Jesse Love celebrates in victory lane after winning Friday’s ARCA Menards Series race at Watkins Glen International. Photo: Bryan Bennett/ARCA Racing
Jesse Love’s eighth victory in the 2023 ARCA Menards Series season on Friday was simultaneously his most unpredictable.
Love only had one lap to pass race leader Connor Zilisch as a light rain began to fall around Watkins Glen International with five laps remaining. As the two reached the final turn, Love nudged Zilisch out of the groove to narrowly steal the win.
The afternoon up to the final lap had been a grind for Love, which only added to the surprise of being able to celebrate with his Venturini Motorsports crew on Watkins Glen’s frontstretch.
“I can’t believe it,” Love said. “I look like a blind dog drinking a smoothie on a road course. I had to calm down after I fell back to fourth and I had to regroup and learn because I probably wasn’t going to win it. Lap by lap, I just wanted to get one percent better. That’s all I try to do.”
When the conditions were dry, Love found himself in a heated battle with his teammate Brent Crews, who like Zilisch was making his ARCA Menards Series debut.
Utilizing his experience from two full-time seasons in the Trans Am Championship TA2 class, Crews looked like a seasoned road course veteran as he regularly swapped positions with Love. By the time the last caution flag of the race waved for a crash involving Jack Wood, Love and Crews were second and third.
The driver Love and Crews were chasing amidst their spirited fight was Zilisch. Despite having to deal with a broken sway bar arm, Zilisch maintained the torrid pace he established after passing polesitter Corey LaJoie for the lead early, putting himself in a great position to triumph in his maiden series appearance.
With the final caution and subsequent rain shower creating a conundrum that saw most of the field take on rain tires, Zilisch knew he had to be conservative with the treacherous conditions while also keeping Love and the others behind him.
Zilisch’s cautious strategy didn’t work out in his favor, with Love muscling his way around Zilisch in the final corner to steal the victory. Although the damp track was challenging for everyone during the one-lap shootout, Zilisch believed he could have been slightly more aggressive.
“It’s so frustrating,” Zilisch said. “You lead that many laps in a race only to lose it in the last corner. Everything was against me with the sway bar arm disconnecting, which slowed me down a bunch for 15-20 laps. Then it started raining and we had to come down and take tires. I kind of took it easy because you never know what the rain is going to be like when you’re leading.
“Jesse was going for the win, and he did what he had to do.”
Zilisch’s maturity earned the respect of Love, who had to get the most out of his car to have a shot at the victory. Love commended both Zilisch and Crews for their performances under the adverse circumstances and expects to encounter the two young prospects again as he pursues more wins, both probable and improbable.
“Hats off to Connor Zilisch,” Love said. “I hope he doesn’t think (the bump) was dirty. It was borderline, but I had to do something. He left the door open for me to do something when he got into the rumble strips.
“Brent Crews and Connor Zilisch are two of the best up-and-coming race car drivers in the country right now and they put that on full display today.”
With his victory, Love continues to make ARCA Menards Series history by becoming the 13th driver to win four races in a row. Should he win the next two races, Love will break the all-time record that currently stands at five consecutive victories between Tim Steele, Bruce Gould, Jack Bowsher and Harold Smith.
Crews placed third, with William Sawalich fourth, and veteran Dale Quarterley in fifth.
Kris Wright, who had stayed out on slick tires in the wet conditions, brought his car home sixth. Andy Jankowiak, Zach Herrin, Stanton Barrett, and Jake Finch rounded out the top 10.
The turnaround from Watkins Glen to the next ARCA Menards Series race is a quick one as the series returns to action Sunday, August 20 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
ARCA Menards Series
Watkins Glen International – Watkins Glen, NY
General Tire 100 – August 18, 2023
1. Jesse Love
2. Connor Zilisch
3. Brent Crews
4. William Sawalich
5. Dale Quarterley
6. Kris Wright
7. Andy Jankowiak
8. Zach Herrin
9. Stanton Barrett
10. Jake Finch
11. Christian Rose
12. Andres Perez de Lara
13. Ed Pompa
14. Jack Wood
15. Corey LaJoie
16. Frankie Muniz
17. Casey Carden
18. Parker Retzlaff
19. Jon Garrett
20. Brad Smith
21. A.J. Moyer
22. Tim Richmond
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