to a full-time schedule with Venturini Motorsports in the 2023 season.^[12] That year, Love would have a breakout season, earning ten wins, eighteen top-tens, and seventeen top-fives. He would ultimately claim the 2023 ARCA Menards Series championship one race early at Salem, after simply taking the green flag.^[13]

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series

2025: Xfinity Series champion

Love started the 2025 season with a win at Daytona.^[24] Two months later, he won at Rockingham, but was disqualified after failing post race inspection; as a result, Sammy Smith was declared the winner.^[25] Love stayed consistent throughout the playoffs until he won at Phoenix to claim the Xfinity Series championship.^[26]

NASCAR Cup Series

On March 28, 2025, it was announced that Love would make his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Bristol Motor Speedway for RCR, driving the No. 33 Chevrolet.^[27] Love started 19th and finished 31st five laps down. On April 16, it was announced that Love would drive for Beard Motorsports in the No. 62 at Texas Motor Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.^[28]

Love returned to the No. 33 in 2026, running races at Austin, Talladega, and Charlotte.^[29]

Other racing

Career summary

^† As Love was a guest driver, he was ineligible for championship points.

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

ARCA Menards Series

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

CARS Super Late Model Tour

(key)

ASA STARS National Tour

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led. ** – All laps led.)

Super2 Series results

(key) (Race results only)