Love and Beard Motorsports Skip Iowa; Focus Shifts to Xfinity Title Push

Driver Eyes Playoff Position Amidst Cup Series Hiatus

Following a career-best NASCAR Cup Series finish at Indianapolis, Jesse Love will not compete this weekend at Iowa Speedway. The young driver is shifting his focus back to his Xfinity Series campaign with Richard Childress Racing, where he aims to solidify his playoff standing.

Career Best at Brickyard Marks Team Milestone

Jesse Love piloted the No. 62 for Beard Motorsports in his fourth Cup Series start, achieving a 24th-place finish at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s Brickyard 400. This performance surpassed his previous career high of 29th, achieved earlier in May at Kansas Speedway.

The 24th-place result also marked Beard Motorsports’ best finish of the season. Their previous efforts included Love crashing out at Texas and Anthony Alfredo finishing 28th at Talladega, after the team failed to qualify for the Daytona 500.

Upcoming Schedule Adjustments

While Love plans an additional Cup Series start later this year, Beard Motorsports has no further competition scheduled for 2025. This weekend’s Iowa Corn 350 will see Garage 66 as the sole part-time team fielding an “open” car, with Joey Gase behind the wheel of the No. 66 Ford.

Xfinity Series Title Aspirations

Currently sitting fourth in the Xfinity Series standings, Love is concentrating on boosting his playoff seeding. Despite being stripped of a second victory earlier this year at Rockingham Speedway, he secured a win in the season opener at Daytona.

Beard Motorsports’ Future Outlook

Beard Motorsports, traditionally a team that excels in drafting races, may reappear later in the current year. Potential appearances could include the regular season finale at Daytona or the playoff race at Talladega.

The Iowa Corn 350 is scheduled to broadcast live on USA Network on Sunday afternoon from Iowa Speedway, with the green flag at 3:30 p.m. ET. Fans can catch the action by starting a free trial of FuboTV.