Richard Childress Racing announced today that reigning ARCA Menards Series champion Jesse Love will join the organization’s NASCAR Xfinity Series stable in 2024. Love will compete for RCR’s Championship-winning Xfinity Series program on a full-time basis, beginning with the 2024 season-opener at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, February 17.
The 18-year-old Menlo Park, Calif., native posted one of the most dominating performances in recent ARCA Menards Series history, winning half of the races on the series schedule this year enroute to the championship.
“We’ve been watching Jesse for a while now and his breakout performance in the ARCA Menards Series was impressive this season,” said Richard Childress, Chairman and CEO of RCR. “We know that he has the talent and determination to win races and compete for championships within RCR’s NASCAR Xfinity Series program. We are looking forward to welcoming Whelen back for another year on the No. 2 program and feel confident that Jesse will be a strong ambassador for Whelen.”
Love is a two-time ARCA Menards Series West Champion and the youngest champion in NASCAR history. He began his racing career at the age of five driving quarter-midgets throughout the San Franscisco Bay area before advancing to full midget and sprint cars, accumulating six United States Automobile Club (USAC) Championships in the USAC Speed 2 Ford Focus division. He made his stock car debut in a Late Model at just 10 years old.
“I’ve been fortunate to gain a lot of racing experience at a young age, but nothing compares to the opportunity to race for a legendary team like Richard Childress Racing,” said Love. “I have so much respect for Richard Childress and am extremely grateful to be able to race and learn with one of the most successful teams in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. I’ve dreamed of racing at the highest levels of the sport since I was a young kid, and the path to the NASCAR Cup Series seems more clear with this opportunity. It’s even more special to be able to represent a company like Whelen who has a long-standing involvement in motorsports and strong focus on building American-made products.”
Whelen Engineering, Inc., a global leader in the emergency warning industry, will continue their successful motorsports marketing platform at RCR with full-time sponsorship of the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet in 2024.
Love will make his first public appearance under the RCR banner on Friday, October 27 as part of the organization’s 2023 Fan Day event, which takes place on the campus of RCR from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Richard Childress Racing PR
