Jesse Love is officially on the move. While it comes as no surprise, as the rumor mill had been heavily linking Love to a Cup Series ride, the 2025 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion will depart Richard Childress Racing and head to Wood Brothers Racing as he embarks on a full-time campaign in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2027.
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On Wednesday, Wood Brothers Racing, which chose last week not to exercise the option in Josh Berry’s contract for next season, announced that it had acquired the 21-year-old prospect to take over as the driver of the iconic No. 21 Ford Mustang Dark Horse.
In a team press release, Love called the opportunity to drive the legendary No. 21 Ford an honor.
“Driving the No. 21 for Wood Brothers Racing is truly an honor,” said Love. “This team has played such an important role in NASCAR history, and the drivers who have sat behind the wheel of this car are some of the greatest our sport has ever seen. I’m incredibly grateful to everyone at Wood Brothers Racing, Team Penske, and Ford Racing for believing in me – I’m excited to get to work, continue learning from the people around me, and compete at the highest level.”
While Wood Brothers Racing was able to achieve victory with each of its last two drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series, Harrison Burton and Josh Berry, the team feels Love gives them a chance to serve as the launching pad for one of the true blue-chip developmental talents in the NASCAR National Series ranks.
“Jesse has accomplished a lot at a young age,” said Jon Wood, president of Wood Brothers Racing. “He’s demonstrated the ability to win races, compete for championships, and handle the expectations that come with racing at a high level. We’re looking forward to giving him the opportunity to take the next step in his career with the No. 21 team.”
In 83 starts in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, Love has captured three victories and was crowned the series champion after scoring a victory in the season finale last season at Phoenix Raceway. While Love has yet to nab a win through the opening 17 races of the 2026 season, the driver ranks second in the championship standings.
To date, Love has made seven starts in the NASCAR Cup Series, five for Richard Childress Racing and two for Beard Motorsports. Love’s career best finish in NASCAR’s premier division is a 24th-place result in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway last season.
Prior to a move into the NASCAR National Series ranks, Love impressed mightily in the ARCA ranks. Love captured 18 victories combined between the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, and ARCA Menards Series West from 2020 to 2023, and he took home back-to-back ARCA West championships in 2020 and 2021, and also collected the ARCA Menards Series championship in 2023.
