RCR NOAPS Race Recap: Circuit of The Americas

Jesse Love and the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Team Put Forth Consistent Effort to Earn Top-Five Result at Circuit of The Americas

Finish: 4th
Start: 11th
Points: 2nd

“I felt like Connor Zilisch for the first five laps of a run and thought we were better than Shane (van Gisbergen) on the fire off of Stage 3, but then he just does his witchcraft and doesn’t slow down at all. I kind of lost leverage there on the last restart, but at the end of the day, in these races you can be upset with whoever you want, but you have to put yourself in a position to have that control over their decisions or you don’t. And unfortunately having to restart fourth at the end was probably the worst thing for me and I was opened up to typical stack-ups at the end. I’m a little bummed out with how the day ended because I thought we were good enough to run second or maybe could have beat SVG on a short run or if he slipped up. I’m still really proud of our group. My pit crew overcame some adversity and I’m proud of all the guys on this No. 2 Whelen team. Very few people know how much effort I put into my craft of road racing and to see it almost bear fruit today is exciting for me.” -Jesse Love

Austin Hill and the No. 21 Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet Team Capture Stage 1 Win and Runner-Up Finish at Circuit of The Americas

Finish: 2nd
Start: 3rd
Points: 1st

“I honestly had so much fun today. These road courses are a blast, and our Bennett Transportation & Logistics Chevrolet was fast all day. I made a lot of mistakes out there but that’s going to happen on these road courses. We were able to get 10 points with the Stage 1 win and then we struggled a little bit in Stage 2 with just trying to figure out what we needed to be better. At the beginning of Stage 3, I didn’t have the greatest restart, but we were able to drive back up to fourth before the caution brought the field back together. On the last restart I did a good job of staying far left. As soon as they all went into Turn 1, I knew they would slide up and I filed in second. Then I had to go to work on SVG. He’s just so good during the first three laps of a run and can get away. I was struggling with front turn for the first two or three laps, which let him get a gap and manage from there. Hats off to those guys. I’ll take a second and move on.” -Austin Hill

Are you a die-hard NASCAR fan? Follow every lap, every pit stop, every storyline? We're looking for fellow enthusiasts to share insights, race recaps, hot takes, or behind-the-scenes knowledge with our readers. Click Here to apply!

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

SM SPEEDWAY SHOTS

Latest articles

Ford Racing – Bristol Night Race Advance

While the NASCAR Cup Series hosts its third race in the Chase this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway for the annual Night Race

NHRA GREAT LAKES NATIONALS: ELITE MOTORSPORTS ENTERS 2026 COUNTDOWN TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP

After closing out the 2026 regular season, Elite Motorsports is heading to U.S. 131 Raceway Park for the Dodge NHRA Great Lakes Nationals, race one of six in the Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship.

Riggs, Majeski, Rhodes and Smith Ready to Chase NCTS Championship

CHANDLER SMITH, No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford F-150 – HOW FULFILLING WOULD IT BE TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP WITH STARTING THIS TEAM FROM SCRATCH A COUPLE YEARS AGO?

Spire Motorsports Bass Pro Shops Night Race Advance

In 25 previous NASCAR Cup Series starts at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, Spire Motorsports has two top-10 and seven top-15 finishes.

Best New Zealand Online Casinos