Jesse Love is back in the NASCAR Cup Series spotlight—and this time, it’s a move that not many expected.
The 20-year-old rising star, already making big waves in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, has just been announced as the driver for Beard Motorsports in not one, but two upcoming Cup Series races. Love will be behind the wheel of the unchartered No. 62 Chevrolet at Texas Motor Speedway on May 4 and Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27. And for Beard Motorsports, these are huge firsts, as the team has never competed at either of these tracks before.
This is quite a big deal—not just for Love, but for the whole NASCAR scene.
Jesse Love: From Xfinity to Cup, Yet Again
If you’ve been following Love lately, you know he’s been doing some pretty great driving in the Xfinity Series. He’s in his second full-time season with Richard Childress Racing and already has a win this year at Daytona, plus two top-five and six top-10 finishes. He’s currently third in the driver’s standings with 286 points.
Now, his Cup Series journey isn’t starting from scratch either. Love made his Cup debut just last month at Bristol Motor Speedway with Richard Childress Racing. He finished 31st—not the result he wanted—but showed plenty of promise and speed. C4 Energy, the same brand that sponsored him at Bristol, is sticking with him for these next two Cup races as well. That kind of backing means a lot, for an up-and-coming driver like him.
Beard Motorsports is a small, single-car team that usually only shows up for superspeedways and a few road course events. So, bringing Love in for Texas and Indianapolis—two big, fast tracks where they’ve never even raced before—is kind of a bold move. But it looks like they believe in Love’s potential just as much as the fans do.
Amie Beard-Deja, executive VP of Beard Motorsports said, “We have been watching Jesse Love in his racing endeavours and have certainly been impressed with what he has been doing, so it was a no-brainer for us to take on the challenge of preparing cars for and competing in the races that will take place this season at Texas and Indianapolis.”
Beard Motorsports is excited to announce that @jesselovejr will race the No. 62 Chevrolet with sponsorship from @c4energy at upcoming @nascar Cup Series races at @txmotorspeedway and @indianapolismotorspeedway. pic.twitter.com/R1ryFN7wKF
— Beard Motorsports (@BeardOil62) April 16, 2025
Why Everyone’s Talking About Jesse Love
Love isn’t just another driver climbing the ranks. He’s got this calm confidence about him off the track, and once the helmet goes on, he becomes fearless and immensely competitive. He’s got two career wins in Xfinity already, and every time he’s on track, people are watching.
The No. 62 car he’ll be driving isn’t in the NASCAR charter system, which means it’s not guaranteed a starting spot—but with the kind of buzz Love brings, you can bet fans and teams alike will be keeping an eye on him. He’s the second driver to race the 62 this year, after Anthony Alfredo’s Daytona run, earlier this year.
So, mark those dates. May 4 and July 27. Love’s heading back to the Cup Series, and who knows what kind of magic he might pull off. One thing’s for sure: this wonderkid isn’t slowing down anytime soon.