{"id":49688,"date":"2025-02-15T21:07:00","date_gmt":"2025-02-16T03:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/?p=49688"},"modified":"2025-02-15T21:07:28","modified_gmt":"2025-02-16T03:07:28","slug":"jesse-love-wins-xfinity-series-season-opener-at-daytona","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/15\/jesse-love-wins-xfinity-series-season-opener-at-daytona\/","title":{"rendered":"Jesse Love wins Xfinity Series season-opener at Daytona"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Jesse Love, driver of the #2 Whelen Chevrolet celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway on February 15, 2025 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service<\/em><\/p>\n

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. \u2013 In a typically wild finish at Daytona International Speedway, Jesse Love won the United Rentals 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series season-opener in overtime \u2013 taking the white flag moments before a massive multi-car accident behind him brought out a caution officially ending the race.<\/p>\n

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Jesse Love, driver of the #2 Whelen Chevrolet takes the checkered flag under caution to win the NASCAR Xfinity Series United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway on February 15, 2025 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

An out-of-breath Love emerged from his No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet\u2019s roof hatch on the Daytona International Speedway infield grass to the cheers of his team celebrating the 20-year old Californian\u2019s second career win.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo many people have helped me get to this point,” said Love, who led three times for 30 laps on the evening.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot sure what happened to the 21 (his teammate Austin Hill) tonight, but he was really dominant tonight,” Love continued. \u201cWe\u2019re working on changing our culture here at RCR. We\u2019re winners, we know we are and we really want to win a championship for Richard Childress. I\u2019m ready to go to [the next race at] Atlanta now.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Jesse Love, driver of the #2 Whelen Chevrolet celebrates after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway on February 15, 2025 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Love put his Chevrolet out front on the final three re-starts, exchanging the point briefly with Haas Factory Team\u2019s Sheldon Creed before taking the position for good with 18 laps remaining and ultimately holding off the Haas drivers Sam Mayer and Creed. Rookies Carson Kvapil and Taylor Gray were just behind rounding out the top-five.<\/p>\n

As Love indicated, for most of the early race, it looked as if his teammate, three-time defending race winner Hill was going to turn in an incredible fourth straight win in the season-opener. He won both Stage 1 and 2 and led 56 of the opening 82 laps \u2013 the most laps out front on the night. Together Love and Hill led all but 40 of the race\u2019s 126 laps.<\/p>\n

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Jesse Love, driver of the #2 Whelen Chevrolet celebrates after winning the NASCAR Xfinity Series United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway on February 15, 2025 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Hill\u2019s No. 21 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, however, had engine issues shortly after the second stage break \u2013 Hill reporting smoke inside his cockpit and other drivers saying his car was leaking fluid out the back.<\/p>\n

Although Hill stayed out front, he pit with a handful of other Chevrolets on Lap 80 and when the RCR team checked under the hood, it was apparent the issue was terminal.<\/p>\n

The team declared the car done, reiterating to their driver it wasn\u2019t \u201cfor lack of effort\u201d on the night.<\/p>\n

\u201cSuch a bummer, we had such a fast Chevrolet,” Hill said after parking his car in the garage. \u201cEverybody at RCR and ECR did a great job building this race car. We showed we were the dominant team again getting the stage wins there. I just wish that we could have lost this race on our terms, not from a mechanical failure.<\/p>\n

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Jesse Love, driver of the #2 Whelen Chevrolet leads Connor Zilisch, driver of the #88 WeatherTech Chevrolet and Sheldon Creed, driver of the #00 Friends of Jaclyn Ford during the NASCAR Xfinity Series United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway on February 15, 2025 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Meg Oliphant\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cI\u2019d almost rather get turned on the backstretch on the white flag lap and end up on my lid than have it end like this. This one is going to sting a little bit, but we have Atlanta next week and I feel like we\u2019re going to be good all year long in 2025. I feel really good about this team.”<\/p>\n

The two rookies who finished inside the top-five were indicative of a strong showing for the large first-year class. Several were eliminated while running inside the top-10 on track \u2013 from Daniel Dye in the race\u2019s opening accident to highly-touted series newcomers Connor Zilisch, William Sawalich and Christian Eckes who were all collected in an accident with three laps remaining in regulation \u2013 all running in the top-10 at the time.<\/p>\n

Last summer\u2019s NASCAR Cup Series Daytona race winner Harrison Burton finished sixth in his return to fulltime NASCAR Xfinity Series racing. Jordan Anderson, Dean Thompson, Jeremy Clements and Patrick Emerling rounded out the top-10 in a race that saw 11 different leaders and 24 lead change on the 2.5-mile Daytona high banks.<\/p>\n

Clements set the Xfinity Fastest Lap of the race earning a bonus point. Creed takes a nine-point lead over Love atop the early championship standings.<\/p>\n

The NASCAR Xfinity Series returns to competition next Saturday on the Atlanta Motor Speedway high-banks (5 p.m. ET on CW, PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). The Georgia-native Hill swept both Atlanta races last year.<\/p>\n

