Jesse Love Takes Championship Lead After A Dominant Phoenix Win

Jesse Love captured the championship lead after winning the Timberland PRO 200 at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday, October 17, 2026. Driving the No. 2 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, Love led a race-high 155 laps and swept all three stages. He held off Sam Mayer by just 0.128 seconds at the finish line to secure his first victory since winning the series title the previous November.

Love entered the event trailing Sheldon Creed by two points, but now holds a 36-point standings lead over Justin Allgaier. Creed suffered kill-switch issues that led to an unscheduled pit stop, dropping him two laps down to finish 32nd. Allgaier, Corey Day, and Sammy Smith completed the top five behind Love and Mayer.