{"id":61796,"date":"2026-10-17T22:15:45","date_gmt":"2026-10-18T03:15:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/?p=61796"},"modified":"2026-10-18T10:57:49","modified_gmt":"2026-10-18T15:57:49","slug":"jesse-love-takes-charge-in-nascar-oreilly-chase-with-win-at-phoenix","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/17\/jesse-love-takes-charge-in-nascar-oreilly-chase-with-win-at-phoenix\/","title":{"rendered":"Jesse Love takes charge in NASCAR O\u2019Reilly Chase with win at Phoenix"},"content":{"rendered":"
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AVONDALE, ARIZONA – OCTOBER 17: Jesse Love, driver of the #2 Whelen Chevrolet, poses with the pole award winner $2,00.00 check during qualifying for the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Timberland PRO 200 at Phoenix Raceway on October 17, 2026 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Meg Oliphant\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Reid Spencer <\/b>| <\/b>NASCAR Wire Service<\/b><\/p>\n

AVONDALE, Ariz. \u2014 Last November at Phoenix Raceway, Jesse Love won the NASCAR O\u2019Reilly Series championship.<\/p>\n

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AVONDALE, ARIZONA – OCTOBER 17: Jesse Love, driver of the #2 Whelen Chevrolet, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Timberland PRO 200 at Phoenix Raceway on October 17, 2026 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Graythen\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On Saturday at the same one-mile track, he may have done it again with a victory in the Timberland PRO 200.<\/p>\n

Unlike last year, however, there are three races left in the O\u2019Reilly Series Chase, run under a new nine-race format this season. But with his second win at Phoenix, his second this season and the fifth of his career, Love established himself as the convincing frontrunner for the series title.<\/p>\n

In a race that spelled disaster for former Chase leader Sheldon Creed, Love opened a 36-point lead over second-place Justin Allgaier, who finished third. Fourth-place finisher Corey Day is 39 points behind in third, with Creed falling to fourth in the standings, 59 points back, after finishing 32nd, two laps down.<\/p>\n

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AVONDALE, ARIZONA – OCTOBER 17: Jesse Love, driver of the #2 Whelen Chevrolet, celebrates with a burnout as his crew cheer after winning the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Timberland PRO 200 at Phoenix Raceway on October 17, 2026 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Graythen\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI would say it\u2019s a day we prepared for, not just dreamed of,\u201d Love said after climbing from his car. \u201cI\u2019ve got a great group around me, just preparing me to be in these situations, to be calm, cool and collected.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve learned from a lot of mistakes that allow me to execute at a high-level at a track like this. I\u2019ve been here, it feels like, a million times\u2026 Grateful to the fans for coming out. It\u2019s my favorite race track. I love coming to Arizona\u2014I\u2019m a West Coast kid.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 21-year-old from Clovis, California, swept the first and second stages and led 156 of 200 laps, scoring 75 points for his efforts\u2014one short of the maximum. The statistics, however, don\u2019t tell the story. Over the final 35-lap green-flag run, race runner-up Sam Mayer hounded the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet all the way to the finish line.<\/p>\n

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AVONDALE, ARIZONA – OCTOBER 17: Jesse Love, driver of the #2 Whelen Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Timberland PRO 200 at Phoenix Raceway on October 17, 2026 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Meg Oliphant\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Gaining ground over the final two laps, Mayer got to Love\u2019s bumper off the final corner but finished 0.128 seconds behind the race winner. Mayer\u2019s effort was all the more spectacular, given that his No. 41 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet started the race from the rear of the field after an engine change.<\/p>\n

\u201cHats off to them, man,\u201d Love said. \u201cThe 41 team did a great job coming from the back and making their car better. Honestly, it felt like they were a little better than we were at the end. I was having to just drive a lot over the tire to make any sort of lap time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just grateful to be in a situation to win races. I\u2019ve got a great pit crew who just maul everybody on pit road every week. It makes my job a lot easier. I\u2019m really proud of the whole group.\u201d<\/p>\n

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AVONDALE, ARIZONA – OCTOBER 17: Jesse Love, driver of the #2 Whelen Chevrolet, leads the field to the green flag to start the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Timberland PRO 200 at Phoenix Raceway on October 17, 2026 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Graythen\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mayer, who remained sixth in the Chase standings, 86 points behind Love, knew he had narrowly missed an important opportunity.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood job to him (Love)\u2014he drove a great race,\u201d Mayer said. \u201cWe definitely pressured him the whole time. It came down to making a mistake or not, and he executed really well. Really close\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Hendrick Engine shop brought a really good engine for us\u2014two of them, technically I guess, \u2018cause we blew one up. I haven\u2019t had fun this year like that. That was just a lot of fun. It was just great racing, and hopefully we put on a show for everyone at home.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s some pretty big championship implications if we could have won that one. I\u2019m looking at the numbers right here, and they look pretty ugly for the old 41 and, honestly, the 00 (Creed), too.\u201d<\/p>\n

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AVONDALE, ARIZONA – OCTOBER 17: Justin Allgaier, driver of the #7 Registix Chevrolet, and Jesse Love, driver of the #2 Whelen Chevrolet, lead the field during the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Timberland PRO 200 at Phoenix Raceway on October 17, 2026 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Graythen\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Creed, who entered the race with a two-point Chase lead, finished second to Love in the first stage with no idea what was about to happen to his car. During the caution for the stage break, a \u201ckill switch\u201d malfunction shut off the engine of his Chevrolet, and Creed lost three laps on pit road as his crew tried to get the car to refire.<\/p>\n

It was only through attrition that Creed climbed from 37th to 32nd at the finish.<\/p>\n

Sammy Smith finished fifth, followed by Brandon Jones, who lost a lap early after a move to wet tires during a brief shower in the first stage. Dean Thompson, William Sawalich, Rajah Caruth and Carson Kvapil finished seventh through 10th, respectively.<\/p>\n

Next up for the O\u2019Reilly Series drivers is The Progress Group 250 on Oct. 24 at Talladega Superspeedway (3:30 p.m. ET on CW, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).<\/p>\n

Interview: NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series – Timberland PRO 200 Winner – Jesse Love (No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet) –<\/h3>\n