Getty Ryan Vargas has announced a major change for the 2023 season.
Xfinity Series driver Ryan Vargas has announced a major change for the 2023 season. He has parted ways with JD Motorsports while seeking other opportunities in NASCAR.
Vargas announced the news on October 31. He issued a press release on Twitter and said that the race at Martinsville Speedway was his last with JD Motorsports. He expressed a desire to land a spot where he can be both a driver and someone with a role in the team’s business operations.
My statement on leaving JD Motorsports.
“I have made the decision to leave JD Motorsports following my final contracted race with the team this past weekend at Martinsville,” Vargas said in his statement. “The decision was not an easy one to make, but as the year progressed, it became clear to me that I was ready to take a leap of faith and turn the page on this chapter of my racing career and life.
“I would like to thank Johnny, the entire Davis family, and his team for nearly four years of experience both in the garage and behind the wheel. With two top 10s and numerous of top-20 finishes, we accomplished a lot and proved we can compete.”
Vargas Leaves JD Motorsports With Some Strong Performances
GettyRyan Vargas continues to gain experience in the Xfinity Series.
The JD Motorsports cars have not been contenders for race wins over the years. They aren’t up at the front battling JR Motorsports, Joe Gibbs Racing, or Team Penske in previous seasons.
Despite running for a smaller team with less funding, Vargas has turned heads during his time in the No. 6. This includes an eighth-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway during the 2020 season, which was a career-best at the time.
The 2022 season featured Vargas making waves at multiple tracks. He kicked off the year by qualifying eighth for the opening race at Daytona International Speedway. He beat out multiple top drivers to reach the final round. Vargas then went on to finish 18th.
The season continued with Vargas finishing 12th at Atlanta Motor Speedway and 20th at Talladega Superspeedway. The trip to Talladega, in particular, featured Vargas securing the seventh-best starting spot during qualifying. He followed that up by qualifying 10th during the fall race at Talladega.
Vargas’ best race actually took place at Daytona International Speedway in late summer. He started 36th overall, but he avoided numerous wrecks that sent 17 drivers to the garage early. Vargas then went on to finish sixth overall in what was a career-best finish.
JD Motorsports Previously Announced Some 2023 Plans
Vargas announcing that he will leave JD Motorsports is the latest piece of information provided about the Xfinity Series team. It follows a different announcement made on September 20.
JD Motorsports issued a press release after the trip to Bristol Motor Speedway and outlined some plans for the 2023 season. Team owner Johnny Davis said that there will be three entries instead of only two.
The press release announced that Bayley Currey will be back with JD Motorsports after joining the team full-time in 2022. He will run the full schedule in the No. 4 Chevrolet Camaro. The rest of the driver lineup remains a work in progress ahead of the season finale at Phoenix Raceway.