Reigning NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series champion Jesse Love made his first start of the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season this past weekend at Circuit of the Americas (COTA), and it was his first career road course start at the sport's top level. He made the first five Cup Series starts of his career a year ago.
Love drove the No. 33 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing at COTA, marking the No. 33 car's first appearance of the 2026 season, and he finished in 27th place.
While the car is back on the entry list for this weekend's Straight Talk Wireless 500 at Phoenix Raceway, the venue where Love sealed the 2025 O'Reilly Series (Xfinity Series) championship, he is only set to run Saturday night's O'Reilly Series race.
Austin Hill, Love's Richard Childress Racing teammate at NASCAR's second highest level, is set to make his first start of the Cup Series season this weekend.
Richard Childress Racing changes drivers for Phoenix
The No. 33 car is the only non-chartered (open) car on the entry list for this Sunday afternoon's 312-lap race around the four-turn, 1.022-mile (1.645-kilometer) Avondale, Arizona oval, just as it was at COTA. Hill has made 15 career Cup Series starts, but none at Phoenix, where he owns a top finish of fourth place in eight starts in the O'Reilly Series.
Hill is set to run at least five Cup Series races for Richard Childress Racing this season, although no locations have been confirmed beyond this weekend. Love only has one other Cup Series start lined up in the No. 33 car for 2026, and that is scheduled to come at Talladega Superspeedway in late April.
Richard Childress Racing's full-time Cup Series driver lineup consists of Austin Dillon behind the wheel of the No. 3 Chevrolet and Kyle Busch behind the wheel of the No. 8 Chevrolet.
Fox Sports 1 is set to provide live coverage of the Straight Talk Wireless 500 from Phoenix Raceway starting at 3:30 p.m. ET this Sunday, March 8. Start a free trial of FuboTV now and don't miss it!