The Richard Childress Racing driver fought off Connor Zilisch, the driver many considered the class of the field all season, in a tense final run at Phoenix Raceway.
Zilisch threw everything he had at Love, but in the closing laps it was Love that pulled away. He crossed the finish line first, claiming both the race win and the 2025 Xfinity Series championship.
“I just feel so clean, relieved,” Love said moments after climbing from his car. “It’s been a tough year for me. I’ve just put so much work into it. People like my dad and Scott Speed, my whole 2 team, have worked just as hard for my dream as I have for my own.”
It was the perfect ending to a season full of growth and grit for the 20-year-old from California.
Love showed flashes of brilliance all year, but when it mattered most, he put together the drive of his life to win the title.
The defining moment came when he passed Zilisch for the lead. “He’s my best friend in the whole world, but not when we’re racing each other,” Love said. “We race each other hard, but fair. I knew he was going to put it in my door. I had to throttle up and just get my nose ahead. He was running a really good race. My car was just better tonight and allowed me to roll off the center and get off the corner better.”
For RCR, the win marked a return to championship form. The organization, once dominant in the Xfinity ranks, had not hoisted the big trophy in years.
Love’s title reminded everyone that the legendary team can still rise to the occasion when the spotlight is brightest.
The story was different for JR Motorsports. The powerhouse organization placed three cars in the Championship 4 with Justin Allgaier, Carson Kvapil, and Connor Zilisch, but none of them could match Love’s pace.
For a team that dominated much of the season, leaving Phoenix empty-handed stings, to say the least.
Love admitted the race didn’t start the way he hoped. “We were so bad to start. I couldn’t believe how bad we were,” he said. “Danny put one of his magic wrenches in there and we came to life. I’m so grateful for everybody at RCR, back in North Carolina, all the boys, Chevrolet. This means the world to me.”
As the checkered flag waved, Love celebrated atop his No. 2 Chevrolet while fireworks lit the desert sky.
The final Xfinity Series race was over. The title, and the moment, belonged to him.
Next year, the O’Reilly Auto Parts era begins. But before the rebrand, Jesse Love made sure the Xfinity name went out with a champion worthy of its legacy.
It was not just a win for young Jesse Love.
It was a statement, and the start of something much bigger.
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