Gray Gaulding, Ryan Vargas “trade” rides for Portland

Unlike in stick-and-ball sports, racing typically does not see teams exchanging drivers. As such, when a driver signs with a team and another driver joins the other’s original operation, it is usually more a coincidence or for another context rather than a true trade.

This is especially the case for Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Portland International Raceway as JD Motorsports and Mike Harmon Racing have respectively picked up Gray Gaulding and Ryan Vargas, who mainly drives for the other organisation, in one-off starts. While Gaulding takes over Vargas’ #6 JD Motorsports car for Portland, Vargas will move to the #47 MHR vehicle that Gaulding has shared with others.

Despite a solid 2019 Xfinity campaign with SS-Green Light Racing in which he nearly won at Talladega, Gaulding has been forced into journeyman status since for smaller operations like MHR and Jimmy Means Racing. After making three starts with MHR in 2020 and 2021 (the latter after his full-time season with Means was abandoned), he returned to the team and the #47 for Daytona and Talladega. He failed to qualify for the former and placed twenty-first at the latter, and further starts have not been revealed as Brennan Poole has run most of the schedule in the #47.

Meanwhile, Vargas had been running the full Xfinity schedule in the #6 and currently sits twenty-fifth in the standings. He has three top twenties, all of which came at superspeedways with a best finish of twelfth at Atlanta.

He ran for Rookie of the Year honours in 2021 but the effort was called off due to performance and he was replaced for four road course races by ringers.

“This sport is a business and a business first, I understand that to the fullest extent. I look forward to returning to the #6 at Nashville later this month,” read a statement from Vargas. “With that said, I’m excited to share with you all that I still will be racing at Portland, taking the helm of Mike Harmon Racing’s #47 Chevrolet Camaro! I appreciate Mike and his team for the opportunity, and I look forward to maximizing the opportunity and getting valuable laps at a new track!”