• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Q&A: NASCAR Driver Ryan Vargas on Partnering With TikTok

  • Ryan Vargas has become the first driver to partner with TikTok.
  • The 20-year-old spoke with FOS about his introduction to TikTok and what led him to partnering with the social media platform.
qa-ryan-vargas-tiktok
NASCAR

Growing up, some kids were introduced to sports by hitting a baseball, throwing a football or shooting a basketball — but Ryan Vargas’ interests were elsewhere. He tried every traditional sport you could think of, and wasn’t particularly great at any of them. 

For Vargas, one hobby stood out amongst the rest. “I always liked cars,” he said. “Anything with four wheels and a motor, it was my cup of tea.”

Since Vargas began racing at 11, the past nine years have seen him not only achieve his dream of becoming a professional racecar driver, but also align himself with a brand that is of immense value to sports brands. 

On Sept. 24, TikTok announced that it would be the official sponsor of the up-and-coming NASCAR driver, a first for both parties. Vargas’ partnership with TikTok made its debut on Oct. 3 at Talladega and will continue for each Saturday throughout the remainder of the season leading up to the season finale on Nov. 7 in Phoenix

The 20-year-old Vargas has been using TikTok since 2019. From revisiting clips of past race victories to embracing relevant NASCAR humor, Vargas has accumulated more than 45,000 followers on the app. 

Front Office Sports spoke with Vargas about why he’s partnering with TikTok and the challenges of finding sponsors during the coronavirus pandemic.

FOS: When did you first join TikTok and what initially drew you to it?

Ryan Vargas: I believe in August of last year, so we’re really only just over a year from that timeframe. I really wanted to hop on there because it was something that I wanted to do. It was a new platform and untapped market and demographic to really brand myself. If I could show them myself and provide good content that new potential fans would enjoy, it would lead to a successful overall program on there. 

I’ve been on there now for a year, with over [45,000] followers. It’s just been so much fun. I’ve enjoyed meeting the people I’ve met on there and continuing to grow there. 

FOS: What about your content do you think has been able to contribute to your following on TikTok?

RV: TikTok has a really just untapped demographic of new potential fans to really grow your brand. If I can go on there and create genuinely entertaining content and make new fans, that’s going to go a long way.

Now I have [more than 45,000] totally new fans that I never anticipated having, so that goes a very long way. If you’re just a driver who doesn’t do social media and doesn’t market themselves, you can go out there and be as good as possible, but if you have a bad day, nobody’s going to vouch for you. If I go out there and have a bad day, I have fans who are going to say, ‘Well, we know this guy is good. We still support him.’ It’s just building a brand and building a fan base behind you.

FOS: How did you go from being just another athlete on TikTok to partnering with them?

RV: My buddy Ryan [Pistana], who is a talented graphic designer within the sport, knows that I’m very into TikTok. I love the app, and I’ve told him several occasions that I love it. Just one day he put it out there on Twitter a crazy ‘what-if’ situation: what if TikTok sponsored Ryan Vargas?

And it was a really great render. It’s pretty close to the one that we have today. It just happened to kind of make its way through sport and through NASCAR and made its way to TikTok. They saw it and they were interested. A few conversations led to another and by a few, I mean way too many. There’s never too many conversations, but definitely a lot of meetings and phone calls and emails, but it led to this amazing partnership where we were able to represent such an incredible organization over at TikTok. I’m very excited to be able to do this.

FOS: I know that it was your birthday a couple of days ago. What better way to celebrate 20 than with this partnership?

RV: It was a huge deal, not just for myself, but for the whole team as well and really the sport. It really goes to show that there is value in the sport, and this [JD Motorsports] team can really benefit from this sponsorship. We’ve had races where we just haven’t had the funding to do everything right, so to land a sponsor like this and to represent TikTok on the track, it definitely goes a long way.

FOS: There’s the TikTok branding on your car. There’s your new uniform. In your opinion, what excites you most about the partnership?

RV: Honestly, just being able to race and have the funding to go out there. Whenever a sponsor jumps on board like this, it gives you the tools necessary to go out there and race well.

