Jesse Love is preparing for a major career transition, with a full-time NASCAR Cup Series opportunity waiting for him in 2027. The 21-year-old will leave Richard Childress Racing at the end of this season and take over the iconic No. 21 Ford Mustang for Wood Brothers Racing, replacing Josh Berry. But before beginning that new chapter in NASCAR’s premier division, the reigning O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion has another international racing commitment on his calendar. Love is heading back to Australia for another shot at the Adelaide Grand Final.
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Jesse Love is heading back to Australia for another Adelaide Super2 appearance, confirming a second consecutive outing with Image Racing at the season-ending event. The reigning NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion will return to the Australian circuit after making his debut there in 2025, adding another international commitment before his full-time move to the Cup Series with Wood Brothers Racing in 2027.
The 21-year-old’s return also gives him another opportunity to build on the experience he gained during his first visit. Love’s 2025 Super2 debut came through Image Racing, with former Image engineer Andrew Dickeson helping facilitate the arrangement. Despite having limited experience with the machinery and the Adelaide circuit, the American put together a respectable weekend. He outqualified three regular competitors in his maiden race before finishing 14th in the following day’s contest.
However, Love’s decision to race in Australia was about more than simply adding another event to his schedule. He was particularly interested in improving his road-course abilities after watching Shane van Gisbergen make an immediate impact in NASCAR. The New Zealander’s success against established American drivers had caught Love’s attention, prompting him to look at what he could learn from the Supercars environment.
“Shane kind of whoops our a** quite a bit in America on the road course,” Love admitted ahead of his 2025 appearance.
The RCR driver wanted to understand the techniques that made van Gisbergen so effective, particularly when it came to handling unfamiliar circuits and managing the car through corners. His Australian experience also provided access to several established Supercars competitors who helped him prepare.
Broc Feeney reached out to Love through Instagram and offered assistance before the Adelaide weekend. One of his first contributions involved adjusting the pedal spacing to accommodate the American’s feet. Van Gisbergen also shared advice on his heel-and-toe shifting technique, while former Image Racing driver Jordan Boys helped coach him throughout the event.
That exposure made the first trip a valuable learning experience, and his decision to return suggests he is keen to continue building on it. Meanwhile, Love is preparing for a completely different challenge in 2027. His move to Wood Brothers Racing will see him switch from Chevrolet to Ford after spending recent seasons competing with RCR. The transition will also introduce him to a new group of experienced Cup Series drivers, including Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano.
Love has already acknowledged how much he could learn from the different approaches used by Ford’s established drivers. Discussing the opportunity after his Cup promotion was announced, he pointed out that Blaney and Logano have different racing philosophies compared with drivers from Chevrolet and Toyota.
“The cool thing about the Ford group is that Blaney and Joey specifically, like, succeed and win, I feel like, from like drastically different philosophies as like the Chevy guys and the Toyota guys,” Love explained.
Having previously raced Toyota machinery in ARCA and Chevrolet equipment with RCR, Love believes exposure to another manufacturer will add another dimension to his development. His association with Wood Brothers will also place him within the wider Team Penske technical environment, giving him access to an organization with considerable Cup Series experience.
Despite the excitement surrounding his promotion, Love has made it clear that he wants to remain focused on the work ahead rather than spend too much time celebrating his new opportunity. He still has unfinished business with RCR, including his championship ambitions, before turning his attention toward the Cup Series.
His return to Adelaide now adds another interesting stop to that journey. Having already experienced the challenge once, Love will arrive with a better understanding of the Super2 machinery and the demands of Australian racing. And with a major manufacturer switch awaiting him, the outing offers another opportunity to broaden his experience before entering NASCAR’s premier division.