Jesse Love beats Sam Mayer to win Timberland PRO 200 at Phoenix Raceway
NXTbets Pro | Published On: October 18, 2026
Phoenix result
Jesse Love won the Timberland PRO 200 at Phoenix Raceway in the No. 2 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, beating Sam Mayer by 0.128 seconds in a finish that matched the way he spent most of the race, out front. Love led 156 of the 200 laps, swept both stages and turned the race into a statement win for both himself and his team. It was his second win of the season and his fifth career victory. Love also collected 75 points with the victory. For Richard Childress Racing, the result extended a strong run at Phoenix and gave the organization its second straight victory at the track. The margin over Mayer was small, but the performance behind it was large. Love controlled the race from the start, stayed in command through the stage breaks and reached the finish line with enough speed to hold off Mayer. The final gap of 0.128 seconds left no doubt about how close Mayer came, but it also highlighted how well Love managed the event over the full distance.
Love controls Phoenix
Love’s race was built on pace, consistency and track position. He set the tone by winning both stages, then kept the pressure on the field across the 200 laps. The race took 2:04:31 to complete and averaged 96 mph, numbers that fit a quick, competitive run at Phoenix. Love’s best lap came in 28.36 seconds, and the fastest lap in the race was 28.3 seconds. Even with that level of pace around him, Love spent most of the afternoon in front and made the race his own. Mayer stayed close enough to force a tense finish, but Love handled the final laps with the same control he showed earlier in the event. His lead total, his stage results and the closing margin all point to the same storyline, one driver controlling the rhythm of the race and carrying that advantage all the way to the checkered flag. For a 200-lap event, that kind of command matters. It leaves little room for mistakes and even less room for the rest of the field to build momentum. Love did the heavy lifting early, kept his Chevrolet in front and converted the position into a clean victory.
Love leads standings
The win also pushed Love deeper into the championship picture. He left Phoenix with a 36-point lead over Justin Allgaier, giving him a cushion after one of the most complete runs of his season. Allgaier finished third, Corey Day was fourth and Sammy Smith took fifth, so the top five reflected a strong showing by the front-runners behind Love and Mayer. Sheldon Creed dropped to fourth in the standings and sits 59 points behind Love, while Mayer remained sixth, 86 points back. That spread shows how much the Phoenix result mattered at the top of the table. Love did more than win a race. He added points and strengthened his position. With the stage sweep, the race win and the points haul, Love left Phoenix in a better position than he entered it. The result gave him momentum, but the numbers behind it give him something even more valuable, separation in the standings and another proof point that he can close the deal when the race reaches its most important laps.