JD Motorsports — we’re not one of the bigger teams. We’re not a Penske or a Gibbs. We’re JD Motorsports, but we go out there and do what we can. With TikTok, it’s a brand that I really love and I use every day. To have a brand that believes in me and to have a brand that I believe in, I feel like it can provide a successful base and help us grow, not just myself as a driver, but the team overall. Hopefully we see a spike in performance, but it all comes down to that.

So I’m just all about getting it going and getting it out and front, really just showing out and proving a lot of people wrong.

FOS: What has the past couple of months been like for you as a young driver trying to make a name for yourself in racing?

RV: It’s just all about making a name for yourself, building that brand. Along with building that fan base, you also have to just make sure that the people around you can vouch for you. By me working within the sport and working on the cars and being a road crew member, it’s earned me a lot of respect amongst the other teams and the other drivers and the other team owners. 

FOS: How much of an impact do you think this partnership will have not only increasing TikTok’s standing within the  NASCAR and racing community, but your standing as well?

RV: It’s definitely going to add a lot of stock to my name. A lot of people before yesterday didn’t know who I was, and now here we are on the front page of all these outlets and on NASCAR’s homepage. It’s definitely gonna just add a little bit more notoriety to my name so that … later on down in the career, if there’s more sponsorship opportunities that need to come, there will be more opportunities because I’m that guy who was able to land this partnership. 

This big company trusted me with their brand and everything that goes on, so I’m just really excited to do this. I’m excited to prove myself on the track, represent TikTok and tell their story and provide the message that they’re here to stay. They are here to provide an outlet for those creators and everyone involved.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

May 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Sydney McLaughin-Levrone (USA) reacts before the women's 100m hurdles during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field
exclusive

Track’s New Money Is Running Into Old Problems

The sport’s big-money era has hit some speed bumps in 2025.
Bobbleheads are seen at Vintage Indy Sports, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Speedway. The local sports memorabilia store opened recently.

Baseball’s Bobbleheads Are the Center of the Collectibles Universe

Baseball’s most important keepsake drives long lines—and big business.
Rimouski, QC - JUNE 1: Final Game of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc.

CHL Is Facing a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of Questions Amid NCAA Talent Departure

As players defect to college, the Canadian Hockey League won’t cede ground.
Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.

Featured Today

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.
July 5, 2025

Baseball’s Celebrity Row: Behind MLB’s First-Pitch Ritual

Often planned, sometimes spontaneous, the ritual throw is baseball’s celebrity row.
July 4, 2025

3,000 Hot Dogs, $20K in Prizes: Behind the Nathan’s Eating Contest

Nathan’s serves up thousands of hot dogs and $20,000 in prize money.
July 3, 2025

Geoffrey Esper Can’t Catch a Break at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest

“Hot dogs is not one of my favorite competitions of the year.”

MLB Home Run Derby Draws 5.7M Viewers on ESPN, Up 5%

ESPN reverses the trend from last year and registers audience growth.
Brittney Griner and Caitlin Clark
exclusive
July 15, 2025

‘Good Morning America’ Will Air From WNBA All-Star in First

The All-Star Game’s relevance has exploded with the league in recent years.
July 15, 2025

WNBA Hits Fourth-Highest ABC Viewership With Clark-Bueckers Duel

Clark missed the first Fever vs. Wings game with an injury.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
NBC Sports
exclusive
July 14, 2025

NBC Hiring Ex-Hawks Exec Grant Liffmann As NBA Front Office Insider

Liffmann spent the last three years with Atlanta after covering the Warriors.
F1
July 11, 2025

F1 ‘Poised’ to Choose Apple Money Over ESPN Reach

Formula One looks to be changing lanes.
Jul 10, 2025; Wimbledon, United Kingdom; Iga Swiatek of Poland at her on court interview after winning her match against Belinda Bencic of Switzerland on day 11 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.
July 10, 2025

Wimbledon Set to Deliver Strong Finals Matchup for ESPN

Novak Djokovic is still in the hunt for his 25th Grand Slam.
Paige Bueckers
exclusive
July 8, 2025

Women’s March Madness Expansion Wouldn’t Yield More ESPN Money

ESPN is not required to pay extra if women’s March Madness expands.