Jesse Love Jr., the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, raced outside the United States for the first time during the Adelaide 500 weekend in Australia. The 20-year-old ddriver competed in the Dunlop Super2 Series, a development division for the Repco Supercars Championship.
Love discussed the experience during an appearance on the Door Bumper Clear podcast, where he explained how the opportunity came together and how challenging the racing proved to be.
The event marked his first competitive race in Australia and his first start in a Supercars-style vehicle. Love described the difficulty of adapting from NASCAR Xfinity racing to road course competition and shared what stood out most about the Super2 field.
Jesse Love Jr. explains Super2 debut in Australia
Love said the opportunity allowed him to race cars closely connected to Australia’s top Supercars division. He explained how the experience related to the same style of racing that has produced multiple Supercars champions.
“I had the opportunity to go run a Super2 car with the Supercar V8 series, Love said.” “I ran like the series of V8 Supercars, like what SVG won all his races and championships in. I think he did one year in the new car”
Love said much of the equipment felt familiar compared to what Supercars drivers have used in recent seasons. “But for the most part, it was all basically, Jesse said.”
He said the chance to compete in that environment stood out as a highlight. “so that was super cool. So that was super cool, all that stuff, he said.”
The Dunlop Super2 Series serves as the main development path to the Supercars Championship. The series features V8-powered cars and races primarily on road and street circuits. Love entered the event as a guest driver during the Adelaide 500, one of the most recognized races on the Supercars schedule.
NASCAR champion moves forward at Adelaide 500
Love entered the Super2 race with no prior experience in Supercars machinery. He started the race from the back of the field on the Adelaide street circuit, which features narrow racing lines and limited passing zones.
Love said he felt comfortable with the car’s speed early in the race. “But I was okay on speed. But I was okay on speed, Love said.”
He explained that adapting to the racing style proved more difficult than expected. “But it was just, than I thought, as hard as I thought going into it. And yeah, they definitely, he said.”
Despite the challenge, Love steadily gained positions throughout the race. He finished 14th after passing several competitors over the course of the event. “I was the biggest mover, so that was something I could hang my hat on a little bit, Love said.”
The Adelaide street circuit required strong braking control and smooth throttle application, especially during long green-flag runs.
Jesse Love reacts to Super2 competition level
Love said the depth of talent in the Super2 field stood out immediately. Many drivers in the series focus heavily on road course racing, which made the competition difficult throughout the field.
“But yeah, it was hard. The worst guy in Super2, the worst guy in Super2 was on a road course., the 5th place. There was not, that I was like, ‘Oh, this guy sucks.’ It was impressive, Love said.”
Super2 cars produce more than 600 horsepower and demand precise control on corner entry and exit. Love faced drivers with years of experience racing on Australian street circuits.
The Super2 appearance came after Love secured the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship with multiple wins and consistent finishes. His race in Australia was a one-time entry and not part of a full-time international schedule.
Love did not discuss future plans during the podcast. He focused instead on explaining what he learned and how competitive the Super2 field proved to be.
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