The NASCAR race at WWT Raceway ended with Jesse Love celebrating his first 2026 O’Reilly Auto Parts Series win, but the post-race inspection revealed one final consequence. Carson Kvapil couldn’t hold off Love, who made the winning pass with 16 laps to go and beat Sheldon Creed by 0.896 seconds in the Nu Way 225.
NASCAR confirmed the race result after the technical inspection, with no cars sent to the R&D Center in Concord, North Carolina.
However, Austin Hill and the No. 21 Richard Childress Racing team received a penalty that will carry into the next NASCAR race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Hill will lose pit selection at Bristol because of an at-track inspection penalty. The penalty does not change the WWT Raceway finishing order or playoff points.
NASCAR Race at WWT Raceway Produces Late Drama
Love, the defending series champion, led 70 laps in the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. He took the lead from Kvapil with a bump-and-run move and stayed ahead through the final 16 laps.
The runner-up finish in the No. 00 Haas Factory Team Chevrolet lifted Creed three points clear of Justin Allgaier in the standings. Sam Mayer, Taylor Gray and Kvapil completed the top five.
Parker Retzlaff, Brent Crews, Sammy Smith, Kyle Sieg and Jeb Burton rounded out the top 10.
The NASCAR race also featured a major pit-road incident at the end of Stage 1. Rajah Caruth and Nick Sanchez spun in traffic, causing several cars to collide. Crews, Brandon Jones, Dean Thompson and Harrison Burton were among those caught in the incident. Crew members near Crews’ No. 19 Toyota moved out of the way as cars slid toward them.
Officials later reordered the field after cleaning the pit lane. Corey Day and William Sawalich also made contact during the race.
WWT Raceway Inspection Leaves Austin Hill With Penalty
The post-race inspection at WWT Raceway confirmed Love’s victory, with NASCAR finding no issue that required a car to return to its research and development center.
However, Hill and the No. 21 Chevrolet will lose pit selection at Bristol.
Senior NASCAR editor Matt Weaver reported the penalty after the inspection: “NOAPS inspection clear. No issues and no cars going back to R&D. The No. 21 car will lose pit selection at Bristol due to an at-track inspection penalty.”
Hill had run near the front late in the race but made an unscheduled pit stop with four laps remaining. He finished 29th, one lap down.
The penalty does not affect his WWT Raceway result or playoff points. It means the No. 21 team will select its pit stall after other teams choose theirs at Bristol.
NASCAR Race at Bristol Next for The Chase
The WWT Raceway result changed the Chase standings heading into Bristol. Creed holds a narrow three-point edge over Allgaier. Kvapil sits nine points behind Creed, while Love trails the leader by 16 points.
Creed continued his strong Chase run after winning at Darlington the previous week. Love added another milestone to his career, earning his fourth series win and his first victory at the 1.25-mile WWT Raceway oval.
Austin Hill’s late finish cost him ground as the Chase moved toward its next round.
The next NASCAR race takes place at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday, Sept. 18. The 180-lap WWT Raceway race covered 225 miles, while Bristol will bring the 12 Chase drivers to a short-track setting where pit strategy and race execution will again play a major role.
For Love, the WWT Raceway night ended with a trip to Victory Lane. The post-race inspection confirmed his win, while the No. 21 team left with a penalty that will affect pit selection at the next NASCAR race.
NASCAR Race at World Wide Technology Raceway Ends With a Penalty After Post-Race Inspection