“The spark is definitely back”: Ryan Vargas credits NASCAR Euro Series for helping him get his groove back

Ryan Vargas has opened up about rekindling the flame after racing stock cars outside the US. Vargas credited his latest full-time stint in the NASCAR Euro Series for fulfilling his goal of getting the spark for racing again.

Vargas is a 24-year-old professional stock car racing driver from La Mirada, California. He competed in the NASCAR Xfinity and Truck Series before racing full-time in the Euro Series in the No. 30 Chevrolet Camaro for 3F Racing this year.

In an X post via TobyChristie.com, Vargas shared getting the spark back after running in the NASCAR Euro Series.

"That was a big thing for me, was I wanted to go out there and get that spark again. The spark is definitely back," Vargas said.

During the 2024 season, Ryan Vargas entered the Europe-based series as a Junior, a class for drivers who are 25 years old and under.

The Californian scored one top-5 and four top-10 finishes. His best finish was at Raceway Venray in the Netherlands where he crossed the line in P5. The driver also had one P6 finish at the Motorsports Arena Oschersleben road course where he won the Junior class.

Ryan Vargas concluded the 2024 NASCAR Euro season 10th in the overall standings and 4th among Junior drivers.

Before the year ends, Vargas will enter the final late model event at Irwindale Speedway in his hometown California on December 21. He will drive the No. 23 Chevrolet with sponsorship from van custom builder Sandy Vans.

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Ryan Vargas once weighed in on Austin Dillon's controversial Richmond win

After the Richmond Raceway race last August, Ryan Vargas weighed in on the controversial win. Vargas compared Austin Dillon's win to Carl Edwards' when the latter had harsher penalties for a similar incident in 2010.

For context, the Cook Out 400 witnessed Dillon making contact with Joey Logano before the Team Penske driver spun out the lead. Denny Hamlin sneaked in from the inside before Dillon hit the No. 11 Toyota, resulting in another last-lap crash.

On the other hand, Edwards deliberately wrecked Brad Keselowski on the final lap to cross the start/finish line first in Atlanta in 2010.

While Dillon was docked 25 points and stripped of playoff eligibility, Edwards received a 60-point deduction, a $25,000 penalty and a three-week probation.

After citing the penalties, Vargas said on X:

"Would this be technically the standard?? Like I don't know."

In another X post, the now 24-year-old driver wrote:

"What sucks to me most is that tonight’s race was genuinely the most enthralling strategy race I’ve seen in YEARS. That alternate tire did wonders. Now it’s just gonna be overshadowed by a… questionable move. Dang."

The race strategy in question was Daniel Suarez changing all four tires to the option tire set after stage one ended. The No. 99 Trackhouse Racing driver gained an advantage with the strategy but the eventual wear brought him down to a P10 finish at Richmond.

While Vargas has started over 70 US-based NASCAR races, the young driver has yet to make his debut in the Cup Series.