CHARLOTTE, N.C. – By most any indicator, Jesse Love’s rookie NASCAR Xfinity Series season has been a successful one by the numbers to this point.

Love is one of four drivers to have earned five or more poles in any of NASCAR’s three national series this year, joining Michael McDowell (six, Cup Series), Kyle Larson (five, Cup Series), and Ty Majeski (five, Truck Series) in that exclusive club with five races remaining on the calendar.

He became the first driver in Xfinity Series history to earn his first two poles in the first two starts of his career, and is one of eight drivers to earn five or more poles in their first full season, as well as the first true rookie (making no series starts prior to his rookie campaign) to do so since Ryan Newman in 2001.

In addition, he’s led the most laps on drafting-style superspeedways among any of the top three series, with 270 combined circuits out front between Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Speedway, Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway, and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

Love’s maiden Xfinity Series win in April at Talladega came in just his ninth career start and has him vying for Sunoco rookie-of-the-year honors in the playoffs with fellow first-year driver Shane van Gisbergen.

In short, there have been a host of bright spots to celebrate for the 19-year-old from Menlo Park, Calif.

That doesn’t mean Love is content to rest on his laurels, though. As he told Motorsports Hotspot this week ahead of the Round of 12 cutoff race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL, “We’re always trying to find ways to build and improve.”

“As I look on it, there have been moments that have been pretty incredible, from getting five poles and leading as many laps as we have this year to our win at Talladega in the spring,” said the driver of the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet Camaro for Richard Childress Racing. “But in that same vein, there’s a lot we haven’t accomplished still from our checklist that we’re looking to accomplish before the end of the season. Winning multiple races and making it to the Championship 4 remains the end goal and going into Phoenix [Raceway] with a shot to win the championship.

“Not necessarily satisfied, for sure, but it’s still really cool to see what our team has accomplished so far this year.”