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AVONDALE, ARIZONA – OCTOBER 17: Jesse Love, driver of the #2 Whelen Chevrolet, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Timberland PRO 200 at Phoenix Raceway on October 17, 2026 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Jesse Love didn’t just leave Phoenix Raceway with another victory Saturday night. He also strengthened his grip on the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase standings.
Love dominated Saturday’s 200-lap race, leading 156 laps before holding off Sam Mayer by just 0.128 seconds. The Richard Childress Racing driver now sits atop the standings with 2,367 points, holding a 36-point advantage over Justin Allgaier.
Allgaier finished third at Phoenix, while Corey Day took fourth and remained third in the championship standings, just three points behind Allgaier.
With the season winding down, the battle behind Love remains particularly close. Only 23 points separate Allgaier in second from Sheldon Creed in fourth, leaving plenty at stake as the Chase continues.
Updated NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase Standings After Phoenix
Here is the complete top 12 following Saturday’s race at Phoenix Raceway, including each driver’s deficit to the championship leader.
Jesse Love: 2,367 points (leader)
Justin Allgaier: 36 points behind
Corey Day: 39 points behind
Sheldon Creed: 59 points behind
Carson Kvapil: 79 points behind
Sam Mayer: 86 points behind
Sammy Smith: 137 points behind
Taylor Gray: 141 points behind
Austin Hill: 143 points behind
Parker Retzlaff: 173 points behind
Brandon Jones: 183 points behind
Rajah Caruth: 213 points behind
Jesse Love Extends His Lead as Chase Battle Tightens
Love’s performance at Phoenix gave his championship campaign another boost, but there is still plenty of competition behind him.
Allgaier remains his closest challenger, while Day is just three points further back. Creed sits fourth despite finishing 32nd on Saturday, with Kvapil rounding out the top five after a 10th-place finish.
Mayer’s runner-up performance kept him sixth in the standings, 86 points behind Love. Sammy Smith, Taylor Gray, Austin Hill and Parker Retzlaff complete the top 10.
The biggest takeaway from Phoenix is straightforward: Love controls the championship standings, but the drivers behind him still have plenty to race for.
Saturday’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Phoenix Raceway marked the beginning of a three-year title sponsorship agreement with Timberland PRO, further expanding the brand’s presence in NASCAR.
Maggie MacKenzie Maggie MacKenzie covers NASCAR for Heavy.com. She previously worked for NASCAR.com, where she reported, wrote, and edited race-weekend coverage and traveled to key events throughout the season. She has more than ten years of experience in sports media and is based in Boston, Massachusetts. More about Maggie MacKenzie