TALLADEGA, Ala. – Though he finished third in Saturday’s Ag-Pro 300 at Talladega Superspeedway, Jesse Love’s mind wasn’t on his finishing position when he climbed from his race car on pit road.

His immediate concern was for his best friend, after contact between he and Connor Zilisch on the final lap sent Zilisch head-first into the inside SAFER Barrier on the backstretch.

Zilisch led at the white flag at the 2.66-mile oval, hoping to capture his first NASCAR Xfinity Series win on an oval and appearing to be in prime position to do so as the field spilled off turn two for the last time.

But with Richard Childress Racing teammate Austin Hill pushing from behind, Love got a massive run and ducked toward the middle lane down the straightaway, hoping to slip to Zilisch’s inside to side-draft for the win.

When Zilisch moved to block, it was an eyelash off-time, and chaos erupted as a result.

Zilisch went spinning off the front bumper of Love’s Chevrolet, careening down the pavement and pounding the wall before coming to an abrupt stop. After complaining for a moment about pain in his back, Zilisch exited his race car to the relief of fans and drivers alike.

He was later checked and released from the infield care center, but not before Love was interviewed on pit road, leading the latter to express worry and remorse for his part in the final-lap incident.

“I kind of go a little blacked out [focused] on a green-white-checkered like that, and I thought I simply put myself in a good spot … but I’m pretty sure I wrecked my best friend,” Love lamented, his eyes tearing up after a moment. “I’m going to owe him an apology, I know that.

“I don’t know if I pulled out late or he just made a late block,” Love added, just before seeing a replay of the crash. “At that point [on the final lap], you’re just gambling on the move you think is going to work. You’ll come out on the right side 33 percent of the time, and today … the 27 [Jeb Burton] would in another 33 percent, and the last 33 percent the 21 [winner Austin Hill] does. We did all we could.”

After being told that Zilisch had been talking with the safety crew, Love added, “He’s not dead, so that’s good,” with a wry smile and a visible sigh of relief.

It was a poignant and needed reminder that the fiercest of competitors on the racetrack can be close friends off it. Love and Zilisch are perhaps modern NASCAR’s best example of that dichotomy.

The pair have raced against one another since some of Zilisch’s go-karting days at Trackhouse Motorplex, and that only intensified once Zilisch began his rise in stock cars, with he and Love battling for the win several times in ARCA Menards Series competition prior to Zilisch’s jump to the Xfinity Series this year with JR Motorsports.

Perhaps the most notable of their battles – prior to Saturday – was an ARCA race at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) Int’l in 2023, when Love passed Zilisch in the final 100 yards for victory on his way to the championship that season.

But no matter who has come out on top over the years, both Love and Zilisch have routinely expressed that the other is a valued friend to them. That didn’t change after Saturday’s clash, despite some testy moments over their respective radios prior to the final lap.

In fact, after his media obligations, Love quickly made his way to the care center to check on Zilisch even before Zilisch had been fully released to speak with television and other reporters. It was a gesture that Zilisch noted firmly he appreciated.

“Jesse [Love is] probably my best friend in the world,” he said. “I’m grateful to have someone like him who can come and stand in front of me and give me a hug after that.

“He [Love] was crying in [the care center]; he just wanted to make sure I was ok. He doesn’t want to hurt his best friend and I wouldn’t want to do that to him,” Zilisch continued. “It means a ton to me to have someone like Jesse in my life. We race hard on the racetrack but care about each other off the track.”

Zilisch then confirmed he was “all good” despite the vicious nature of the impact he endured.

“I’m OK,” Zilisch added. “That was one of those wrecks where you just kind of wiggle your toes and move your legs to make sure you’re all good. It hurt, and I’ll be sore, but I’m very thankful to walk away from that one.”

Love echoed Zilisch’s sentiments, illustrating that their friendship wasn’t going to be negatively affected by one dust-up between them – even if he had vented over the radio mid-race that Zilisch was “seriously breaking the bro code” when he hung Love out to dry in the draft at one point.

“I’m more upset that I turned (Zilisch) than I am that I ran third in the race,” the 20-year-old Love noted. “Just a bummer on that part. … I’ve said it before, Connor is probably my best friend in this world; we race together, we hang out together, we look out for each other … and he’s the last person I want to get into like that.

“I’m glad he’s OK. That’s the most important thing … beyond anything on the racetrack.”

Love’s words echoed loudly as the roar of engines gave way to silence after Saturday’s Xfinity Series thriller – won by Hill – finally wrapped up.

It was a race that had a winner and losers, yes, but also a show of camaraderie and respect between two young superstars that transcended every vestige of competition.

“Some things are bigger than racing,” Love said. “Life is about people at the end of the day.”