Jesse Love claimed the pole for Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Talladega, extending his venue record to five consecutive poles. The reigning champion will start alongside Jake Finch as he looks to protect his 36-point lead in the Chase standings.

By the Numbers
  • Love’s pole-winning lap: 182.626 mph in 52.435 seconds.
  • It’s Love’s third series pole this season and fifth straight at Talladega.
  • Love leads Justin Allgaier by 36 points with three scheduled races remaining.
  • Six of the 12 Chase contenders qualified in the top 10.
Yes, But

Love starts on the pole, but his closest title rival, Allgaier, qualified 14th. Corey Day also made the top 10 but will start at the rear after an engine change prevented him from posting a second-round lap.

State of Play
  • Jake Finch starts second after setting the fastest time in the opening round.
  • The Progress Group 250 is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 24, at 3:30 p.m. ET.
  • The race will air on The CW, with coverage on MRN Radio and SiriusXM.
Bottom Line

Love has the best starting position and a meaningful points cushion, but Talladega’s unpredictable racing leaves his championship defense far from settled.