Defending NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion Jesse Love had one hell of a Friday in Tulsa, Oklahoma, finishing sixth in Preliminary Action from the Tulsa Expo Center.
That sixth-place finish will put him in the B-Main on Saturday, but Blake Harris and 2nd Opinion Auto Center are going to have some work to do on that racecar before putting it back on the racetrack.
#NASCAR… Defending NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts champion @JesseLoveJr1 went for a hell of a tumble across the finish line in Friday’s Prelim Action.
He did still finish sixth though, so a B-Main isn’t bad for Saturday considering, right? ????
— Joseph Srigley (@joe_srigley) January 17, 2026
Love was battling for that position on the final lap with the Chili’s-sponsored midget driven by Gio Scelzi, when the No. 71 bounced off the wall and hit the Menlo Park, California-native, sending him flying in the air towards Turn 1.
It would be a damn shame, though, if that was the only part of the story told.
The 21-year-old driver had a bit of a messy Qualifier on Friday evening after some contact that cost him some passing points, and left him relegated to the B-Main. But the full-time NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series driver wasn’t to be denied.
Love absolutely destroyed the field in Friday’s B-Main and led wire-to-wire on the way to putting the blue, white, and black No. 2 into the A-Main, albeit in a tumultuous 17th-place starting spot.
That certainly didn’t deter Love from making a hell of a push, though, to try and get an unlikely victory on Friday Prelim Night. Quickly, the defending O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion advanced from 17th to inside the top-10, and continued to work his way forward and get closer and closer to the front, without the aid of any cautions.
Then, with attrition ahead of him, suddenly Love found himself in contention to try and get a locked-in spot… but it didn’t necessarily materialize.
Logan Seavy went on to win Friday’s Prelim Night at Tulsa Expo Center, his fourth consecutive Friday Prelim Night victory, to beat out Justin Grant. Both Seavy and Grant will be guaranteed a spot in Saturday’s A-Main. Darryn Pittman was third, followed by Wout Hoffmans, and Giovanni Scelzi (driving an entry supported by NASCAR Cup Series team Spire Motorsports).
Jesse Love was sixth and will roll from a B-Main on Saturday. Coverage can be found on FloRacing starting around 9:00 AM Central Time.
