{"id":60745,"date":"2026-09-12T23:00:25","date_gmt":"2026-09-13T04:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/?p=60745"},"modified":"2026-09-14T17:16:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T22:16:15","slug":"jesse-love-scores-first-nascar-oreilly-series-victory-of-2026-at-world-wide-technology-raceway","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2026\/09\/12\/jesse-love-scores-first-nascar-oreilly-series-victory-of-2026-at-world-wide-technology-raceway\/","title":{"rendered":"Jesse Love scores first NASCAR O\u2019Reilly Series victory of 2026 at World Wide Technology Raceway"},"content":{"rendered":"
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MADISON, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 12: Jesse Love, driver of the #2 Whelen Chevrolet, celebrates after winning the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Nu Way 225 Powered by Bobcat and Sauced by Blues Hog at WWT Raceway on September 12, 2026 in Madison, Illinois. (Photo by Chris Graythen\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service<\/em><\/p>\n

MADISON, Ill.\u2014In a race that kindled the rivalry between Corey Day and William Sawalich to full flame, Jesse Love showed the form that made him a NASCAR O\u2019Reilly Auto Parts Series champion last year.<\/p>\n

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MADISON, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 12: Jesse Love, driver of the #2 Whelen Chevrolet, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Nu Way 225 Powered by Bobcat and Sauced by Blues Hog at WWT Raceway on September 12, 2026 in Madison, Illinois. (Photo by Chris Graythen\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Wresting the lead from Carson Kvapil with a gentle rub on Lap 165 of 180, Love held the top spot the rest of the way in winning Saturday night\u2019s Nu Way 225 Powered by Bobcat Sauced by Blue Hog at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.<\/p>\n

Love crossed the finish line 0.896 seconds ahead of last week\u2019s Darlington winner, Sheldon Creed, who moved into first place in the Chase standings by three points over top-seeded Justin Allgaier.<\/p>\n

Kvapil, who faded to fifth in the closing laps, is third in the standings, nine points behind Allgaier. Love climbed two positions to fourth, 16 points back. Chase drivers Sam Mayer and Taylor Gray came home third and fourth, respectively, in Saturday\u2019s race.<\/p>\n

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MADISON, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 12: Jesse Love, driver of the #2 Whelen Chevrolet, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Nu Way 225 Powered by Bobcat and Sauced by Blues Hog at WWT Raceway on September 12, 2026 in Madison, Illinois. (Photo by Chris Graythen\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Parker Retzlaff, Brent Crews, Sammy Smith, Kyle Sieg and Jeb Burton completed the top 10.<\/p>\n

Love was convinced a chance for his first victory of the season would come if he maintained his grit and work ethic.<\/p>\n

\u201cEventually, one of these opportunities was going to be there, and I\u2019m going to frickin\u2019 take it like the way we frickin\u2019 did tonight,\u201d an elated Love said after climbing from his car. \u201cMan, I love St. Louis. I got my first national midget win across the street with Chad Boat.<\/p>\n

\u201cHad my first truck race start here and got beat here last year\u2014had a good car. Just so proud of my team.\u201d<\/p>\n

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MADISON, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 12: Jesse Love, driver of the #2 Whelen Chevrolet, drapes an “8” flag in honor of the late Kyle Busch on his car after winning the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Nu Way 225 Powered by Bobcat and Sauced by Blues Hog at WWT Raceway on September 12, 2026 in Madison, Illinois. (Photo by Chris Graythen\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

The win was Love\u2019s first at Gateway and the fourth of his career.<\/p>\n

Love avoided the pitfalls that eventually hurt other Chase drivers\u2014specifically, a blockaded pit road and the latest in a violent string of incidents between Day and Sawalich.<\/p>\n

After a restart on Lap 133, Day and Sawalich were racing side-by-side, with Day to the inside, when Allgaier made a move to the bottom of the track with a push from Gray\u2019s Toyota.<\/p>\n

With Gray on his bumper, Allgaier moved Day up the track into the driver\u2019s side of Sawalich\u2019s Toyota. Sawalich turned left into Day\u2019s Chevrolet, knocking it down the track into a spin that ended with hard contact with the inside wall.<\/p>\n

