NASCAR has imposed sanctions on Jesse Love and his No. 2 Richard Childress Racing entry after discovering that the lug nuts used during recent inspections failed to meet the series’ size specifications.
Penalty Implications
The sanction strips the team of qualifying eligibility, forcing Love to start the upcoming Sonoma Raceway event from the rear of the field. In addition, he will be required to serve an in‑race pass‑through penalty the moment the green flag drops, and he will forfeit any advantage in pit‑stall selection.
Love, who sits second in the championship standings behind Justin Allgaier, enters the weekend with a 250‑point deficit but with a chance to close the gap on road and street courses. His strongest result on such layouts came at Watkins Glen earlier this season, where he finished second.
Beyond the current penalty, Love is the defending NASCAR O’Reilly Champion and has announced plans to run the full Cup schedule in 2027, a move that could reshape his team’s strategic outlook.
Truck Series Overtime Thriller
In a separate but related event, the NASCAR Truck Series delivered a dramatic overtime finish at San Diego. Layne Riggs seized victory by edging out Tyler Reif in the final chicane, a pass that capped a chaotic race marked by multiple lead changes and a late‑race caution.