The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series rolled into Phoenix Raceway on a bright desert afternoon, and the spotlight quickly fell on the pole-sitter, Jesse Love. From the green flag, Love set a relentless pace, eventually commanding 156 of the 200 laps and sealing a victory that awarded him a 75-point cushion over his nearest rival.
Love’s masterclass and new points advantage
Starting from the front row, Love turned his qualified speed into a marathon of dominance. His Chevrolet, fielded by Richard Childress Racing never relinquished the lead for more than a handful of laps, even as the race’s stages shuffled the field. When the checkered flag fell, the scoreboard reflected a 75-point margin, propelling Love into the The driver reflected on the effort, saying, “I’m grateful to the good Lord above for putting great people behind me. I’m grateful to the other one for RCR, ECR. I’ve got a great pit crew who just maul everybody on pit road every week.”
Sam Mayer’s meteoric climb from the back
Meanwhile, Sam Mayer of the Haas Factory Team wrote a different kind of story. Starting 35th, the #41 Chevrolet clawed its way through the pack, using a blend of tire management and aggressive overtakes. In the final corner, Mayer nudged the back bumper of Love’s car, creating a heart-stopping moment that left the two separated by just 0.128 seconds at the finish line. Mayer praised his crew’s work, noting, “The 41 team did a great job going from the back and making their car better. Honestly, it felt like they were a little better than we were at the end.”
Stage winners, incidents and the rest of the top ten
The race featured three distinct stages. Love captured Stage 1, with Corey Crews briefly taking the lead before being reeled back in. A surprise strategy saw Brandon jones gamble on wet-weather tires during a brief rain-related caution, a move that ultimately dropped him off the lead lap. Justin Allgaier claimed Stage 2 after a short-lived pass on Love, while Corey Day and Taylor Gray rounded out the top five of that segment.
Stage 3 saw the front row of Love and Day, but a series of incidents reshuffled the order. Teammates Brennan Poole and Lavar Scott tangled, sending both into the wall and prompting a second caution. A penalty for a loose wheel forced Taylor Gray to the back, while speed-limit infractions caught Corey Crews and Ryan Sieg. The green-flag pit cycle began with 48 laps to go, and Mayer emerged just over two seconds behind Love, setting up the nail-biting finale.
Beyond the Love-Mayer duel, the top five rounded out with Allgaier in third, Day fourth, and Sammy Smith fifth. Completing the top ten were Brandon JonesDean ThompsonWilliam SawalichRajah Caruth and Carson Kvapil. The race also featured an early-midfield clash between Ryan Sieg and Juan Sanchez who brushed each other and lost several positions, and a brief engine issue that sidelined Jake Finch.
