He arrived in Australia on Sunday evening and is today testing the ZB Commodore for the first time at Mallala Motorsport Park.
As of lunch time he’d completed a number of familiarisation runs in the Gen2 machine using an earlier effort from Jordan Boys as a reference.
Speaking to Speedcafe, Love admitted the early running was a steep learning curve.
“It’s probably the most physical car I’ve ever driven, and I come from midgets and Sprintcars which are pretty physical as well,” he said.
“It’s pretty nuts just how technical everything is. Jordan has given me a really good reference to go off of.
“It’s kind of weird getting used to the right foot brake; it’s pretty weird getting used to a lot of things, really.
“But I feel like I should be able to figure it out by the end of the day. It’s definitely unlike anything I’ve ever driven.”
Expanding on the differences between his Richard Childress Racing Chevy and the Commodore, Love said both power and power delivery were most eye-opening.
“It’s the lack of ability to get the throttle down when the car is still turning,” he said. “You really have to get it squared up before you crack the whip.
“And the power as well. It feels like I have way more horsepower in this car than I do my Xfinity car.
“They’re just a lot more crazy than an Xfinity car, and obviously the braking potential is unreal.”
Like Austin Cindric in his Gen3 cameo, Love has committed to the art of right foot braking rather than the comfort of using his left foot like he does in the US.
“I told myself, if I don’t try the left foot at all, then I won’t be tempted to do it,” he said.
“So I haven’t even tried doing left foot, I’ve just been committed to the right foot deal, which has saved me a couple times out there with some rear locking. I don’t plan on changing at all.”
Love is also keenly aware that the low-key Mallala outing is a very different challenge to what awaits on the streets of Adelaide in a few days.
“Maybe if I get a little closer to Jordan I’ll feel better about it, but man, I just know [Adelaide] is going to be really hard,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to learning a lot. I know how good all these guys are out here.
“I mean, we’ve had to race against Shane [van Gisbergen] for the last two years. So I feel like I’m a little bit bringing a knife to a gunfight.
“But regardless I’m just having a good time being here in Australia. I’ve never been here before, so it’s fun trying new snacks for the first time, new drinks for the first time.
“I am looking forward to the race weekend. If I’m competitive I’ll have a really good time. And if not, then I probably won’t have a great time.”
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