The speculation is building that defending NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion Jesse Love could potentially leave Richard Childress Racing (RCR) for a full-time Cup Series opportunity in 2027, with insider comments indicating significant interest from rival teams on the sport’s prospect.
On the recent episode of The Teardown, podcast, NASCAR insider Jordan Bianchi said that several Cup teams are reportedly interested in signing Love for next season.
Thanks for the submission!
“You talk to people in the garage, they think he’s [Love] really talented. There’s Cup teams that are interested in him.” Bianchi said.
Jesse Love made his NOAPS debut in 2024 with RCR and secured his first win at Talladega Superspeedway. The following year, he becomes the series champion after winning the season finale at Phoenix Raceway. The 21-year-old driver may not have won many races in the series, but he has shown consistency and strong results that make him a rising future star.
As a part of the developmental program with RCR, Love also competes part-time in the #33 RCR car that he shares with fellow teammate OAPS driver Austin Hill.
While Love is committed to RCR for this season, his future beyond that is a hot topic due to RCR’s limited charter capacity and potential changes to their current Cup lineup.
Can RCR sign Jesse Love as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver next season?
While many expected Love to eventually move up with RCR in the Cup Series, uncertainty around Kyle Busch’s future lineup could open the door for other Cup teams to go after NASCAR prospect. Many in industry believe that two-time Cup champion Busch is likely to leave RCR for another team in 2027 due to lack of results. If that happens, it could open an #8 car seat for Love.
Among rival teams, Jimmie Johnson’s co-owned Legacy Motor Club can target Jesse Love for a potential expansion to a third car in the 2027 season.
Jesse Love fell short of reaching victory lane in last weekend’s race at Watkins Glen International, losing on the final lap to Cup Series driver Connor Zilisch.
The Menlo Park, California, native has had a good start of his 2026 campaign with consistent top-five results. He has recorded one pole, five top-5s, and nine top-10 finishes and led 279 laps with an average finish of 8.4 through 13 races. Even though he failed to take the checkered flag, he’s consistently been one of the best drivers in the series.
After P2 finish at Watkins Glen, Love moved to third place in the NOAPS points standings with 479 points.
Edited by Yash Soni
