The Jesse Love Chili Bowl crash abruptly ended the champion’s run on Friday night, cutting short his pursuit of a prestigious win at the River Spirit Expo in Tulsa. Competing in a midget car owned by Hendrick Motorsports’ Blake Harris, Love’s hopes for a Saturday finale appearance vanished after a violent flip at the end of the last preliminary race.
Collision With Scelzi Leads to Spectacular Incident
Jesse Love Jr., the 2025 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series title-holder, had been fiercely battling for positions throughout his Friday Chili Bowl Nationals performance. As the race neared its finish, he and Giovanni Scelzi were in a tight fight for fifth. Exiting the last turn, both racers made wheel contact seconds after crossing the finish line. The 21-year-old Love crossed the stripe in sixth at top speed, but his midget car was launched skyward, flipping three times in turn one before coming to rest on its wheels.
“An insane view on-board with Gio Scelzi as @jesselovejr1 flips at the end of Friday’s #ChiliBowl prelim feature pic.twitter.com/UlEqu2UayE” — FloRacing (@FloRacing)
Aftermath: Team Confirms Withdrawal and Damage Assessment
The severity of the Jesse Love Chili Bowl crash meant that the Hendrick Motorsports-backed team was unable to return for Saturday’s main event. Although repair work was attempted overnight, the crew reported that the car had sustained too much damage, with missing parts and internal problems that could not be fixed in time for the finale. Without backup cars allowed at the Chili Bowl Nationals, the withdrawal was confirmed early the next day.
Love Updates Fans on Recovery and Reflects on Setback
Shortly after the incident, Jesse Love reached out to supporters on social media to share an update on his health and state of mind, posting photos of his battered midget from the track. In his own words:
“Thank you to everyone who reached out, I’m okay. Had the rowdies up on their feet Friday night and crashed at the line. My body is gonna recover. I’m just more upset than anything now. Grateful for the opportunity with Blake & hopefully I can stay more current this year on the…” — jesse love jr (@jesselovejr1)
The End of a Challenging Return for Love
The 2026 Chili Bowl marked Jesse Love’s fifth career attempt at this renowned dirt racing event, having previously raced from 2021 through 2024. After spending a year as a fan in 2025, Love was excited to compete again following his successful O’Reilly Auto Parts Series championship season. The opportunity to race for Blake Harris, who also operates as Alex Bowman’s crew chief in the NASCAR Cup Series, held special significance for Love, but the week ultimately ended in disappointment due to circumstances beyond the crew’s control.
No Second Chances: Unique Challenges at the Chili Bowl
Blake Harris outlined the difficulty teams face at this event compared to other major motorsport competitions such as NASCAR. Unlike the Cup Series, where backup cars are on standby, Chili Bowl entrants must rely solely on the vehicle they begin the week with. Upon inspection following the crash, Harris and his crew discovered significant damage affecting viability, including missing structural components. Even though Jesse Love had shown real speed and potential throughout Friday’s race, the compromised state of his midget left little choice but to withdraw and target a return next year.
Outlook for Next Season and Impact of Chili Bowl Incident
The Jesse Love Chili Bowl crash underscores both the dangers and unpredictability of elite dirt track racing. While Love expressed gratitude for the chance to compete, he made clear his disappointment and determination to come back stronger. Harris and the team will focus on regrouping in the off-season, with hopes of returning to Tulsa in better form. Their 2026 experience remains a testament to the harsh realities and emotional highs and lows so often found in motorsports at the highest level.
👀 An insane view on-board with Gio Scelzi as @jesselovejr1 flips at the end of Friday's #ChiliBowl prelim feature pic.twitter.com/UlEqu2UayE
— FloRacing (@FloRacing) January 17, 2026
Thank you to everyone who reached out, I’m okay. Had the rowdies up on their feet Friday night and crashed at the line. My body is gonna recover. I’m just more upset than anything now. Grateful for the opportunity with Blake & hopefully I can stay more current this year on the… pic.twitter.com/JduJrA3EgG
— jesse love jr (@jesselovejr1) January 17, 2026
Car owner and #NASCAR crew chief Blake Harris tells us why Jesse Love’s #ChiliBowl has come to an end. pic.twitter.com/ij6WTPci0D
— FloRacing (@FloRacing) January 17, 2026
