Jesse Love scores his first NASCAR Xfinity Series win in a thrilling finish at Talladega Superspeedway in the Ag-Pro 300 on Saturday.
TALLADEGA, Ala. – Jesse Love scores his first NASCAR Xfinity Series victory Saturday with a wild double overtime finish in the Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway by crossing the line by 0.141 seconds ahead of Riley Herbst.
Jesse Love Scores His First NASCAR Xfinity Series Win in a Thrilling Finish at Talladega
In many ways, it was a victorious redemption for the 19-year-old Californian. Earlier this season, Love was leading in overtime at Atlanta only to run out of fuel before the checkered flag. Love’s win in the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet makes him only the seventh driver to score his maiden win at the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway.
“Just a great group of guys [on my team] and it’s been such a journey to get to this point,’’ a grinning Love said before thanking a litany of people that helped him in his young career to date.
“I had PTSD flashbacks from Atlanta,’’ Love acknowledged, adding “I love Talladega. I love the speedway and I love the fans.”
Love certainly earned this first win – on the outside of the front row next to his veteran RCR teammate Austin Hill, winning his fourth stage of the season (Stage 1) and leading 28 of the 124 laps. He ran top-five for most of the afternoon and when he needed to go on that final restart – he went. Jumping to the lead at the overtime green flag and holding off the field when it mattered most.
A Couple of Wrecks Set the Overtime Race Finish
His RCR teammate Hill, the polesitter, led a race-best 42 laps and was out front with two laps remaining in regulation when he was hit from behind by Parker Kligerman. The incident sent Hill’s car into the wall and ultimately collected nine cars including many running toward the front much of the afternoon – putting the race in overtime.
In the overtime restart, Kligerman was eliminated in a four-car crash at the front as various cars started running out of gas. Love lined up on the front row for the final restart among eight drivers racing for their career-first wins.
The Ag-Pro 300 Results
Herbst’s runner-up finish in the Stewart-Haas Racing Ford was his best showing of the year. Our Motorsports Anthony Alfredo finished third, followed by Young’s Motorsports rookie Leland Honeyman and Alpha Prime Racing’s Brennan Poole. Alfredo tied his career-best mark and Honeyman had a career-best finish.
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Sheldon Creed, Alpha Prime Racing’s Caesar Bacarella, Viking Motorsports’s Matt DiBenedetto, 2023 Talladega winner, Jordan Anderson Racing’s Jeb Burton, and Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer round out the top ten.
There were 34 lead changes among 16 drivers in a typical Talladega afternoon.
The Dash 4 Cash Bonus goes to Ryan Sieg
Ryan Sieg, who lost to Sam Mayer last week at Texas Motor Speedway in a photo finish – by 0.002 seconds – won the Dash 4 Cash $100,000 bonus.
An 11-car accident on lap 65 proved critical to several race frontrunners and the Dash 4 Cash-eligible drivers.
Herbst hit Justin Allgaier’s No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevy with only two laps left in the opening stage. Both were looking for a top ten and some early-stage points. It eliminated Allgaier from contention. Mayer was eliminated in a later multi-car crash that left an intriguing battle between Sieg, who had to make a green flag late-race pit stop because of a flat tire, and A.J. Allmendinger, with a damaged car from a crash.
Allmendinger and Sieg lined up 19th and 20th on the second overtime restart. Sieg was able to pull away, finishing 17th with Allmendinger 19th.
“This is huge for our team,’’ Sieg said. “It was a rough one. I thought I threw it away, but were lucky enough to get the caution at the end and come back and beat the 16. So it all worked out and is pretty extraordinary for our small team.”
Sieg wins the Dash 4 Cash paycheck this week but will compete against three other drivers next week. Love, Herbst, and Alfredo will challenge Sieg at Dover, Del. for the final race of the incentive program.
The NASCAR Xfinity Series Point Standings
Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chandler Smith, who finished 25th, still holds a 14-point lead over Custer atop the championship standings.
Next Up
The NASCAR Xfinity Series moves to the one-mile Dover (Del.) Motor Speedway next week for Saturday’s BetRivers 200 (1:30 p.m. ET, FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Ryan Truex is the defending race winner.