Ryan Vargas Bio
Ryan John Vargas (born September 23, 2000) is an American professional stock car racing driver who most recently competed part-time in the NASCAR Canada Series, driving the No. 28 Dodge Challenger for DJK Racing. He has also competed part-time in the ARCA Menards Series with Maples Motorsports, driving the No. 67 Chevrolet and Ford. Over the course of his career, Vargas has raced in several NASCAR national and regional divisions, including the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, and the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series. He is recognized as a two-time Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award winner and a 2023 Comcast Community Champion.
Early Life and Background
Ryan John Vargas was born on September 23, 2000, in La Mirada, California. He grew up in the same Southern California community that would later become a central part of his early racing identity. Vargas attended La Mirada High School, balancing his education with a growing commitment to motorsports during his teenage years.
From an early age, Vargas was drawn to racing, beginning his competitive career in 2012 at Irwindale Speedway, a well-known short track in Southern California. Those first laps in Bandolero cars introduced him to the discipline and focus required in stock car racing. By 2015, he had progressed to Super Stock and super late model competition, building the foundation that would carry him into NASCAR’s development ladder.
Path to NASCAR
Vargas continued to sharpen his skills at Irwindale Speedway before making the jump to NASCAR’s development system. In 2018, he signed with Rev Racing for a full season in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. Despite a slow start, he posted a ninth-place finish at Langley Speedway and ended the year sixth in the championship standings with six top-ten results.
After his K&N Pro Series East campaign, Vargas returned to Irwindale in 2019 for a full season of Super Late Model racing with friend Alec Martinez. He also traveled east to run Late Model Stock Car races with Lee Faulk Racing, gaining valuable experience on different tracks and with multiple teams. These seasons helped him build the resume needed to reach NASCAR’s national series.
Ryan Vargas Career
Early Career (2012–2018)
Vargas began his racing career in 2012 at Irwindale Speedway, competing in Bandolero cars on the short tracks of Southern California. The early years at Irwindale taught him race craft, car control, and the work ethic that defines life on a small team. By 2015, he had graduated to Super Stock and super late model equipment, signaling that he was ready for a higher level of competition.
In 2018, Vargas made his formal entry into NASCAR’s pipeline by joining Rev Racing for a full season in the K&N Pro Series East. He overcame a slow opening stretch to record six top-ten finishes, ending the year sixth in the standings. That result caught the attention of national series teams and set the stage for his move up the ladder.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Breakthrough (2019–2023)
In July 2019, Vargas made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Iowa Speedway with JD Motorsports, marking his arrival on one of NASCAR’s biggest stages. He returned to JDM in 2020 on a multi-race deal, and his schedule was expanded in September when TikTok came on board as a primary sponsor for six additional races, a partnership that significantly raised his profile among younger fans.
In 2021, Vargas was promoted to a full-time Xfinity Series ride with JDM in the No. 6. Mid-season, ahead of the Dover race, he switched to the No. 4 after swapping cars with teammate Landon Cassill, a move designed to keep the car inside the owner-points cutoff needed to qualify for upcoming events. He was briefly replaced by Spencer Pumpelly for one round at Circuit of the Americas before returning the following week.
For 2022, Vargas initially appeared set for a second full Xfinity Series season with JDM in the No. 6, but the Portland entry list showed him in the No. 47 for Mike Harmon Racing. He scored a sixth-place finish in the second Daytona race, which became his second career top ten, and despite missing six rounds he improved on his previous year’s results.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (2023)
During the 2023 Xfinity Series season, Vargas struggled to qualify on a couple of occasions and decided to shift his focus to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He entered seven Truck Series races that year, posting one top-ten finish. The switch allowed him to stay active on track while sampling a new series.
DJK Racing Era (2025)
On March 25, 2025, it was announced that Vargas would make his NASCAR Canada Series debut that season, running the No. 28 entry for DJK Racing. Although he had planned a full season, a lack of funding forced him to scale back. Even so, he missed only two races, recorded seven top-ten finishes, claimed one podium, and ended the year seventh in the championship standings.
Driving Style and Strengths
Vargas has shown a knack for getting the most out of underdog equipment, particularly during his years with smaller teams in the Xfinity Series. He adapts quickly to different tracks and has demonstrated solid short-track pace, a useful trait given his Irwindale Speedway roots. His partnerships with crew chiefs at JDM and other teams have been built on steady feedback and a willingness to refine setup choices race by race.
Notable Races and Milestones
His debut Xfinity Series start at Iowa Speedway in 2019 and his sixth-place run in the second Daytona race of 2022 stand out as career highlights. Vargas also earned recognition off the track as a two-time Wendell Scott Trailblazer Award winner in 2016 and 2017, and as a 2023 Comcast Community Champion for his charitable work.
Ryan Vargas Career Wins
Across his time in NASCAR’s national and regional series, Vargas has notched a number of top-ten finishes, podiums, and consistent point-paying runs, even though outright race wins at the national level have remained elusive. His strongest results have come in the Xfinity Series with JD Motorsports and Mike Harmon Racing, the Truck Series in 2023, and the NASCAR Canada Series with DJK Racing.
Xfinity Series Highlights
In the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Vargas has recorded multiple top-ten finishes, including a sixth-place result in the second Daytona race of 2022. His best championship result with JDM came during a full-time 2021 campaign, where he combined with teammate Landon Cassill in a mid-season car swap to keep his team inside the owner-points cutoff.
Other Wins & Performances
In 2023, Vargas made seven Craftsman Truck Series starts and earned one top-ten finish. He also raced in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series that year, posting two top-ten results in four events. In 2024, he ran the full Whelen Euro Series schedule, scoring five top-tens and a best finish of fifth on his way to tenth in the final standings. In 2025, his NASCAR Canada Series effort with DJK Racing produced seven top-tens and one podium, good for seventh in points.
Ryan Vargas Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Vargas comes from La Mirada, California, where his family supported his early interest in racing. His move into Super Late Models with friend Alec Martinez in 2019 reflects a close-knit racing community around him. He was born with craniosynostosis, a condition that has been part of his public story and that he has spoken about as motivation.
Personal Life
Vargas is known for his community involvement, which was honored with the 2023 Comcast Community Champion award. He is active on social media, including a Facebook presence under the Ryan Vargas Racing page, and has used his platform to support causes close to his family and fans.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season saw Vargas make his NASCAR Canada Series debut with DJK Racing in the No. 28 Dodge Challenger. Despite losing the funding needed to run a complete schedule, he missed only two of the scheduled rounds and stayed competitive throughout the year. He finished the season seventh in the championship standings.
He also continued part-time in the ARCA Menards Series with Maples Motorsports, driving the No. 67 Chevrolet and Ford. The combined Canada and ARCA schedule kept him sharp on ovals of different sizes, including short tracks and intermediate speedways, and offered a path back toward NASCAR’s national divisions.
Looking ahead, Vargas enters the off-season with momentum from seven top-tens and a podium in Canada, a renewed partnership with Maples Motorsports in ARCA, and a public profile boosted by his community work. With his 2025 results as a baseline, he is well positioned to chase full-time national-series opportunities in the years to come.
