Jesse Love Bio
Jesshill Michael Gregory Love Jr., known professionally as Jesse Love, is an American professional stock car racing driver born on January 14, 2005, in Menlo Park, California. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 2 Chevrolet Camaro SS for Richard Childress Racing. Love has quickly become one of the most talked-about young talents in American motorsports, earning a reputation for breaking age-related records and capturing championships across multiple series.
Before reaching the national NASCAR ranks, Love built an impressive resume in developmental and regional touring series. He holds the distinction of being the youngest winner ever in the ARCA Menards Series West and the youngest winner ever in any NASCAR-sanctioned event, both accomplished at 15 years, 5 months, and 13 days old. He has also captured championships in midget, late model, ARCA, and Xfinity competition, positioning him as a multi-series champion before his 21st birthday.
Early Life and Background
Jesse Love was born and raised in Menlo Park, California, the son of Jesshill Love and Elizabeth Love. His father raced midget cars in his youth and later built a career as a real estate investor and lawyer. The elder Love is the CEO of three real estate portfolios in California, a former president of the Silicon Valley Chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, and the CEO of HomeSmiles, a property maintenance company that supports Jesse’s racing endeavors. Love is of partial Mexican descent through his mother, who was raised in Mexico City.
Love began racing at age five and quickly advanced through the youth ranks. He competed in the Quarter Midgets of America Series, winning multiple races and championships before turning ten. As a teenager, he captured championships in three different divisions of USAC in the same season, becoming the first driver to accomplish that feat. At thirteen, he was granted an age waiver to compete in the RPM Pro Late Model Series at Madera Speedway, and in 2018 he won the INEX Legend Car Racing Series championship after winning five of eight scheduled races.
Path to NASCAR
Love’s transition toward NASCAR’s national ladder began in the ARCA Menards Series West, where he was announced in January 2020 as a full-time rookie entrant with Bill McAnally Racing in the No. 19 Toyota. He replaced Hailie Deegan after she departed for Ford’s development program, and Love quickly justified the opportunity. He earned his first West Series win at Utah Motorsports Campus in only his second start, on June 27, 2020.
That rookie season produced three wins, nine top-five finishes in eleven races, and the ARCA Menards Series West championship, making Love the youngest champion in series history. He continued to climb the developmental ladder with Venturini Motorsports in the main ARCA Menards Series while also racing in the ARCA East and select late model events. By 2023, Love had become a full-time ARCA national series driver, and his results drew the attention of Richard Childress Racing, leading to his Xfinity Series promotion.
Jesse Love Career
Early Career (2016–2019)
Love built the foundation of his career in USAC midget competition and Pacific Coast short-track racing. In 2016 and 2017, he won consecutive USAC Speed2 Western US Dirt Midget Series championships, and in 2017 he added the USAC Speed2 Western US Asphalt Midget Series title. Those early dirt and pavement successes marked him as a versatile talent capable of adapting to varied track surfaces.
In 2018, Love won the Bay Cities Racing Association Midgets Championship and dominated the INEX Legend Car Racing Series. The following year, he drove for Keith Kunz Motorsports in the SRL Southwest Tour, a regional late model series, gaining valuable experience in heavier, higher-horsepower equipment as he prepared for the next stage of his career.
ARCA Menards Series Breakthrough (2020–2023)
Love’s ARCA West championship in 2020 launched a sustained run of success in the ARCA Menards Series. In 2021, driving the No. 16 for Bill McAnally Racing in the West and the No. 25 for Venturini Motorsports in the national ARCA series, he earned his first career national ARCA win at Salem Speedway, outdueling Ty Gibbs on a late restart. He also captured his second consecutive ARCA West title that season.
After a strong 2022 campaign with Venturini Motorsports that included eight top-five finishes, twelve top-ten finishes, and a win at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack, Love was elevated to a full-time national ARCA schedule in 2023. He produced a dominant year, scoring ten wins, eighteen top-ten finishes, and seventeen top-five finishes, and he clinched the ARCA Menards Series championship one race early at Salem simply by taking the green flag. That title established him as the youngest ARCA national champion.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Breakthrough (2024–2025)
On October 25, 2023, Richard Childress Racing announced that Love would drive the No. 2 Chevrolet full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in 2024, replacing Sheldon Creed. He opened the season by winning the pole at Daytona and led a race-high 34 laps before a wreck in stage two dropped him to a twentieth-place finish. One week later at Atlanta, Love swept both stages and led 157 of 163 laps before running out of fuel on the final overtime restart, finishing twelfth. He closed the regular season with a runner-up result at Phoenix and a pole at Texas, before scoring his first career Xfinity victory at Talladega in an overtime finish.
