The NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Rockingham Speedway on April 19, 2025, delivered one of the most dramatic post-race twists of the season, creating a viral social media moment that had drivers and fans talking.
What appeared to be Jesse Love’s second win of the 2025 season quickly turned into heartbreak when his No. 2 Chevrolet failed post-race inspection, leading to his disqualification.
Chandler Smith and Jesse Love Trade Reactions Online
Love put on an impressive performance, leading 53 laps and crossing the finish line first in what should have been a career highlight. However, NASCAR officials determined that his car violated rule 14.14.2 I5.H, specifically the requirement that all mating surfaces between the truck trailing arm and the U-bolt saddle be in complete contact at all times.
Just like that, Love went from winner to 37th place. The win and $100,000 bonus went to Sammy Smith instead, who finished second on the track. Talk about a rough day at the office.
This kind of thing is never easy to swallow. Love had driven a perfect race only to have it all taken away in the tech shed after fans had already gone home.
The drama didn’t end with the disqualification. Fellow driver Connor Zilisch posted a selfie with Love on social media with the caption “P13 and [P37],” showing where they both finished. Zilisch had a fake frown while Love managed to smile despite his tough break.
When Chandler Smith saw this post, he couldn’t help himself. He replied with a simple message: “Nah that’s wild 😂,” a reaction that quickly went viral among NASCAR fans.
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Love took to social media too, writing “Good thing my house has a safe 🏆,” a clever hint that he was keeping his trophies no matter what NASCAR said.
Sammy Smith, who got the win after Love’s DQ, was sympathetic: “It’s tough winning them like that. It’s unfortunate, I’ve been on the other end of the stick where Jesse’s at, but it’s ‘Take ’em how you get ’em,’ I guess.”
NASCAR Xfinity Series director Eric Peterson explained the violation in technical terms: “All mating surfaces between the truck trailing arms and the U-bolt saddle must be in complete contact with each other at all times, and unfortunately, that was not the case.”
Even with this setback, Love isn’t out of the championship hunt. He already has one win this season, and Richard Childress Racing plans to appeal the disqualification.
As drivers head to Talladega next, this Rockingham incident shows how today’s NASCAR drivers use social media to share both victories and disappointments with fans, sometimes with a good laugh thrown in.
