Ryan Vargas is officially back.
The 19-year old driver will run a multi-race schedule for JD Motorsports with Gary Keller during the 2020 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.
Cranio Care Bears, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to spread awareness and support to families and children that struggle with Craniosynostosis, will provide sponsorship for the effort.
Vargas’ first event with the team during this slate of races comes this weekend in the No. 15 entry at the 2.5-mile triangular Pocono Raceway. Vargas has impressed in a limited role with JDM in the past, but he has never competed on a track larger than 1-mile. It’ll definitely be a new test for the NASCAR Next alumni.
“My goal is to gain as much experience as humanly possible on bigger tracks, and to do so we need to complete all the laps,” Vargas said in a team release. “Heading into Pocono this weekend with no prior experience on a track of that caliber is a little intimidating for sure, but I am confident in my team’s ability to put together a strong car capable of a good finish.”
In three races with the underdog JDM team a season ago, Vargas had a best finish of 17th at Iowa Speedway. According to Vargas, that short stint behind the wheel in the Xfinity Series a season ago was a monstrous part of him taking the next step in his career.
“The opportunity to race in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for Johnny Davis and Gary Keller last season was a big step in my career,” Vargas explained. “I knew that this group was where I wanted to be, as we mesh really well together. This year, with more races in the works, I am confident that we will have the ability to put together some strong runs. Those who know my story understand how excited I truly am to be a part of this incredible series, and they know how hard I have worked to get to this point.”
No other races were announced in the press release, but they will be announced at a later date.
