NASCAR Star Jesse Love Plans Spiritual Reset in Asia to Fix Chase Karma
Jesse Love is taking an unconventional approach to prepare for the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs. After a frustrating winless regular season, the Richard Childress Racing driver says he plans to travel to Asia for a holistic cleanse before the Chase begins at Darlington.
Love, who will move to the Cup Series full-time with Wood Brothers Racing next year, is chasing his second consecutive Xfinity championship. But first, he wants to clear his mind and reset his luck.
“I'll probably go somewhere in Asia and do like a cleanse of my holistic being. Come to Darlington with no, I don't know, karma again,” Love said to Above The Line Media after finishing 20th at the Winn-Dixie 250 in Daytona on Saturday.
Why Jesse Love Needs a Reset Before the Playoffs
Love has been winless through 23 races this season, a frustrating stretch for a driver who won two races and finished with 22 top-10s in his championship 2025 campaign. His recent results have been especially poor, with finishes of 26th at Atlanta, 16th at Indianapolis, 35th at Iowa, and 20th at Daytona.
Despite the results, Love insists he has been faster this year than when he won the title.
“I was a champion last year, and I have far more speed. I feel like I'm doing a way better job than I was last year. The finishes aren't there,” the RCR star said.
Bad Luck Has Plagued Love's 2026 Season
Love points to several races where speed was not the problem. At Dover, he was arguably the fastest car on track before Rajah Caruth slammed into him with 100 laps to go, damaging the Chevrolet and leaving Love with a 23rd-place finish.
At Watkins Glen, Love was seconds from Victory Lane when he made a slight mistake under braking in the final corner, allowing Connor Zilisch to pass for the win.
He showed similar speed at Atlanta and Pocono, but accidents prevented strong results. Still, Love enters the Chase fourth in the regular-season standings with seven top-fives and 13 top-10s.
Love Confident He Can Rise to the Occasion
Despite the setbacks, Love remains confident in his ability to perform when it matters most.
“I have that confidence, and I'm not going to lose that, and I believe that I can rise to the occasion in the Chase, like I always do, and it could be for a championship,” Love said.
The trip to Asia may be exactly what Love needs to reset before the Chase begins. With a championship to defend and a Cup Series seat waiting for him next year, the next few weeks could define his young career.
Iowa fans will have a particular interest in Love's playoff run, as the Xfinity Series returns to Iowa Speedway in Newton next season. Love finished 35th at Iowa this year, a result he will surely want to improve upon in 2027.
What's Next for Jesse Love?
Love will head to Darlington Raceway for the opening round of the Xfinity Series playoffs. The race is scheduled for next weekend, giving Love little time to complete his spiritual reset before the green flag drops.
Whether the Asia cleanse delivers the karma reset Love is seeking remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: the young driver is willing to try anything to get back to Victory Lane.