Interview:<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

NXS Race Winner Jesse Love (No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet) –<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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NASCAR Xfinity Series Race – United Rentals 300<\/b><\/p>\n

Daytona International Speedway<\/b><\/p>\n

Daytona Beach, Florida<\/b><\/p>\n

Saturday, February 15, 2025<\/b><\/p>\n

                1. (9)  Jesse Love, Chevrolet, 126.<\/p>\n

                2. (8)  Sam Mayer, Ford, 126.<\/p>\n

                3. (6)  Sheldon Creed, Ford, 126.<\/p>\n

                4. (10)  Carson Kvapil #, Chevrolet, 126.<\/p>\n

                5. (2)  Taylor Gray #, Toyota, 126.<\/p>\n

                6. (32)  Harrison Burton, Ford, 126.<\/p>\n

                7. (38)  Jordan Anderson, Chevrolet, 126.<\/p>\n

                8. (19)  Dean Thompson #, Toyota, 126.<\/p>\n

                9. (25)  Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 126.<\/p>\n

                10. (35)  Patrick Emerling, Chevrolet, 126.<\/p>\n

                11. (30)  Matt DiBenedetto, Chevrolet, 126.<\/p>\n

                12. (3)  Christian Eckes #, Chevrolet, 126.<\/p>\n

                13. (36)  Caesar Bacarella, Chevrolet, 126.<\/p>\n

                14. (29)  Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, 126.<\/p>\n

                15. (37)  Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 126.<\/p>\n

                16. (22)  Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 126.<\/p>\n

                17. (33)  Ryan Truex, Toyota, 126.<\/p>\n

                18. (1)  Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 126.<\/p>\n

                19. (14)  Ryan Sieg, Ford, Accident, 125.<\/p>\n

                20. (21)  Josh Williams, Chevrolet, Accident, 125.<\/p>\n

                21. (34)  Leland Honeyman, Chevrolet, Accident, 125.<\/p>\n

                22. (27)  Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, Accident, 125.<\/p>\n

                23. (24)  Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 125.<\/p>\n

                24. (13)  Sammy Smith, Chevrolet, 125.<\/p>\n

                25. (15)  Justin Bonsignore, Toyota, 123.<\/p>\n

                26. (16)  Greg Van Alst, Chevrolet, Accident, 120.<\/p>\n

                27. (20)  Connor Zilisch #, Chevrolet, Accident, 118.<\/p>\n

                28. (5)  William Sawalich #, Toyota, Accident, 118.<\/p>\n

                29. (28)  Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, Accident, 118.<\/p>\n

                30. (18)  Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 105.<\/p>\n

                31. (31)  Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, Electrical, 95.<\/p>\n

                32. (17)  Kris Wright, Chevrolet, Accident, 86.<\/p>\n

                33. (4)  Austin Hill, Chevrolet, Rear End, 82.<\/p>\n

                34. (26)  Blaine Perkins, Chevrolet, Power Steering, 79.<\/p>\n

                35. (11)  Nick Sanchez #, Chevrolet, Accident, 59.<\/p>\n

                36. (23)  Kyle Sieg, Ford, Rear End, 22.<\/p>\n

                37. (7)  Brandon Jones, Toyota, Accident, 5.<\/p>\n

                38. (12)  Daniel Dye #, Chevrolet, Accident, 5.<\/p>\n

Average Speed of Race Winner:  123.301 mph.<\/p>\n

Time of Race:  2 Hrs, 33 Mins, 17 Secs. Margin of Victory:  Under Caution<\/p>\n

Caution Flags:  8 for 39 laps.<\/p>\n

Lead Changes:  24 among 11 drivers.<\/p>\n

Lap Leaders:   J. Allgaier 1-2;T. Gray # 3;J. Allgaier 4-5;A. Hill 6-10;J. Allgaier 11;A. Hill 12-32;J. Allgaier 33-37;H. Burton 38;J. Allgaier 39;S. Smith 40;J. Burton 41-44;A. Hill 45-67;S. Creed 68-69;R. Sieg 70;A. Hill 71-75;R. Sieg 76-77;A. Hill 78-79;R. Sieg 80-86;C. Bacarella 87-90;S. Creed 91-94;J. Love 95-102;S. Creed 103;J. Love 104-107;C. Zilisch # 108;J. Love 109-126.<\/p>\n

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Austin Hill 5 times for 56 laps; Jesse Love 3 times for 30 laps; Justin Allgaier 5 times for 11 laps; Ryan Sieg 3 times for 10 laps; Sheldon Creed 3 times for 7 laps; Caesar Bacarella 1 time for 4 laps; Jeb Burton 1 time for 4 laps; Taylor Gray # 1 time for 1 lap; Sammy Smith 1 time for 1 lap; Connor Zilisch # 1 time for 1 lap; Harrison Burton 1 time for 1 lap.<\/p>\n

Stage #1 Top Ten: 21,00,48,27,42,70,7,26,2,54<\/p>\n

Stage #2 Top Ten: 21,39,00,7,26,27,54,18,42,25<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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