Love Earns SLM Win During NASCAR’s Olympic Break

Jesse Love (center) in victory lane with Racing Dynamiks owner Travis Sharpe (left). (Sandi Allen/Bent Wheel Backyard Racing photo)

POLSON, Mont. – Suffice it to say that NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie-of-the-year contender Jesse Love didn’t take a ton of time off during the sport’s Olympic break.

In the midst of a three-week break in the Xfinity Series schedule, to allow for broadcast partner NBC Sports’ coverage of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, Love traveled to Montana’s Mission Valley Super Oval and promptly put himself into victory lane.

The 19-year-old from Menlo Park, Calif., won Saturday night’s Missoula Motor Company Wildfire 125 for super late models, held as part of the Montana Big 5 Super Series.

It was Love’s first time competing at the three-eighths-mile paved tri-oval in the Treasure State.

Love started from the pole position, and despite being involved in a lap-two crash with fellow front-row starter Dave Garber, was able to fight back aboard the Racing Dynamiks No. 54 owned by Travis Sharpe.

He broke back into the top 10 by lap four, then methodically picked off position after position en route to the front.

Three well-timed cautions in the first half of the race aided Love’s charge, and a lap-33 restart saw him soar around the outside lane to move into third place.

From there, Love dispatched Agni Howell for second five laps later before lurking behind then-leader Tyler Emond for much of the ensuing stint – following a lap-40 yellow for a six-car incident in turn two.

Love made the pass of the win on lap 59, charging to the inside of Emond in turn two, and never looked back en route to a $7,500 payday. He led the final 67 laps largely uncontested.

Despite a seemingly easy path to victory in the second half, Love did have to survive two restarts inside the final 25 laps, including an 18-lap sprint to the finish where he eventually pulled away from Emond.

“Mission Valley was a tricky place all weekend long; I burned my tires up at the end [of the race] and was just hanging on, but we had enough to hold them all off,” said Love after the race. “The motor we had underneath us had a lot of horsepower and gave us the car to be able to keep control of it once we got back to the lead.

“Obviously, that early incident wasn’t how we wanted to start the night, but glad we were able to finish strong for Travis, Racing Dynamiks, Sorenson Construction, and all their partners that allowed me to come out and do this,” Love continued. “Also, a big thanks to Richard Childress Racing for allowing me to race during this break in the NASCAR schedule … because I’ve missed coming back and doing more [grassroots] short track racing.”

Sharpe, the original mastermind behind the concept of the Big 5 Series, worked with Love at Bill McAnally Racing during back-to-back ARCA Menards Series West championship seasons in 2020 and 2021. He served as Love’s crew chief during his second ARCA West title run three years ago.

He was thrilled to reunite with Love over the weekend, this time with a car from his own organization.

“I was looking forward to this event all year, and for Jesse and I to win it together is unreal,” said Sharpe. “Having Jesse in a Racing Dynamiks car was a dream of mine from the time we worked together at BMR (Bill McAnally Racing).

“Jesse is like a son to me, so I have really enjoyed watching his success as he’s progressed through the NASCAR ranks and I really appreciate him taking his week off to come race here in Montana.”

Behind Love, Emond, Jess Havens, Garrett Huffines, and Big 5 Series point leader Alex Lessor – the all-time track record holder at Mission Valley Super Oval – completed the top five.

Love would like to thank Travis Sharpe and Racing Dynamiks, as well as Sorenson Construction, The Lodge at McGregor Lake, DCH Hardwoods, and Design47 for supporting his return to super late model competition.

He’ll be back in action with the Xfinity Series, behind the wheel of the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Camaro, in two weeks’ time at the two-mile Michigan Int’l Speedway oval.

Love currently sits seventh in the Xfinity Series’ regular season standings, locked into the playoffs by virtue of a win at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in April. He has five top-five and nine top-10 finishes through 20 of 33 races.

Broadcast coverage of the Cabo Wabo 250 at MIS is slated for Aug. 17 at 3:30 p.m. ET, live on USA, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.