Jesse Love surged from third to first in an overtime restart to capture his third career NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Rockingham last weekend. It marked his first victory at a non-drafting track. After the race, Love celebrated enthusiastically, climbing through the roof hatch of his car, sliding down the windshield, and watching as his car rolled away without him behind the wheel.
However, Love’s excitement was short-lived. Hours later, NASCAR disqualified him from the win due to rear suspension issues on his car. According to the sanctioning body, the rear suspension’s truck trailing arm and U-bolt saddle must be in full contact with each other at all mating surfaces—a requirement that was not met in Love’s vehicle.
Richard Childress Racing, Love’s team, has announced plans to appeal the penalty, expressing confidence that they can overturn the decision.
This race was historic as it marked the first NASCAR Xfinity event at Rockingham in 21 years. The last time the series raced at the iconic track was before Love was even born. Despite the disqualification, Love remained composed, taking to social media to address the situation. On X (formerly Twitter), he jokingly posted, “Good thing my house has a safe.”
Love’s reaction echoed the sentiment of other drivers who have faced similar situations, where race wins were stripped following post-race inspections. In the past, drivers have been less than eager to part with their checkered flags and trophies.
One notable example came after the 2025 NASCAR Truck Series opener at Daytona. Parker Kligerman was disqualified after failing inspection, but not before planting the checkered flag in the infield as part of his celebration. Despite the disqualification and the loss of the final appeal, Kligerman maintained his defiant stance.
In another instance, Denny Hamlin won at Pocono in 2022, only to have his victory rescinded after failing a post-race inspection. The win was initially celebrated as payback for Ross Chastain, who had wrecked Hamlin earlier that season. However, after the disqualification, Chase Elliott was declared the winner. Hamlin, like Kligerman, was in no rush to return his trophy.
