Jesse Love returns to site of O'Reilly Series title at Phoenix

Certainly, Richard Childress Racing's Jesse Love is among the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series competitors most looking forward to a return to Phoenix Raceway for Saturday evening's GOVX 200 (7:30 p.m. ET, The CW, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).

The 21-year-old reigning series champion earned his first major NASCAR title at the track last November and has turned in an impressive start in 2026 to back up that work.

RELATED: O'Reilly Series standings | Weekend schedule

Love is the only driver to earn top-10 finishes in all three races this season, and as the driver of the No. 2 RCR Chevrolet, he also boasts the longest top-10 streak (four) at the Phoenix one-miler among this week's starting lineup. His average finish in four starts is 4.5, including that career-changing victory in the 2025 championship finale.

Love's RCR teammate Austin Hill, who won the Daytona season-opener, boasts the top average finish on the year (5.0) and leads his teammate Love by 28 points atop the championship standings.

JR Motorsports' Justin Allgaier, the 2024 series champion, is third in points, 39 off Hill's pace and brings his own impressive resume to the track, where he is the only multiple-time winner (two) on Saturday's grid. His 13 career top-five finishes and 21 top-10 finishes are the most in those categories. He comes into the race having earned the most stage points (47) on the year.

Joe Gibbs Racing, however, has won at least one of the two Phoenix races for the past eight years, and its 18 wins total here is more than double that of any other organization.

A remarkable nine drivers have already earned career-best finishes in the opening three races. Hendrick Motorsports rookie Corey Day has a pair of top-five finishes in the opening three races.

Ten different drivers have won the last 10 Phoenix races, an indication of how competitive this track has proven to be.

Of note, former Phoenix winner (2017) Hendrick Motorsports' William Byron will drive the JR Motorsports No. 88 Chevrolet Saturday, while NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular Chandler Smith will drive the No. 5 Ford. Additionally, Ryan Sieg is slated to make his 400th consecutive series start, joining Jeremy Clements as the only two series drivers to reach that impressive milestone.

Practice followed by Kennametal Pole Qualifying begins Friday at 7 p.m. ET (The CW App). NASCAR Cup Series regular and Arizona native Alex Bowman claimed pole position for this race last year, while Aric Almirola drove the No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to the win.