Fresh off a championship season with Richard Childress Racing, Jesse Love is already kicking up dirt in the NASCAR offseason, and his choice of teammate for the Chili Bowl is turning heads across the garage.

But numerous NASCAR drivers are participating in the prestigious Dirt Racing event at Tulsa. After all, the call of the ‘Golden Digger’ is something hardly any other stock car driver can refuse. The roster of the race is also full of veteran NASCAR talents and young performers. So for Jesse Love, it should be an easy decision, right? However, the real shocker is the team that he is racing for.

Jesse Love to race for HMS Crew Chief at the 2026 Chili Bowl Nationals

Jesse Love will race for 2nd Opinion Auto Center Racing this year at Tulsa. The catch is that the car is owned by Hendrick Motorsports crew chief, Blake Harris. Blake Harris leads the crew for Alex Bowman in the NASCAR Cup Series. Now, there is no reason to explain the rivalry between Richard Childress Racing and Hendrick Motorsports in the Cup Series. Both teams are at odds with each other, even though they are partnered with the same manufacturer, Chevy.

Hendrick Motorsports got the better of the two in 2025. Their driver, Kyle Larson, won the Cup Series. Meanwhile, RCR’s best driver, Kyle Busch, was unable to qualify for the Playoffs. So it’s apparent that there will be some friction between the two teams about Jesse Love.

It is also interesting to notice that Jesse’s contract would prevent him from racing with HMS when he is with RCR in the O’Reilly Series. However, they definitely did not anticipate him racing for the team owned by the crew chief. While there is no guarantee behind the specific contract obligations, The Hammer, who is still considering a move to the land of the Down Under, is very serious about the Chili Bowl Nationals.

And why do we say that?

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Jesse Love returns to claim redemption for the 2024 disaster

It is not his first time in the Chili Bowl Nationals. Love has tried to test his mettle in the grand competition multiple times previously. He has been participating in the CB Nationals for four years. However, he was unable to qualify for the finals in the A-main category in his previous attempts. The most tragic disqualification came in 2024. He was leading the qualifier race, only to end up flipping his car and crashing out.

Jesse Love brings a lot of experience to the race. Love is a former winner in the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series. His talent in dirt racing is also highlighted by the fact that he holds the USAC track record at Gas City I-69 Speedway. Love is one of the most versatile drivers at Tulsa. His recent Xfinity Series title will only fuel his determination and confidence.

But the field is not so easy either. Among the 385 total participants who have registered for the event, the likes of Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell take the stage. Larson is the defending champion, and Christopher Bell is a three-time winner from 2017-2019. Jesse Love will also face competition from J.J. Yeley, Sheldon Creed, Corey Day, and Josh Bilicki. If the momentum from the Xfinity Series Championship favors Love, he might be able to break his disqualification streak from the past years.