Nu Way 225 Sauced by Blues Hog

Jesse Love had spent the season carrying the title of defending champion without adding another victory. With 16 laps remaining Saturday night at Gateway, he made the opening that finally ended his wait. Love worked underneath Carson Kvapil in Turns 3 and 4, used a small amount of contact to complete the pass and led the rest of the Nu Way 225 at World Wide Technology Raceway. His No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet beat Sheldon Creed by 0.896 seconds, ending a drought that stretched back to the championship finale at Phoenix last November.

For much of the evening, Kvapil had the strongest argument for Victory Lane. He started on pole, led the opening 78 laps and won Stage 1. His final tally of 105 laps led was a career high, but the transition from daylight to darkness left the JR Motorsports driver with a different handling problem. Kvapil told NASCAR.com his car became too tight, making it harder to turn as a run developed. His team adjusted the balance, but traffic complicated the diagnosis.

Kvapil still launched well on the final restart with 24 laps remaining. Love and Creed stayed close, and Love made the winning pass nine laps into the run. Kvapil understood the move, telling NASCAR.com, “it's for the win. I get it, right?” He also expected the same tolerance if their roles were reversed. Kvapil slipped to fifth behind Sam Mayer and Taylor Gray. Love, who won Stage 2 and led 70 laps overall, secured the last 16. The two front-row starters combined to lead 175 of 180 laps.

“I'm just so proud of my team,” Love told The CW afterward. The September 12 victory was his fourth in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series and first of 2026. It brought him within 16 points of the championship lead after the second Chase race. Creed left with that lead, turning a runner-up finish into a three-point advantage over Justin Allgaier.