Jesse Love will expand upon his multi-year relationship with Richard Childress Racing (RCR) in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2026, returning to the driver’s seat of the No. 2 Chevrolet.
Whelen Engineering, a long-time supporter of Richard Childress Racing and the No. 2 Chevrolet in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, will once again serve as an anchor partner for Love in 2026.
NEWS: Whelen Engineering to continue support of No. 2 Chevrolet and driver Jesse Love in 2026.
For more information, please visit https://t.co/MagVYvAJQv pic.twitter.com/sJvEEncFmG
— RCR (@RCRracing) October 24, 2025
“I’m proud to continue my relationship with Richard Childress Racing and Whelen Engineering and look forward to building upon our already strong foundation,” said Love. “Whelen’s strong commitment to motorsports is unmatched. Thank you to Sonny, Geoff, Peter, and everyone at Whelen for their faith in me. My goal is to go out and win races and championships for RCR and Whelen.”
The 20-year-old driver returns to Richard Childress Racing for a third full-time campaign in NASCAR’s second-tier series, doing so with a statline that currently includes a pair of victories, 15 top-five finishes, and 39 top-10s.
Heading into the penultimate event of the NASCAR Xfinity Series campaign at Martinsville Speedway this weekend, Love is one of eight drivers still alive to win the series’ championship, entering the event sitting 40 points above the cutline.
Should Love be successful in advancing to the Championship 4, it would mark the first time that the Menlo Park, California-native would have a shot at clinching a NASCAR Xfinity Series championship. Love is the 2023 champion of the ARCA Menards Series.
“Richard Childress Racing has been an excellent ambassador for Whelen Engineering over the years,” said Peter Tiezzi, general manager of motorsports for Whelen Engineering. “We’re excited to extend our partnership and continue to impact the communities we serve through our race team partnership in 2026. We both remain focused on providing industry-leading solutions. Jesse Love has done a phenomenal job representing our brand. We wish him the best in his NASCAR Playoffs run this season and look forward to competing alongside him and RCR for a championship in 2026.”
Whelen first partnered up with Richard Childress Racing in 2022, when the company served as the anchor partner of the No. 2 Chevrolet, which at the time was driven by Sheldon Creed. The 2026 campaign will mark the fifth season of this near-full-season sponsorship of the team’s Xfinity Series entry.
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“Whelen’s unwavering commitment to motorsports and their focus on providing unsurpassed safety solutions to the communities they serve makes them a leader in their industry and everyone at RCR is proud to continue our partnership,” said Mike Verlander, president of RCR. “Jesse is a talented young racer that aligns with Whelen’s core mission and values. He has been a great ambassador for Whelen both on and off the track and we look forward to achieving more together in 2026.”
The 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series campaign will begin with the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, February 14, 2026 on The CW.
