2025 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion Jesse Love Jr. saw his Chili Bowl bid come to a halt on Friday, one day shy of Saturday’s finale during the last preliminary night. Driving a midget owned by Hendrick Motorsports’ Blake Harris, who also serves as Alex Bowman’s crew chief in the NASCAR Cup Series, Love exited after a crash that forced evaluation and ultimately ended his week.
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Love was deep in the fight during Friday’s portion of the Chili Bowl Nationals. Coming off the final corner, he and Giovanni Scelzi ran side by side for fifth position. Moments after crossing the finish line, the two made wheel contact. The 21-year-old was launched into the air after finishing sixth and flipped three times into turn one before landing on all four wheels.
An insane view on-board with Gio Scelzi as @jesselovejr1 flips at the end of Friday’s #ChiliBowl prelim feature pic.twitter.com/UlEqu2UayE
— FloRacing (@FloRacing) January 17, 2026
Following the crash, the team confirmed that Love’s car would not return for Saturday’s finale. While repairs were attempted, they noted the damage was too extensive, and the car would not be ready to race. Love later provided an update on his condition, sharing two pictures of his Midget car on X and writing,
“Thank you to everyone who reached out, I’m okay. Had the rowdies up on their feet Friday night and crashed at the line.” He added, “My body is gonna recover. I’m just more upset than anything now. Grateful for the opportunity with Blake & hopefully I can stay more current this year on the dirt,” he wrote on X.
Thank you to everyone who reached out, I’m okay. Had the rowdies up on their feet Friday night and crashed at the line. My body is gonna recover. I’m just more upset than anything now. Grateful for the opportunity with Blake & hopefully I can stay more current this year on the… pic.twitter.com/JduJrA3EgG
— jesse love jr (@jesselovejr1) January 17, 2026
This was Love’s fifth career Chili Bowl Nationals appearance, having previously entered the prestigious event from 2021 through 2024. He returned to competition after a one-year break, attending the 2025 edition solely as a fan. After a season in which he claimed the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series title, he relished being back behind the wheel for one of dirt racing’s crown jewels.
Harris, commenting on the violent flip and outlining why the run had reached its end, explained that, unlike NASCAR, there are no backup cars at the Chili Bowl. Teams must compete with the same car they started the week with. While uncertainty stayed initially, the crew identified missing parts and components.
After digging further, the team also uncovered extensive internal damage. Harris noted that Love’s pace on Friday was a preview of what was possible when the car was in proper form, but nothing about a Saturday attempt would be right given the current state of the machine. With that in mind, the team elected to shift focus and return next year.
