How van Gisbergen 'magic' inspired NASCAR champ's Super2 debut

Jesse Love has credited three-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen as his inspiration for tackling the season finale of the 2025 Dunlop Super2 Series at the bp Adelaide Grand Final.

The Californian, who claimed the second-tier NASCAR Xfinity Series title at the start of the month, will drive for Image Racing next weekend alongside Erebus Academy prospects Jobe Stewart and Jarrod Hughes.

Love is the highest-profile international addition to the Dunlop Series since Earl Bamber drove alongside Brenton Grove in the 250km Bathurst mini-enduro in 2018, and the first international driver since Brit Abbie Eaton drove at Adelaide in 2019.

The cameo is the latest chapter in the alliance between Image Racing, Erebus Motorsport, and NASCAR giant Richard Childress Racing, which saw Brodie Kostecki make a Cup Series start with RCR in 2023, and two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch nearly made an Adelaide appearance the same year.

However, the world of Supercars was barely on Love's radar. That was, until van Gisbergen took the Xfinity Series by storm last year, winning three races on road and street courses.

"I didn't even really know about it until Shane. In my free time I watch more sprintcar racing, things like that, I didn't even realise what was going on in Australia other than midget and sprintcar racing," explained Love on The Daily Downforce.

"So when me and Shane got close and we became good friends, we started looking into it and I thought it looked like so much fun.

"More importantly, I thought there was so much for me to learn here, and the stuff that Shane does is like magic. If I can go over there and trial by fire, get my butt kicked, and learn some of that magic that Shane has, it will be huge experience for me."

It will be a busy week for Love, who will test at Mallala early in the week before being on track with the Dunlop Super2 Series across all four days of the bp Adelaide Grand Final.

The American insists that he has no expectations for the weekend, with his Adelaide adventure all about improving his road course stocks before returning to the US.

"I'm going into it with an open mind, I leave on the 21st, I'll go and test in Mallala for a day or two, spin the thing out, get used to it, get better with right foot braking," Love said.

"I was in the sim every day so far this week, and most of last week, just right foot braking every day, getting used to the heel and toe and stuff.

"It's something that I'll probably end up doing in the Xfinity car next year if I'm really comfortable with it. I'm looking forward to it."

Like many, Love was in awe watching the inaugural Repco Supercars Finals Series round on the Gold Coast, with the high-flying antics through the Beach Chicane a particular highlight.

"I've been watching the [Gold Coast] races, and watching Broc Feeney fly through the air and pass people at the same time and just doing crazy shit," Love said.

"I'm looking forward to learning all that stuff and getting better with it, but I would be very dumb if I had any expectations. These guys are so good, it's like me going to the NFL and expecting to get 10 yards, it just doesn't happen.

"We'll see, we could do great, we could do bad. But I'm going to learn a lot regardless."

International fans can watch the Adelaide Supercars action on SuperView.