NASCAR has penalized Jesse Love and the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing team ahead of Saturday's NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series race.
The Sanctioning Body has rules about how thick the lug nuts cane be on the cars. NASCAR deemed that the RCR lug nuts on the No. 2 were too narrow and do not meet minimum size specifications.
As a result, the No. 2 Chevrolet won't be allowed to qualify, and Love will have to start from the rear of the field. Additionally, he will have to serve an in-race pass through penalty after the green flag flies, further putting him behind. Finally, he will also lost pit stall selection for the upcoming race at Sonoma Raceway.
BREAKING: Jesse Love will have start in the back of the field and serve a pass-through penalty for today's race at San Diego because of a lug nuts issue. pic.twitter.com/sU9GAXy45d
— The CW Sports (@TheCW_Sports) June 20, 2026
Due to the size of this track, he won't lose a lap, but crew chief Danny Stockman will have to adjust the strategy dramatically to try and get Love back up through the field. Love's best result on a road or street course is second at Watkins Glen, earlier this year.
Love enters San Diego second in the championship standings, a full 250 points adrift of Justin Allgaier in the lead. Love is the defending NASCAR O'Reilly champion, and recently announced plans to go full-time NASCAR Cup racing in 2027, replacing Josh Berry as the driver of the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford.
