In the NASCAR garage, few figures command the respect and aura that Richard Childress does. Now 79, Childress began his career as an owner-driver in 1969 and transitioned to full team ownership by 1981. He built his legacy on a blue-collar racing ethos defined by grit and toughness rather than glamour. This relentless spirit was evident in the 1986 Richmond race, where Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s contact with Darrell Waltrip’s car sparked a $5,000 fine and probation for rough driving. Despite the penalty, Childress stood firmly by his driver, arguing NASCAR had overreacted to the fierce competitiveness. Decades later, this same tenacity guides Childress as he mentors drivers like Jesse Love.

Childress recently echoed that blue-collar ethos after penalties hit his team, like the 2024 Richmond deduction for Austin Hill and a 2025 Indianapolis ruling he deemed unfair, urging NASCAR to “take a deep dive” into such decisions. Dale Earnhardt Jr. reflected on this character, noting, “There were times in the 80s and 90s where there was a little bit of that, where Dad would get penalized for rough driving, and boy, you know, Richard would be like, ‘You know, NASCAR’s wrong. They screwed us.” Now, this mentality is fueling Jesse Love’s 2025 Xfinity push, where he holds fourth in playoff standings with an 8-point cushion above the cutline after a P5 at Gateway on September 6. But how does Love channel this identity under Childress’s guidance?

Jesse Love embraces RCR’s fighting spirit

On a recent episode of the NASCAR Live podcast, Jesse Love opened up to host Steve Post about aligning with Richard Childress’s mindset, revealing his full buy-in to the team’s resilient approach. When asked if RCR’s “us versus the world” mentality suits him, echoing Childress’s own video clip calling them a blue-collar squad, Love didn’t hesitate. “Man, I feel like for me, you know, I try to just buy into the fact that, again, it is us against the world, but it’s also just like the 2 versus the world or the 21 versus the world or the 88 versus the world, right?” he said.

This four-word phrase, “us against the world,” captures how Love doubles down on blue-collar racing identity: a hardworking, underdog ethos that prioritizes focus and tenacity amid adversity, much like Childress‘s teams have for over five decades. This identity stems from Childress’s history of backing aggressive drivers, fostering a culture where grit trumps excuses. For Love, a 20-year-old from California who joined RCR in 2024 as a rookie and earned his first Xfinity win at Talladega that year, it means zeroing in on immediate battles, beating the car ahead while holding off those behind.

The effect is evident in his growth: after a solid rookie season with one win and five poles, Love has notched 18 top-10s and eight top-fives in 2025, including a season-opening victory at Daytona before a disqualification at Rockingham for post-race inspection failure. Childress, as a mentor, has been pivotal, providing leadership that propelled RCR’s leaps from last year, helping Love refine his winning mentality without distractions.

Love further emphasized their shared outlook, stating, “I feel like me and Richard think very similarly about, you know, the mentality that it takes to win. And he’s been a great leader for our organization, and this year we may definitely leap and bound over last year and whatnot.” This substantiates Childress’s role in Love’s career, turning the young driver’s raw talent, honed in ARCA where he won 10 races in 2023, into disciplined performance. A relevant backstory underscores this: when Childress defended Earnhardt Sr.’s aggressive style in past eras, it mirrored his current support for drivers facing scrutiny, instilling in Love a focus on constant improvement.

“So yeah, I just feel like, regardless of the situation, I just try to have my next best weekend and improve off of who I was yesterday,” Love added, highlighting how this blue-collar drive keeps him competitive in the playoffs. Yet, even as Love thrives under Childress’s influence, personal challenges add layers to his season. Facing a close friend who’s surging ahead brings its own intensity; could this rivalry push Love further or create emotional hurdles?

Friendly rivalry fuels Love’s drive

Jesse Love’s bond with Connor Zilisch, his best friend and fellow Xfinity competitor, blends brotherly camaraderie with fierce on-track battles, intensifying the emotional stakes in the playoffs. The two, who act like siblings off the circuit, push each other relentlessly during races, turning friendly jabs into motivation. Love candidly shared this dynamic, saying, “It definitely stings more when he beats you because you have to hear about it throughout the week.” This reflects their trash-talking habit, where wins lead to week-long ribbing, but Love stresses it never crosses into negativity; he genuinely roots for Zilisch’s success while chasing his own.

Zilisch’s dominant 2025 run, with eight victories and a commanding 59-point lead atop the playoff standings, contrasts Love’s consistent but less flashy campaign, heightening the turmoil for the RCR driver. Love locked his playoff spot early with the Daytona win and has delivered steady results, like his third at Las Vegas and second at Iowa, but Zilisch’s momentum, leading the points over Justin Allgaier by 29, leaves Love motivated to close the gap. “I’m really happy for Connor, but right now, he has what I want, so I am very motivated to go and take that,” Love admitted, underscoring how this friendship fuels his resolve without breeding resentment.

Their relationship, built outside the garage, adds a relatable human element to NASCAR’s high-pressure world, where rivals can remain close. As Zilisch charges ahead, Love uses the sting as a drive, balancing competition with support, evident in his podcast comments, where he enjoys the banter but wishes no ill. This emotional layer could prove key as the playoffs unfold, turning personal ties into professional edges.