(Photo: Ryan Daley | The Podium Finish)
A little over three years ago, California native Ryan Vargas thought his racing career might be over. He lost his ride in the K&N Pro Series East and didn’t know what was next.
“I thought I was washed up. I thought I was done. I thought my career was over,” Vargas told The Podium Finish at Richmond Raceway. “I never thought I’d race in Xfinity. I know what it’s like to lose everything, so every race I get is a blessing.”
Vargas, 21, always had a passion for cars and racing. When he was younger, he would wake up before the sun rose on the West Coast to watch the SPEED channel.
He tried other sports like baseball, basketball, football and soccer, but decided his true passion was racing.
Vargas was born with a condition called Craniosynostosis, which affects the shape and growth of his head. However, he wasn’t going to let that stop him from chasing his dreams.
At just 10 years old, Vargas’ parents bought him his racecar: a Bandolero. He made his first start when he was 11 at Irwindale Speedway and even tied for a national title.
“I had years less experience than a lot of these guys,” Vargas said. “I’m racing against guys who are twice my age, or guys who have been racing since the early 2000s. Me, I started in 2012. It’s definitely been a game of catch-up my entire career.”
In 2017, Vargas couldn’t afford to race anymore. His parents, who had helped fund his career, started to run out of money to put into racecars.
“I remember my parents sitting me down and telling me that we couldn’t afford to do it,” Vargas said. “I knew from the very beginning how expensive racing could be. I didn’t want to put our family in a situation.”
But, he had one last chance. Vargas, a Mexican American, applied to NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity Program. He made the team and was offered 14 races in the 2018 K&N Pro Series East for Rev Racing.
Vargas never won a race but recorded six top-10s with an average finish of 11th. However, it wasn’t enough. He wouldn’t be back in the car in 2019.
Instead of prioritizing another ride at the ARCA level, Vargas raced late models in 2019. He spent time on both the West Coast and the East Coast and found success.
“We won races. “We did great [and] ran up front virtually everywhere,” Vargas said. “It was a great experience for me to get a bunch of racing and get laps that I needed… It was a massive confidence booster.”
However, Vargas made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut that same season with JD Motorsports. In a three-race deal, he recorded finishes of 17th, 18th and 26th.
“It was just a unique, chance deal,” Vargas said. “I met [Johnny Davis, team owner] through walking through the garage area handing out business cards… He took a risk with me. I was an 18-year-old kid who lost his ride in ARCA. There was no reason to allow me to drive his race car.”
(Photo: Molly Gastineau | The Podium Finish)
Vargas signed another part-time deal with JD Motorsports in 2020. He made his season debut in June at Pocono Raceway and also made starts at Kansas Speedway and Darlington Raceway.
Vargas had the opportunity for more races at the end of the season with JD, but he needed sponsorship.
Like many teenagers, Vargas used TikTok, a video-driven social media app. Vargas had a following of 30,000 and he regularly engaged with fans on the app. He used his social media presence to his advantage as he searched for sponsorship to race.
“My buddy, Ryan Pistana, threw up a rendering of a TikTok car with me in it,” Vargas said. “Through word of mouth, TikTok saw it, got a hold of me and the rest is history. I don’t have management, so every time we had those meetings, it was just me sitting on the call.”
For the final six races of the 2020 season, TikTok sponsored Vargas, and he saw success. He recorded two top-20s, including an eighth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway.
His late-season success led to an extended deal with JD Motorsports in 2021. Vargas raced in 29 of 33 events and finished a season-best 14th at Atlanta Motor Speedway in July.
“Going to all the tracks last year for the first time, but no practice or qualifying — that was a massive challenge,” Vargas said. “It’s a unique challenge. Vegas (2022), when we qualified there, that was my second time ever qualifying on an intermediate track. My only other time was Charlotte in May (2021).”
(Photo: Ryan Daley | The Podium Finish)
After an up-and-down season, Vargas is finally full-time in 2022. Through eight races, Vargas has a pair of top-20 finishes on superspeedway-like tracks but has also crashed twice.
“Our superspeedway program has proven to be very, very good,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of speed. I’m leaning on my teammate, Bayley (Currey), for a lot of advice sometimes… I want to help grow this team and continue growing with this team. The start for this year has been just kind of defined by two words — bad luck.”
Moreover, Vargas is happy to have an opportunity in NASCAR. But, he’s still regularly seeking sponsorship on Twitter.
Just one day before the Richmond race, Vargas picked up a sponsor, Williamsburg Contracting, as an associate. He said sponsorship helps drive everything in terms of team success.
“Yeah, the car is blank, and it has a decal on the lower quarter panel. But, that decal on the quarter panel could be the difference between finishing 28th and 21st,” Vargas said. “They got us some tire money.”
While Vargas isn’t focusing on his results, he just wants to spend as much time in a car as possible.
“My expectations for 2022 [are] just to run every race, run every lap, be there at the end of all these races and the results should seek themselves out,” he said. “If I’m in a race car, I’m happy.”
The NASCAR Xfinity Series returns to action on April 23 at Talladega Superspeedway.
