"I was the bridesmaid": Jesse Love opens up on losing Pocono race to best friend Connor Zilisch

Richard Childress Racing driver Jesse Love finished second at Pocono Raceway in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on June 21, 2025. As reported by Frontstretch, he lost to his best friend and rival, Connor Zilisch, who ended the race with celebratory donuts.

With 13 laps to go at Pocono, a restart pushed front-runners Justin Allgaier and Chase Elliott back after contact in turn one. Love took the lead after the incident, but a late caution brought the field back together.

On the final restart, Connor Zilisch passed Love and went on to win the race, leaving Love to settle for second place. He described the feeling somewhat innovatively, saying,

“At the end of the day, I’m a competitor before anything else,” Love told Frontstretch. “So, it stings because I was the bridesmaid, but at the same time, life is more than just being a race car driver."

Love knew he was at a disadvantage on long runs due to handling issues with his No. 2 Chevrolet. As he described it,

"We got really, really tight," (via Frontstretch)

“On restarts, I could make up ground, but I didn’t want too many long runs.” he added.

With five laps to go and one final restart, Love found himself battling Zilisch—the JR Motorsports rookie and his longtime friend—for the win. Jesse Love momentarily cleared the No. 88 Chevrolet, but Zilisch’s car was stronger.

"Once that caution came out, I knew it was heads up between me and the No. 88," said Jesse Love. (via Frontstretch)

Adding, "I thought I had it, but I couldn’t enter the corner at the same speed he could and still finish it."

Zilisch made his move cleanly, taking the lead and eventually the win. Love couldn’t catch him in the final laps. This was the first time Jesse Love and Connor Zilisch battled head-to-head for a win in the final laps of an Xfinity race.

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Jesse Love on building on his Cup Series experience

Jesse Love also made his NASCAR Cup Series debut earlier this year, racing in the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. It wasn’t the debut he’d hoped for—he started P19 and dropped to P31 by the end—but it was still a learning moment for the young driver.

Love currently races full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and drives the No. 2 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. He previously won the ARCA Menards Series championship and was named Rookie of the Year in the Xfinity Series last season. With 43 career starts, Jesse Love has had two wins and 24 top-10 finishes so far.

In an interview with Speedway Digest, Jesse Love shared his thoughts on his first Cup race experience. He said,

“This wasn’t really a surprise,”

“But something I looked forward to at Bristol was racing against the competition in the Cup Series. I knew the depth of the competition would be so much more than what we see in the Xfinity Series.”

He added, “It was a big deal for me to get in the Cup car and get that experience. I felt really comfortable in the car and really can’t wait to get back behind the wheel and do more.”

So far in the 2025 Xfinity Series season, Love sits 4th in the standings with 502 points, one win, and ten top-10 finishes in 16 races. He’s led 164 laps and secured two poles.