Toyota rising development driver Jesse Love will defect to Chevrolet in 2024. On Wednesday, Richard Childress Racing announced Love will drive the #2 Chevrolet Camaro full-time in the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season with returning sponsorship from Whelen Engineering.
“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.”
Love is fresh off winning the ARCA Menards Series championship for Venturini Motorsports, scoring ten victories and top-five finishes in all but three races. Prior to competing for the national series title, he won back-to-back ARCA Menards Series West crowns and also scored a victory on the East side in 2023. He has raced in ARCA since 2020, adding two more wins before going full-time.
Also in 2023, he joined TRICON Garage for a three-race schedule in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He finished ninth in his début at Gateway followed by a thirteenth in his latest start at Kansas. His third and final race is planned for the season finale at Phoenix.
Despite his success at the regional levels and being touted as one of Toyota’s top prospects, top opportunities with the manufacturer are relatively scarce. Love explained that he has “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.”
Love takes over the #2 from Sheldon Creed, who departs RCR after two seasons and is currently eighth in points. He will partner up with Austin Hill, who returns to RCR for a third campaign after winning the 2023 regular season title.
“We’ve been watching Jesse for a while now and his breakout performance in the ARCA Menards Series was impressive this season,” commented team owner Richard Childress. “We know that he has the talent and determination to win races and compete for championships within RCR’s NASCAR Xfinity Series programme. We are looking forward to welcoming Whelen back for another year on the #2 programme and feel confident that Jesse will be a strong ambassador for Whelen.”
