“He’s my best friend in the whole world, but not when we’re racing each other. We race each other hard, but fair.” Those words from Jesse Love set the tone for a finale that immediately sparked controversy. Love took the checkered flag at the championship race in Phoenix, but instead of a universal celebration, a wave of frustration rolled through the fanbase. To many, watching Connor Zilisch, who dominated the season, lose the title felt like a gut punch.

Still, the NASCAR system is brutal but clear, and Love played within every boundary it gives a driver. But as the dust settles on the 2025 season, the spotlight still shines dramatically. With Zilisch’s Cup promotion with Trackhouse Racing, he’s already locked in, leaving the 20-year-old champion standing at a crossroads. Love’s next move is the most anticipated storyline of the off-season. Amid all the noise, one thing is sure: Love is hungrier than ever.

Jesse Love aims to be a better driver

In a YouTube interview with Eric Estepp, speaking of what will motivate him next year, the 20-year-old driver said, “For me, this year it was trying to beat somebody. And for the most part, I haven’t really told him this, but for the most part, it was Connor, right? And next year, I don’t know what my motivation’s necessarily going to be yet. I know that deep down my biggest motivation is that I want to make my dad proud, and I want to represent God well… I just want to be better than I was yesterday, right? And as an athlete and as a person, just continue to chip away at it and get better every day.” 

Only Jesse Love knows the struggles and sacrifices he has gone through to reach this point. And all he needed was some healthy competition from his best friend. Just take the Pocono race, for example. At the Explore the Pocono Mountains 250, the JR Motorsports driver pulled off a clutch, late-race move to take the lead from his longtime friend Love with just a few laps to go.

He drove his No. 88 car alongside Love’s No. 2 Richard Childress Racing as they crossed the line with four laps remaining, then surged ahead with three laps to go, eventually winning by 0.437 seconds. The finish marked Zilisch’s first oval win in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, a significant milestone made sweeter by veteran guidance from his crew chief, Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was filling in for the suspended regular.

Despite falling short, Love was candid about how much the result meant to him and how hard he fought. Admitting the sting he felt, the RCR driver said, “That’s the most focused I’ve ever been inside a race car, I did not want Connor to beat me because I’ll have to hear about it for a long time. Hats off to him. He ran a good race. Once I was able to get a draft I was able to get back to him. But that bums me out, I’m not going to lie, but I’m still trying to be grateful we have fast race cars and are in position to win.”

And that fueled the sophomore, Love, to fire up all his engines at Phoenix. He was determined not to let the talented rookie beat him, and Love eventually overtook Zilisch in the closing laps at the championship finale to seal his first-ever Xfinity title, honoring his words to beat Zilisch. Despite the heartbreak, Zilisch and Love remain close friends. But now that the motivation to beat a standout is short-lived.

With Zilisch’s Cup move, there will be no competition next year, as Love’s biggest track rival was Zilisch. It would be natural to assume that the former will soon follow suit, but no confirmations have been made. It can be said with much certainty that Love wants to keep his championship momentum alive as he steps into the NASCAR O’Reilly Series.

As of now, though, Love is focused on the release of the NASCAR docuseries, RISING, in which he is a part, as Zilisch returns to racing.

Connor Zilisch gears up for postseason testing at Daytona

While Jesse Love has set his motivations straight for 2026, Zilisch is busy ripping off laps at the storied Daytona track. He arrived at Daytona with something to prove, when his first outing in the Cadillac V Series R delivered exactly what he needed. The 19-year-old completed 33 clean laps in Action Express Racing’s No. 31 GTP machinery during IMSA’s preseason test, an encouraging sign for someone eyeing a possible fourth driver role in the team’s Rolex 24 lineup.

Extremely excited after the opportunity, he said, “It was awesome. It’s very different, but at the same time similar to things I’ve driven in the past. It’s kind of a mixture between the P2 car and the GT3 I drove this year. It’s a little heavier than the P2, more power, but really cool. There’s a lot of new controls and things I have to learn. It was a lot of fun getting to feel it out and run a lot of laps.”

Endurance racing isn’t new territory for Zilisch. He won LMP2 at Daytona at just 17, and he returned this past January in GTD Pro with TF Sport’s Corvette lineup. A potential GTP seat for the Rolex 24 would mark his third start in the event and easily his biggest.

Now he’s pushing for that step, but the week leading up to the test hadn’t been kind to him. Missing out on the Xfinity championship not only took away the title but also erased the last opportunity to gain the FIA license points needed for his planned Cadillac JOTA evaluation. An additional 10 points would have changed everything, even though the Daytona helped shift momentum back in his favor, as he is preparing for the next chapter in the NASCAR Cup Series.