Love Grabs Another Xfinity Series Drafting Track Pole

Jesse Love celebrates his NASCAR Xfinity Series pole at Talladega Superspeedway. (Jacob Seelman/Race Face Digital photo)

TALLADEGA, Ala. – After going out early in Kennametal Pole Qualifying Friday evening at Talladega Superspeedway, the only nerves for Jesse Love were focused on if the rain would hold off just long enough.

Though wet weather ultimately trimmed the scheduled two knockout rounds down to just one, that lone round was finished in its entirety just before rain began falling at the mammoth 2.66-mile oval, allowing Love to claim his second NASCAR Xfinity Series pole of the year.

It’s Love’s seventh career Xfinity Series pole and fourth in a row on a drafting-style track, a first in series history dating back to the modern-era inception of the tour in 1982.

Love’s lap of 52.546 seconds (182.240 mph) in the No. 2 Whelen Aerospace Technologies Chevrolet was nearly two full tenths of a second better than anyone else – a statement run after winning a week ago at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway only to be disqualified for a rear suspension violation.

That meant the 20-year-old came into Talladega feeling like he and his team “had a point to prove.”

“I felt like we put together a dominant performance last week, and we want more of those,” Love noted. “I think the team could sense it from my own demeanor, but we won’t be satisfied until we have more days like Rockingham, even though the record book won’t say that we did … we know we did that there. That kind of performance needs to be the standard for our group.

“I’m looking forward to a strong day Saturday. I’ve got plenty of poles now and this team has plenty of poles, so the next step is turning those qualifying efforts into race wins,” he added. “It’s a testament to RCR and ECR (Engines), all the work that everyone back home in Welcome (N.C.) puts in, when you can qualify well at one of these superspeedways … but it’s only the first step and we know that.”

Love’s teammate Austin Hill will join him on the front row for Saturday’s 300-mile race, after a lap of 52.734 seconds (181.591 mph) in the No. 21 Bennett Transportation Chevrolet.

It’s the third straight front-row lockout for RCR on a drafting track in the Xfinity Series, dating back to last season. Weather washed out qualifying for the season opener at Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Speedway, Talladega’s sister track, in February.

Defending series champion Justin Allgaier rolls off third for JR Motorsports, while owner-driver Joey Gase qualified a career-best fourth in his own No. 53 Chevrolet, shocking many of the sport’s top teams.

Jordan Anderson Racing’s Jeb Burton starts fifth, followed by Joe Gibbs Racing’s Taylor Gray, Kaulig Racing teammates Josh Williams and Daniel Dye, DGM Racing’s Ryan Ellis, and owner-driver Jeremy Clements.

Ellis’ ninth-place performance also gives him a career-best starting spot in Xfinity Series competition as well.

Notables starting outside the top 10 include Sheldon Creed (11th), rookie sensation Connor Zilisch (13th), Sammy Smith (14th), Brandon Jones (16th), Aric Almirola (17th), Carson Kvapil (20th), Katherine Legge (27th), and Harrison Burton (29th).

With 41 drivers entered and only 38 starting spots available, Garrett Smithley, Austin Green, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular Jake Garcia – who was attempting to make his Xfinity Series debut – failed to qualify.

Broadcast coverage of Saturday’s Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway is slated for 4 p.m. ET (3 p.m. ET), live on The CW, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.