After running twelve NASCAR Xfinity Series races over the last two seasons, Ryan Vargas will run the full schedule in 2021. On Monday, JD Motorsports announced Vargas will drive the #6 Chevrolet Camaro on a full-time basis for the upcoming season.
A former member of the Drive for Diversity and NASCAR Next programs, Vargas began competing in the Xfinity Series in 2018 with JDM. Following a three-race slate in 2019, he increased the amount to nine in 2020. One of such races saw him score a top-ten finish as he finished eighth at Texas in October. The 20-year-old’s #6 drew eyes during the fall stretch when he acquired sponsorship from TikTok, a platform that he regularly posts on. It has not been revealed if TikTok will return for the 2021 season.
“Having the opportunity race the #6 Chevy for JD Motorsports full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series is an absolute dream come true,” Vargas stated. “This has been my dream since I was a kid and I have worked towards for the last nine years. I don’t come from a racing family, but they have embraced my dream and allowed me to chase it. I can’t wait to put my hometown of La Mirada, California on the map and make them proud.
“Spending the last two years running part-time opened up the opportunity for me to learn more about the cars and develop great relationships with everyone at JDM. I’m mentally and physically ready for what this season has in store and I’m excited to chase the Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors.”
With the news, JDM will field four full-time drivers for the first time in their history. Colby Howard and Jeffrey Earnhardt were revealed as the respective drivers of the #15 and #0 in December, while Landon Cassill rejoined the team last Friday and will pilot the #4.
Vargas is one of three drivers to have confirmed their rookie campaigns for the 2021 Xfinity season so far. Jordan Anderson announced his entry for his own team earlier in the day, while Jade Buford is unable to run the opener at Daytona but will race the rest of the season for newly-formed Big Machine Racing Team.
