DAYTONA BEACH, FL (August 22, 2024) — As the NASCAR Xfinity Series heads to Daytona International Speedway for the second and final time of the 2024 season, Jesse Love will race for something bigger than the checkered flag. During Friday night’s event at the World Center of Racing, Love’s No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet will carry a special car design to honor fallen firefighters who have died in the line of duty in 2023 or years prior.
For the third consecutive season, Whelen Engineering has partnered with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) to showcase the organization on the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Camaro.
This special red and black scheme holds the names of 226 fallen firefighters who were honored at this year’s National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend. 89 firefighters died in the line of duty in 2023, while 137 died in previous years. Each spring as the temperatures start to rise, thousands of people gather in Emmitsburg, Maryland to participate in the annual memorial weekend which includes a candlelight vigil, family activities, and the annual memorial service.
“We are incredibly grateful that Whelen’s No. 2 Chevrolet carries the names of 226 fallen firefighters who died in the line of duty, serving their local communities,” said NFFF CEO, Victor Stagnaro. “Remembering these heroes means so much to our Fire Hero Families, and it’s a true demonstration of Whelen’s commitment to the core mission of the NFFF – honoring our fallen heroes and supporting their families.”
Earlier this year, Love attended FDIC International, the largest firefighter conference in the world hosted in Indianapolis, Indiana, to unveil this design and the 226 names for the first time during the show. Members of NFFF and Whelen Engineering, along with Sonny Whelen (owner and Executive VP, Whelen) and Geoff Marsh (CEO, Whelen), joined the 19-year-old driver for this special occasion.
“I got emotional when we unveiled this car a few months ago,” Love said. “Having folks come up and talk about their family members brought the magnitude of the cause to the forefront. It’s an honor to run not only the NFFF colors, but more importantly, the names of 226 individuals who died protecting our communities. I’m proud to represent a company in Whelen who takes care of the people who take care of us. Everyone on the No. 2 team is working extremely hard to win in Daytona, knowing what and who we are racing for this weekend.”
Love will take the green flag in Daytona Beach, Florida on Friday, August 23 at 7:30 p.m. ET. USA Network will carry the live television coverage, while the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90 will have the live radio broadcast.
