Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Team Rebound from Mid-Race Damage to Capture Top-10 Result at Portland International Raceway
Finish: 10th
Start: 10th
Points: 4th
“The Whelen team never gave up today. Portland wasn’t a great race for us last year, so we basically did a 180 coming back here. I thought it was better for sure, and we learned a lot throughout the day. Our No. 2 Chevrolet struggled to get the power down in Turns 2 and 12, but overall, we showed a lot of speed in the first half. We got contact from the No. 18 which damaged our right rear fender. After that, the car was loose on the backstretch and draggy down the frontstretch. The guys fixed it the best they could under the last stage break, and we restarted deep in the field. Just kept our heads down and made up ground to finish inside the top-10. I’ve worked really hard on the road courses the last couple of seasons and I think that helped when it mattered most.” -Jesse Love
Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet Team Lead Closing Laps and Earn Fifth-Place Finish at Portland International Raceway
Finish: 5th
Start: 3rd
Points: 5th
“One of these days, this No. 21 team is going to win a road course race. We have come close so many times and today was no different. Our Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet had speed and was one of the top two cars. During the first stage, we needed more turn in the right handers, and I was willing to give up a little on the lefts to get more on the rights. Chad (Haney, crew chief) made good adjustments in the break, and we definitely made gains during Stage 2. The car was still tight in the right handers in the closing laps, but we were in the hunt. The No. 88 was obviously the best car, but we were able to hang with him on the final restarts. The overtime one didn’t go as planned and I’m frustrated to not get the job done, but I’m still extremely proud of this team. We are gaining momentum at the right time of the season, and we’ll be ready for the Playoffs in a couple weeks.” -Austin Hill