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MADISON, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 12: Jesse Love, driver of the #2 Whelen Chevrolet, drives during the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Nu Way 225 Powered by Bobcat and Sauced by Blues Hog at WWT Raceway on September 12, 2026 in Madison, Illinois. (Photo by Chris Graythen\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

The accident knocked Day out of the race in 33rd place and left him eighth in the standings, 69 points behind Creed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just hate it for my 17 guys,\u201d Day said. \u201cIt was going to be a minimum top-five day for us. We had a really fast car. It\u2019s just really unfortunate.<\/p>\n

Day had no message for Sawalich after exiting the infield care center. \u201cI don\u2019t, no. I think he made himself look stupid enough for me (not) to say anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

For his part, Sawalich, who finished 16th, opted not to address the incident directly.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust worry about next week,\u201d Sawalich said.<\/p>\n

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MADISON, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 12: Austin Hill, driver of the #21 Bennett Transportation Chevrolet, and Jesse Love, driver of the #2 Whelen Chevrolet, race during the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Nu Way 225 Powered by Bobcat and Sauced by Blues Hog at WWT Raceway on September 12, 2026 in Madison, Illinois. (Photo by Amy Kontras\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

The pyrotechnics between two drivers, who also sparred last week at Darlington, followed a bizarre pileup as drivers tried to access their pit boxes<\/p>\n

On Lap 49, during the Stage 1 break, a massive chain-reaction wreck just beyond the entrance to pit road scrambled the field and damaged several Chase cars.<\/p>\n

With Day already in the first pit stall after the entrance, Rajah Caruth\u2019s No. 88 Chevrolet turned off the bumper of Nick Sanchez\u2019s No. 87 Chevy as the field compressed behind them.<\/p>\n

Sanchez\u2019s car slid toward the No. 19 Toyota of Brent Crews, as the pit crew already was servicing Crews\u2019 vehicle. The 10-car melee blocked pit road and trapped Day\u2019s Chevy in its pit stall. Fortunately, no crew members were hurt.<\/p>\n

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MADISON, ILLINOIS – SEPTEMBER 12: Carson Kvapil, driver of the #1 Wilde Protein Crackers Chevrolet, and Jesse Love, driver of the #2 Whelen Chevrolet, lead the field during the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Nu Way 225 Powered by Bobcat and Sauced by Blues Hog at WWT Raceway on September 12, 2026 in Madison, Illinois. (Photo by Chris Graythen\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

NASCAR red-flagged the race for 7 minutes, 54 seconds to clear pit road. The Chase cars of Brandon Jones and Caruth sustained significant damage and restarted on Lap 54 in the back third of the running order.<\/p>\n

Allgaier escaped the accident on pit road, only to leave his stall with a loose wheel. A return trip to the pits left the Chase\u2019s top seed 19th in the running order, but by the time NASCAR called the third caution on Lap 73 for debris from Anthony Alfredo\u2019s flat tire, Allgaier had clawed his way back to ninth.<\/p>\n

By the end of Stage 2, won by Love, the 2024 series champion had worked his way up to sixth. But Allgaier sustained damage to the right front of his Camaro during the Day\/Sawalich dust-up, and his 13th-place finish cost him the series lead.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the first time the No. 7 car hasn\u2019t been on top of the points in a long time,\u201d Allgaier said. \u201cThat just fuels this team. If we have things go our way, we\u2019ll be right there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Interview: NOAPS Race Winner Jesse Love (No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet) – <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

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NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race – Nu Way 225 Powered by Bobcat and Sauced by Blues Hog<\/strong><\/p>\n

World Wide Technology Raceway<\/strong><\/p>\n

Madison, Illinois<\/strong><\/p>\n

Saturday, September 12, 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

                    1. (2)  Jesse Love (C), Chevrolet, 180.<\/p>\n

                    2. (3)  Sheldon Creed (C), Chevrolet, 180.<\/p>\n

                    3. (18)  Sam Mayer (C), Chevrolet, 180.<\/p>\n

                    4. (11)  Taylor Gray (C), Toyota, 180.<\/p>\n

                    5. (1)  Carson Kvapil (C), Chevrolet, 180.<\/p>\n

                    6. (19)  Parker Retzlaff (C), Chevrolet, 180.<\/p>\n

                    7. (10)  Brent Crews # (C), Toyota, 180.<\/p>\n

                    8. (12)  Sammy Smith (C), Chevrolet, 180.<\/p>\n

                    9. (16)  Kyle Sieg, Chevrolet, 180.<\/span><\/p>\n

                    10. (20)  Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 180.<\/span><\/p>\n

