Jesse Love Escapes Injury After Dramatic Flip at Chili Bowl

Jesse Love, the defending NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion, had a wild ride at the Chili Bowl Nationals on Friday night. 

Driving a car prepared by Hendrick Motorsports Cup Series crew chief Blake Harris, Love started 17th in the A-Main prelim and charged through the field to fourth before ultimately finishing sixth. In a battle across the finish line with Gio Scelzi, the two made contact, sending Love’s car flipping multiple times. 

Love was taken to the hospital as a precaution, but later reassured fans on social media. “Thank you to everyone who reached out, I’m okay,” he wrote. “Had the rowdies up on their feet Friday night and crashed at the line. My body is gonna recover. I’m just more upset than anything now.” 

The 20-year-old had been set to compete in the B-Main for a chance to advance to Saturday’s feature, but the team confirmed the car was too damaged to continue. Love expressed gratitude for the opportunity and vowed to stay more active on dirt in the future.