Ryan Vargas‘ plan of running the full 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule in the #6 for JD Motorsports has been upended twice as the team opted to place someone else in the car for the road course races at Portland and Road America, but he has a fallback plan to remain a weekly driver in Mike Harmon Racing. Ty Dillon will drive the #6 at Road America on Saturday, while Vargas heads back to MHR’s #47.
Vargas initially joined MHR for Portland, incidentally when MHR driver Gray Gaulding took over the #6.
“Once again, this was a business decision, and I will always understand that,” reads a statement posted by Vargas on Monday. “I am working as hard as I can to make sure I can secure funding to compete and lock down any remaining races.
“With that all said, I am pleased to share with you all that I will be returning to the #47 Mike Harmon Racing Chevy this weekend! I appreciate Mike and his team opening their doors for me and allowing me to pilot their racecar!
“I wish the best of luck to JD Motorsports this weekend, I look forward to returning to the 6 at Atlanta.”
This time, Vargas is replaced by Dillon, a Cup Series regular in his fifth full-time season and first with Petty GMS Motorsports. He joins JD Motorsports to get additional preparation for the Cup race at Road America, one that he finished twenty-sixth in 2021 with Gaunt Brothers Racing. That race was also his first at the Wisconsin circuit since his Xfinity days.
In three Road America Xfinity starts between 2014 and 2016, he finished nineteenth, tenth, and twelfth. He commented in a press release, “The JD Motorsports guys have been working hard to give us a good car and getting additional laps will help the overall weekend.”
“We’re excited to have Ty Dillon in our #6 Chevrolet this weekend at Road America,” said team owner Johnny Davis. “Ty is a fierce competitor and this weekend will be no different. We’re excited to see what both of our teams can do at Road America.”