Entering the Timberland Pro 200, only 15 points separated the first four drivers in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase, but that quickly changed at Phoenix due to Jesse Love’s domination and Sheldon Creed’s mechanical trouble.
“It’s just normal to shut the car off under caution and it just didn’t refire,” Creed said about his car’s issue at the end of Stage 1 which came after the first 45 laps. “Cycled power, went through a bunch of different things, and nothing got us refired. I started playing with a little shut-off button on the steering wheel. It didn’t refire the first time I hit it, and then I hit it two more times and it refired.”
Creed, who has led the standings for most of the nine-race Chase, now trails Love by 59 points. He believes he needs to get back within 25 to 30 points of the lead before the season finale at Homestead to have a chance at the series championship.
In the 200-lap Phoenix race, Love led 156 laps and swept the Stages to come within one point of having a perfect race. Justin Allgaier earned the one point given to the driver posting the fastest lap during the event.
“It’s been a tough year for us, so I’m just grateful to be in this situation to win races,” said Love, who fought off Sam Mayer in the closing laps for a 0.128-second victory for his second win this season and the fifth of his career.
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Jesse Love fought off Sam Mayer in the closing laps for a 0.128-second victory.
“It’s the days that we prepare for and not just dream of. I’ve learned from a lot of mistakes that allowed me to execute at a high level at a track like this. Try to learn something new every lap and try to learn something new every weekend.”
Love won last year’s series championship with a victory at the one-mile Phoenix track. He is moving to the Cup Series in 2027, replacing Josh Berry in the Wood Brothers Ford.
With three events remaining in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase, Love possesses a 36-point lead over Allgaier, who finished third at Phoenix. Fifty-nine points now separate the top four drivers. Corey Day is third in the standings, 39 points behind Love. Creed dropped to fourth with his 32nd-place finish.
A North Carolina native, Deb Williams is an award-winning motorsports journalist who is in her fourth decade covering auto racing. In addition to covering the sport for United Press International, she has written motorsports articles for several newspapers, magazines and websites including espnW.com, USA Today, and The Charlotte Observer. Her awards include the American Motorsports Media Award of Excellence, two-time National Motorsports Press Association writer of the year, and two-time recipient of the Russ Catlin award. She also has won an award in the North Carolina Press Association’s sports feature category. During her career, Deb has been managing editor of GT Motorsports magazine and was with Winston Cup Scene and NASCAR Winston Cup Scene for 18 years, serving as the publication’s editor for 10 years. In 2024 she was inducted into the NMPA Hall of Fame.