Jesse Love
Jesse Love poses for a portrait before the General Tire 150 for the ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series West at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, on March 12, 2021. (Adam Glanzman/ARCA Racing)

Jesse Love shows off paint scheme for 2022 Chili Bowl

www.arcaracing.com January 7, 2022

Jesse Love, the two-time reigning ARCA Menards Series West champion, will begin his 2022 racing season on the dirt at the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire, also known as the Super Bowl of midget racing.

And he will do so in a pretty sweet ride.

Love, the 16-year-old from Menlo Park, California, on Friday revealed the No. 97X midget car he will run at the Chili Bowl, scheduled for Jan. 10-15 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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Love won a heat race when he competed in the Chili Bowl last year, his debut in the prestigious event. It was believed that Love was the first driver to celebrate his or her 16th birthday during Chili Bowl week and run in the event at the same time. He turns 17 on Jan. 14.

Like he did last year, Love in 2022 will drive for Keith Kunz Motorsports, the team that recorded five consecutive Chili Bowl main event victories from 2015-19. Love will run with sponsorship from Curb-Agajanian, Bullet by Spike, Speedway Toyota, NUCOR Buildings, Mobil 1, TRD, IWX and Curb Records.

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In November, Love clinched his second consecutive West Series title in dramatic fashion at Phoenix Raceway. He passed Trevor Huddleston on the last lap of the race, a move that placed him in a tie atop the points standings with rival Jake Drew. Love won the championship tiebreaker by virtue of his two wins in 2021 to zero for Drew.

Venturini Motorsports announced this week that Love and Corey Heim will split time in the team’s No. 20 Toyota in the ARCA Menards Series in 2022. Love is scheduled to run 14 races in the car, with Heim in the seat for the other six.

In the West Series, Bill McAnally Racing announced Austin Herzog in 2022 will drive the No. 16 Toyota that Love wheeled to the title last season.