Jesse Love gets emotional as Venturini Motorsports ARCA team is sold to Nitro Motorsports

Modified Apr 19, 2025 19:12 GMT

NASCAR: ARCA - BRANDT 200 Supporting Florida FFA-Qualifying - Source: Imagn — ARCA Menards Series driver Jesse Love during qualifying for the BRANDT 200 Supporting Florida FFA at Daytona International Speedway, February 17th 2023 - Source: Imagn

Xfinity Series race winner, Jesse Love, took to social media to pen a note of gratitude to the team members of Venturini Motorsports, who Love raced for four seasons in the ARCA Menards Series. The driver's message was prompted by the news that the racing team would be sold to Nitro Motorsports, with their ownership going into effect this October. The Xfinity Series driver thanked the owner of the VM team, Billy Venturini, as well as crew chief Shannon Rursch, and the other people who are part of the organization.

Taking to his X (formerly Twitter) account, the Richard Childress Racing driver also mentioned the ups and downs he's faced racing with the Venturini Motorsports team in the ARCA series, adding that he would do it all over again with the family-run racing organization. He wrote:

"Forever grateful to BV, the whole family, Shannon Rursch, and everyone else that flew the V with me. I’ve had some of my lowest times, and highest times racing for VMS, but most importantly I left better than I went in. I’d do It all over again a thousand times.❤️ "

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Nitro Motorsports will take over the team completely, which includes their partnership with Toyota Gazoo Racing, from October 15, 2025. The former owner, Billy Venturini, will be staying on with the team under the new management as General Manager until the end of the 2026 race season.

Jesse Love drove the #20 Toyota for the VM team mainly in the ARCA Menards East and National series, having started in 48 races for them over the 2020 to 2023 seasons. Out of those starts, he scored 12 wins, 11 pole positions, 34 top-fives, and 43 top-10 finishes. The 20-year-old driver also won the ARCA Menards championship title with the team in 2023.

The news of the sale came at the Rockingham Speedway, which is the venue for this weekend's NASCAR Xfinity Series race featuring Jesse Love, driving the #2 for Richard Childress Racing. He is hoping to score his second win this season after achieving victory at the Daytona International Speedway at the beginning of the year.

Jesse Love joins family-run team for Cup Series races

Last weekend, Jesse Love made his Cup Series debut with RCR at the Bristol Motor Speedway, qualifying in 19th place and crossing the line to take 31st place. Earlier this week, it was announced that Love would get two more chances to drive in the Cup Series, this time racing the #62 car for Beard Motorsports, a family-run racing organization. The #2 driver will get to compete in the Wurth 400 at Texas Motor Speedway on May 4, and the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 27.

Speaking about his next two races at the Cup Level, Jesse Love conveyed his gratitude to the Beard family, as well as his enthusiasm to learn more about driving the car in the Cup Series.

“Thanks to the Beard family, I’ll have a chance to at least do it a couple more times this season. The goals are to keep collecting experience and learning the Cup car. Both races at Texas and Indy will allow me to gain knowledge of how this car races at different tracks, which will hopefully set me up to pounce on future opportunities. Even though they’re a small, family-owned team, the Beards have built a legacy of bringing fast and well-prepared racecars to the track. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do together,” he said [via Racing America].

So far in the Xfinity Series this season, Jesse Love has secured one win, along with two top-fives, and six top-10 finishes.

About the author

Siddharth Koyal is an F1 and NASCAR journalist at Sportskeeda with a background in Cinema & Media Studies. His academic journey, centered on crafting analytical essays and in-depth critiques, honed his writing skills and solidified his love for storytelling. Combining his expertise in writing with a lifelong passion for Formula 1, Siddharth brings insightful and engaging content to readers, blending analytical precision with a fan’s enthusiasm.

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Edited by Sudeshna Banerjee