“You can write it down, he’ll be a superstar,” Richard Childress said to Jesse Love as they first met to finalize the details of his joining the team. It was something of a gamble, but a gamble that has paid off for RCR. He has his Xfinity “superstar”, and Love’s Daytona win proved that. But with his close friend Connor Zilisch making headways into the Cup Series, is Jesse Love thinking about moving to the highest tier of American motorsports?

Speaking about a potential debut, Love said, “Yeah, I forgot what they told me to say when people ask me this. Well, I’m glad you think I’m ready. That’s a compliment. I’m very flattered, but absolutely. Me and Connor talked about where we’d want to, you know, one day make our Cup starts and stuff like that, and more cup races. Obviously, I want to go to a place that I’m good at. But I also know that I have to go to places where I need to learn stuff, too, where I’m not a Martinsville fan, and this is no correlation if I’m making a Cup start there, but Martinsville is a place that I struggle at.”

After Zilisch’s Cup debut, Love might just have his reservations about going to NASCAR’s highest level. After Connor Zilisch won the Focused Health 250, he received a lot of warnings from fellow drivers about aggressive driving. Add to that his crash with Trackhouse teammate Daniel Suarez didn’t help. Regardless of this, COTA is a track that played to Zilisch’s strengths. His road course skill is higher than most Xfinity drivers, making the Cup Series transition simpler.

“So it’s like a trade-off where I can go there and learn a lot, but I can also go there and maybe not run that good. So, not my first time there. Yeah, I think for me, I’m more of a guy that I want to go to a place that I’m, you know, rather good at and I have some laps at. I can unload and have some sort of knowledge of what I’m getting myself into, but obviously that’s up to RCR’s decision and I will just go where I’m told,” he continued. ‘

Going by Love’s strengths, a Cup Series superspeedway race might just be the place where Jesse Love jumps in the car. He claimed his second NASCAR Xfinity Series victory at the Daytona International Speedway season opener earlier this year, leading 30 of 126 laps, and overtaking the field in overtime. Last year, he won the AG-PRO 300 at Talladega in spectacular fashion. Could a return to superspeedway come with RCR?

Well, Richard Childress’ team is fielding the #33 part-time in the Cup Series. The whole objective is to give Xfinity drivers a platform to make an impact in the higher level of the sport, but there’s a problem. There are other capable candidates in the RCR roster, ones who could be promoted instead. Names like Austin Hill, who participated in the #33’s Daytona Cup Series in the second half of 2024.

Richard Childress certainly has trust in him. He once explained words he said to Jesse Love, “Jesse, you have the talent. You have that Jeff Gordon, William Byron look. Now you gotta go out and be them. He’ll be a superstar, Jesse Love.”

With races at Talladega and Daytona still on the cards for the future, Jesse Love’s performance can dictate his potential Cup Series debut. For now, Jesse Love isn’t only taking the media but his own teammates for a spin with his wicked sense of humor and sass.

When Love even shut down Sheldon Creed

Jesse Love, led 27 of 46 laps, beating Sheldon Creed, his RCR teammate in the No. 18, by 0.775 seconds in a thrilling overtime finish. But what happened after the match was even more savage behavior from Love. He shut down Sheldon Creed’s playful jab following his dominant win at Circuit of the Americas (COTA). Creed, finishing second, posted on X, “Scoreboard, buddy,” teasing Love after the race, referencing their on-track battle.

Love addressed this, maintaining his cool. “I love Sheldon, but that’s just him being Sheldon,….He’s trying to get under my skin, but I’m focused on the win. We had the faster car today, and I’m not sweating his comments.” Love’s victory marked his third Xfinity win and solidified his 2025 momentum after the Daytona opener, where he also outran Creed. The COTA race showcased their rivalry within RCR’s Chevrolet lineup, with Creed pushing hard but falling short.

Love’s late-race strategy edged out Creed’s No. 18. Love’s response drew a line, saying, “We’re teammates, but on the track, it’s every man for himself.” This clash adds spice to RCR’s Xfinity campaign, with Love leading the points and Creed chasing. This will set up a more intense battles ahead.

Love’s blend of humor and strategy may not be giving too much about RCR’s next move but it makes fans eager for his Cup debut.