His 2024 consistency earned him NASCAR Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year honors. In 2025, Love opened the year with a win at Daytona, added a victory at Rockingham that was later stripped following a post-race inspection failure, and stayed consistent throughout the playoffs. He clinched the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship with a win at Phoenix, becoming one of the youngest champions in series history.
Richard Childress Racing Era (2023–Present)
Love’s move to Richard Childress Racing marked his arrival as a full-time NASCAR national series driver. His partnership with the organization has produced consistent top-ten pace, weekly poles, and two of the most talked-about performances of the 2024 Xfinity season at Atlanta and Talladega. In 2025, the RCR No. 2 team elevated that potential into a championship run, finishing the year with the series title.
Beyond the Xfinity Series, Love made his NASCAR Cup Series debut on March 28, 2025, at Bristol Motor Speedway, driving the No. 33 Chevrolet for RCR. He later drove the No. 62 for Beard Motorsports at Texas Motor Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway, gaining valuable Cup-level experience. He is also scheduled to make his Super2 Series debut at the Adelaide Street Circuit, driving a Holden Commodore ZB for Image Racing in an alliance with Erebus Motorsport and Richard Childress Racing.
Notable Races and Milestones
Love’s first Xfinity win at Talladega in 2024 came on an overtime restart and announced his arrival as a top-tier talent. He has also earned a reputation for excellence at Phoenix Raceway, site of his breakthrough runner-up finish in 2024 and the championship-clinching win in 2025. His historic youngest-winner records in ARCA West and across NASCAR-sanctioned events remain defining milestones in his young career.
Jesse Love Career Wins
Jesse Love has built one of the deepest win ledgers of any driver in his age group, with verified championships and race wins spanning USAC midgets, ARCA Menards Series West, ARCA Menards Series, and the NASCAR Xfinity Series. His championship tally includes the 2016 and 2017 USAC Speed2 Western US Dirt Midget Series, the 2017 USAC Speed2 Western US Asphalt Midget Series, the 2018 BCRA Midgets, the 2020 and 2021 ARCA Menards Series West, the 2023 ARCA Menards Series, and the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Highlights
Love’s verified Xfinity Series victories include the 2024 Talladega win and the 2025 wins at Daytona and Phoenix. The Phoenix victory in 2025 clinched the NASCAR Xfinity Series championship, capping a season in which he ranked among the most consistent drivers in the field. He also earned multiple poles in his 2024 rookie season, including at Daytona, Atlanta, and Texas.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the Xfinity ranks, Love captured three ARCA West wins in 2020 en route to that series’ championship and added a national ARCA win at Salem Speedway in 2021. In 2023, he led the ARCA Menards Series with ten wins and the series championship. Love also made three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts for Tricon Garage in 2023, posting a top-ten finish in his debut at Gateway in the No. 11 truck.
| Series | Championships | Notable Wins | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARCA Menards Series West | 2 | 3+ | 2020, 2021 |
| ARCA Menards Series | 1 | 10+ | 2023 |
| NASCAR Xfinity Series | 1 | 3+ | 2024, 2025 |
Jesse Love Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Jesse Love comes from a family with direct ties to motorsports. His father, Jesshill Love, raced midget cars in his youth and is a real estate investor, lawyer, and entrepreneur. The elder Love’s business portfolio, including HomeSmiles, has long supported Jesse’s racing career. Jesse’s mother, Elizabeth Love, was raised in Mexico City, giving the driver partial Mexican heritage.
Personal Life
Love is known publicly by his full racing name, Jesse Love, while his legal given name is Jesshill Michael Gregory Love Jr. He maintains an active presence on social media, with verified accounts on X and Instagram under handles reflecting his junior status. As of available public information, he is not married and has no children.
2025 Season Performance
Jesse Love’s 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series campaign with Richard Childress Racing began with an early statement of intent, winning the season opener at Daytona International Speedway. He added a win at Rockingham Speedway, though the victory was later removed after the car failed post-race inspection, handing the official win to Sammy Smith. Despite that setback, Love remained one of the most consistent drivers in the field throughout the regular season.
Into the playoffs, Love carried steady top-ten pace and kept himself in title contention round after round. His defining moment came at Phoenix Raceway, where he won the race to clinch the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship. The title made him one of the youngest champions in Xfinity Series history and reinforced Richard Childress Racing’s resurgence in the sport.
Love also expanded his 2025 resume beyond Xfinity. He made his NASCAR Cup Series debut in March at Bristol Motor Speedway for RCR in the No. 33 Chevrolet, then drove the No. 62 for Beard Motorsports at Texas Motor Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He is also scheduled to debut in Australia’s Super2 Series at the Adelaide Street Circuit, driving for Image Racing in an alliance with Erebus Motorsport and Richard Childress Racing.
