When NASCAR teams charter private jets, it’s usually for luxury or logistics, not regret. Earlier this year, Rick Hendrick made headlines when he left Daytona during a weather delay, flying back to North Carolina. The reason? In the beginning, unknown. Many speculated it was health-related. Turns out, he just didn’t think the race would resume. But it did. And his driver, William Byron, ended up winning his second consecutive Daytona 500!

The cameras captured Byron’s victory lane celebration, but not his team owner, who was already halfway home. That unexpected absence stirred conversation across the garage. Because in NASCAR, moments matter, and the people behind the scenes often go to extreme lengths just to be there for them. And this past weekend, team owner Richard Childress fired up his jet. But this time, it wasn’t to avoid a delay or beat traffic. It was something far more personal.

A race Jesse Love will remember for a long time

For Richard Childress Racing’s Jesse Love, Saturday’s Xfinity race at Pocono Raceway wasn’t just another hard-fought battle; it was personal. In a late-race restart duel against his best friend and JR Motorsports driver Connor Zilisch, Love came out second-best in a finish that stung him more than usual. In a post-race interview, Jesse Love made his thoughts known while also delivering a powerful message.

“I think that was the most focused I’ve ever been inside of a race car,” Jesse Love admitted after the race. “I did not want Connor [Zilisch] to beat me. I’m gonna have to think or hear about it for a long time, unfortunately.” Connor Zilisch made the race-winning move with three laps to go, pulling ahead of Jess Love by just over four-tenths of a second.

The gap was small. But the impact? Big, even though it doesn’t seem so at first glance. The loss didn’t cost Jess Love a spot in the standings. He remains 4th with 502 points. But Connor Zilisch? He is now with 488 points, inching closer to his fifth position despite missing a race. However, while gutted about the loss, Jesse took a moment to send his prayers to a crew member who had to leave the race due to an emergency.

Davey Matthews, rear-end mechanic for Jesse Love, was forced to leave Pocono during practice and qualifying, assisted by Richard Childress‘ private jet. Love spoke on the situation after the race, saying, “I want to take the time to say a special prayer and let Davy Matthews, our rear-end mechanic, know that we’re thinking about him and his family. His one-year-old daughter had some serious health issues today during practice and qualifying. Richard Childress flew his jet up here and flew Davey back home to be with his family right now… We miss him, and I really wanted to win that race for him,” Love said. Unfortunately, Jesse Love couldn’t, and that frustrated him, but also gave him perspective.

Love added, “Man, that bums me out, off, p—– me off, I’m not gonna lie. We got fast race cars in the position to win… No matter what, just proud of the effort. We’re all brothers on this race team… All in all, it’s a great day, nothing to hang our heads about.” The pain may linger, but so will the pride. And now, the spotlight shifts to the guy who did win.

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Connor Zilisch grabs first oval win with Dale Jr. calling the shots

It was a big day for JR Motorsports and an even bigger one for 18-year-old Connor Zilisch. Not only did he pull off his first career oval victory in Saturday’s Explore the Pocono Mountains 250, but he did it with none other than Dale Earnhardt Jr. calling the shots on the pit box.

With full-time crew chief Mardy Lindley serving a one-race suspension for a loose lug nut penalty at Nashville, team owner Dale Jr. stepped in. And boy, did he make it count! The Hall of Famer wasn’t just up top managing strategy. He got his hands dirty, helping with pit stops and even rolling tires during live stops. “Not too bad on the box,” Zilisch quipped post-race, flashing a grin. Practice makes perfect, we guess!

“I’ve been dying for this one for a while now,” the young driver added. “I’ve been so close on the ovals lately. I finished second at Charlotte, second at Nashville.” That frustration finally gave way to celebration. Zilisch was one of the fastest cars all day, consistently holding pace with Cup Series champion Chase Elliott and defending Xfinity champ and teammate, Justin Allgaier. But it was a well-timed caution on Lap 72 that sealed the deal.

Garrett Smithley’s incident slowed the race just after Zilisch had made his final green-flag pit stop, vaulting him ahead of leaders who still needed to pit. From there, it was all about execution. Dale Jr. kept him calm, the No. 88 crew nailed the pit stops, and Zilisch delivered on track. He led the final three laps and crossed the line 0.437 seconds ahead of Jesse Love.

This win also gave Dale Jr. his first win as a crew chief, becoming the fifth crew chief this season to earn his first Xfinity Series victory. Not a bad Saturday for either of them. Hopefully, JR Motorsports can carry this momentum forward.