LEBANON, Tenn: It was an eventful NASCAR Xfinity Series race for Jesse Love at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway, but the team’s perseverance paid off with a third-place finish in Saturday afternoon’s Tennessee Lottery 250.
After a strong pace in practice on Saturday morning, Love could not qualify his No. 2 C4 Ultimate Energy Chevrolet Camaro after a piece of debris went through the radiator, sending the team to the garage for repairs, landing Love last on the starting grid in Music City.
Taking the green flag in the 38th position, Love would quickly work his way through the field. By the end of a caution-free Stage 1, Love picked up 20 positions to finish 16th at the end of Stage 1.
Pleased with the handling of his race car, Love pitted at the end of Stage 1 for four tires, fuel, and a minor chassis adjustment. The rookie driver asked crew chief Danny Stockman for slight adjustments as he was relatively happy with the handling.
Love’s strategic racing skills were on full display as he continued to make his way through the field, restarting in 13th place for Stage 2. His fast race car allowed him to maneuver into the top-10, finishing Stage 2 in seventh and earning three valuable stage points for the season.
Despite safely netting inside the top-10 at the onset of Stage 3, as the laps clicked away, Love battled a vibration on his No. 2 Chevrolet Camaro.
The vibration had become so bad, the team contemplated pitting under green, but Love fought through the vibration and made a pit stop following a three-car tango on the frontstretch at Lap 136.
Taking four tires, fuel, and another set of adjustments, Love restarted 14th and utilized the rest of the race to roar to a third-place finish at the checkered flag, capturing his fourth top-five finish of the season.
“I have no idea,” said Love when asked how he finished third. “My cool shirt didn’t work. First off, I want to give glory to God and thank him for putting everybody at RCR in my life.
“Just proud to be a part of this team, it was a good run. We needed to have a good race today. We had a very fast No. 2 C4 Ultimate Energy Chevrolet.
“We started in the back due to a crack in the radiator after practice. We had a bad pit stop late due to a tether coming loose on the left rear, making it hard to get the tire off and costing a lot of track position. We had to drive back through the field for the second time today.
Throughout the 188 laps in a brutal heat, Love passed a whopping 65 cars in just under two hours.
“I felt a vibration late in the race and thought it might be a tire and that almost made us pit under the green flag,” added Love. “Luckily, it managed to go away and we kept on passing cars.
I’m extremely proud to be part of a team that doesn’t give up.
“We needed to have a good race today. We passed 65 cars. ECR engines brought the power today. Today’s race was the hottest I’ve ever been in, didn’t get a chance to rest at all.
“I’m happy with how the day ended. Next week, we’ll carry this momentum to the Streets of Chicago. “Just proud of my guys.”
Follow Chris Knight on X (Twitter) @Knighter01 or email at [email protected].
