MOORESVILLE, N.C. — TRICON Garage has signed Toyota development driver Jesse Love to its NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver lineup.
The two-time ARCA Menards Series West champion will compete in three races behind the wheel of the No. 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro.
Love, the youngest winner ever in a NASCAR sanctioned event, has found considerable success in the ARCA ranks over the past three seasons. In addition to his two championships, he has racked up five West victories. Love captured his first ARCA national series victory at Salem Speedway in October of 2021 and brought home another win in 2022 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield.
The recently turned 18-year-old will run full time in pursuit of the ARCA Menards Series championship for Venturini Motorsports in 2023.
“We’ve had the pleasure of competing against Jesse in ARCA over the past few seasons and have always been impressed with his ability behind the wheel,” said partner David Gilliland. “We’re thrilled to play a role in his development and can’t wait to have him as part of our program in 2023.”
The Menlo Park, Calif. native will make his Truck Series debut in the Toyota 200 at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Illinois on June 3. He will return to the seat at Kansas Speedway on September 8 and round out his schedule with the season finale at Phoenix Raceway on November 3.
“First and foremost, I have to thank everyone at Toyota Racing Development for this great opportunity – I simply wouldn’t be here without their support and I am grateful for it every day,” said Love. “I’ve known David Gilliland for a long time and have such a tremendous amount of respect for him as both a driver and a team owner. To put it simply – I literally can’t wait to get behind the wheel for both David and this team. A lot of time, sweat, and tears have gone into this opportunity and I’m looking forward to capitalizing on it.
“I think Gateway will be a great place to get started, so June 3 can’t come fast enough.”