Jesse Love, a two-time champion of the ARCA Menards Series West, will be the latest driver from Toyota’s Driver Development program to advance into NASCAR’s National Series ranks.
Love, 18, will make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at World Wide Technology Raceway on June 3, piloting the No. 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for TRICON Garage.
A native of Menlo Park, California, Love will resume his three-race stint in the NASCAR Truck Series at Kansas Speedway in September, before competing in the season-finale at Phoenix Raceway.
“First and foremost, I have to thank everyone at Toyota Racing Development for this great opportunity – I simply wouldn’t be here without their support and I am grateful for it every day,” said Love. “I’ve known David Gilliland for a long time and have such a tremendous amount of respect for him as both a driver and a team owner. To put it simply – I literally can’t wait to get behind the wheel for both David and this team. A lot of time, sweat, and tears have gone into this opportunity and I’m looking forward to capitalizing on it. I think Gateway will be a great place to get started, so June 3 can’t come fast enough.”
HomeSmiles will serve as the primary sponsor for Love’s three-race effort with TRICON Garage, as the company adorns the No. 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro starting at Gateway.
The 18-year-old’s primary focus for the 2023 season will be chasing a championship in the ARCA Menards Series, where he’ll pilot the No. 20 Toyota Camry for Venturini Motorsports.
Love joins a fully-loaded driver roster for TRICON Garage in 2023, which includes full-time drivers Dean Thompson, Corey Heim, Tanner Gray, and Taylor Gray.
“We’ve had the pleasure of competing against Jesse in ARCA over the past few seasons and have always been impressed with his ability behind the wheel,” said partner David Gilliland. “We’re thrilled to play a role in his development and can’t wait to have him as part of our program in 2023.”
TRICON Garage’s fifth ‘part-time’ entry will see Love, in addition to Jason White, and William Sawalich, who combine for a total of seven NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events for 2023.
The Toyota Driver Development (T2D) driver has scored a pair of victories in the ARCA Menards Series, as well as five victories in the ARCA Menards Series West, en route to championships in 2020 and 2021.