                    11. (9)  Rajah Caruth (C), Chevrolet, 180.<\/p>\n

                    12. (17)  Dean Thompson, Toyota, 180.<\/p>\n

                    13. (5)  Justin Allgaier (C), Chevrolet, 180.<\/span><\/p>\n

                    14. (28)  Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 180.<\/span><\/p>\n

                    15. (15)  Brandon Jones (C), Toyota, 180.<\/p>\n

                    16. (8)  William Sawalich, Toyota, 180.<\/p>\n

                    17. (21)  Patrick Staropoli #, Chevrolet, 180.<\/p>\n

                    18. (30)  Josh Williams, Chevrolet, 180.<\/p>\n

                    19. (22)  Brennan Poole, Ford, 180.<\/p>\n

                    20. (24)  Blaine Perkins, Chevrolet, 180.<\/p>\n

                    21. (32)  Mason Maggio, Chevrolet, 180.<\/p>\n

                    22. (13)  Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, 180.<\/p>\n

                    23. (31)  Jordan Anderson, Chevrolet, 180.<\/p>\n

                    24. (33)  Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 180.<\/span><\/p>\n

                    25. (25)  Myatt Snider, Chevrolet, 180.<\/span><\/p>\n

                    26. (26)  Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, 180.<\/span><\/p>\n

                    27. (34)  Joey Gase, Ford, 180.<\/span><\/p>\n

                    28. (29)  Brad Perez, Chevrolet, 179.<\/span><\/p>\n

                    29. (6)  Austin Hill (C), Chevrolet, 179.<\/p>\n

                    30. (27)  Lavar Scott #, Ford, 179.<\/p>\n

                    31. (23)  Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 168.<\/p>\n

                    32. (35)  Austin J Hill, Chevrolet, Electrical, 153.<\/p>\n

                    33. (4)  Corey Day (C), Chevrolet, Accident, 133.<\/p>\n

                    34. (14)  Nick Sanchez, Chevrolet, Accident, 48.<\/span><\/p>\n

                    35. (7)  Harrison Burton, Toyota, Accident, 48.<\/span><\/p>\n

                    36. (36)  Dawson Cram, Chevrolet, Engine, 0.<\/span><\/p>\n

Average Speed of Race Winner:  92.965 mph.<\/p>\n

Time of Race:  2 Hrs, 25 Mins, 13 Secs. Margin of Victory:  .896 Seconds.<\/p>\n

Caution Flags:  7 for 37 laps.<\/p>\n

Lead Changes:  8 among 4 drivers.<\/p>\n

Lap Leaders:   C. Kvapil (C) 1-78;J. Love (C) 79-93;A. Hill 94;A. Hill (C) 95-98;J. Love (C) 99-128;C. Kvapil (C) 129;J. Love (C) 130-138;C. Kvapil (C) 139-164;J. Love (C) 165-180.<\/p>\n

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led):  Carson Kvapil (C) 3 times for 105 laps; Jesse Love (C) 4 times for 70 laps; Austin Hill (C) 1 time for 4 laps; Austin J Hill 1 time for 1 lap.<\/p>\n

Stage #1 Top Ten: 1,17,7,21,2,00,19,18,41,99<\/p>\n

Stage #2 Top Ten: 2,41,1,00,18,7,17,99,8,39<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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  By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service MADISON, Ill.\u2014In a race that kindled the rivalry between Corey Day and William Sawalich to full flame, Jesse Love showed the form that made him a NASCAR O\u2019Reilly Auto Parts Series champion last year. Wresting the lead from Carson Kvapil with a gentle rub on Lap 165 of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":676,"featured_media":60728,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[11],"tags":[912,16,1147,784],"class_list":["post-60745","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nascar","tag-jesse-love","tag-nascar","tag-nascar-oreilly-auto-parts-series","tag-world-wide-technology-raceway"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7hzTZ-fNL","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/GettyImages-2294972727-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1643&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60745","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/676"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60745"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60745\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60781,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60745\/revisions\/60781"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60728"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60745"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60745"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60745"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}