Ryan Vargas is embarking on a big adventure by joining the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series full-time in 2024. The La Mirada native will take the wheel for the German-based 3F Racing team, led by Dennis Hirtz, to drive the #30 Chevrolet Camaro in the EuroNASCAR PRO Championship. The 23-year-old Californian has competed in 74 US NASCAR races to date across the Xfinity and Truck Series and now he is set to make his full-season debut in the official European NASCAR Series after having a first taste of EuroNASCAR in 2023.
Vargas left his home country for the first time in his life to compete internationally in 2023 when he took part in 3F Racing’s home race at Oschersleben, Germany, and the finals at Circuit Zolder in Belgium. The American is looking to conquer Europe with 3F Racing, a team that also works on NASCAR programs in the USA. “Overall, the quality of the racing and being able to control how you perform over the weekend and not have it dictated by one team’s equipment versus another are the main reasons I’ll be back in 2024,” said Vargas, who will make his full-time debut at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain, on April 13-14.
“Plus, as someone who has raced stock cars all my life, it’s so much fun to take something I already know and use it to go to new tracks and learn more behind the wheel on road courses,” Vargas added of his motivation to visit seven different tracks in seven different European countries in the 2024 season – including one oval, the Raceway Venray. The Californian has set his sights high and wants to have a say in the championship battle.
“My goals are to compete for top-5s, podiums and maybe have a shot at some wins,” said the 3F Racing driver, who is a marketing salesman. “US NASCAR fans follow EuroNASCAR, even more so since I joined the series in 2023 with Critical Path as my partner.” Vargas quickly adapted to the 400-horsepower V8 cars in Europe and showed great potential, especially at Oschersleben, where he made some of the most impressive passes of the weekend. He finished both races in tenth place, scoring two top-10 results in his first race weekend in Europe.
Vargas experienced the essence of EuroNASCAR in Germany when the series and the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben held a parade for fans in the center of the town near Magdeburg. Hundreds of fans greeted the drivers as they drove the race cars on public roads, escorted by the local police, with children holding up homemade posters and American flags mounted all over Oschersleben. The openness and accessibility of EuroNASCAR are key values of the series, and Vargas enjoyed signing his hero cards and taking dozens of photos with his German fans during the parade. At the track, fans have the chance to meet their heroes in the open paddock and at the American Festivals that highlight the unique events of EuroNASCAR.
The 2024 season will see the American visit new countries and tracks he has never been to in his life like Spain, Italy, the UK, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. The 2024 season kicks off on April 13-14 in Valencia, where Vargas will take on the challenge of learning another new and challenging road course, which is unique due to its arena-like layout. Fans will be able to follow all the action from the grandstands in Spain, never missing a single portion of the track. The races will also be broadcast live on EuroNASCAR’s YouTube channel and on many TV channels around the world.
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