Inside Monster Jam
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Inside Monster Jam
Season 5 Episode 19 | Ryan Vargas
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Get up to speed with one of Monster Jam's newest and fastest drivers, racing driver Ryan Vargas, as he joins Team Power Rush.
Good evening everyone. Welcome to Inside Monster Jam, the official Monster Jam podcast. I'm Scott Jordan. My guest this week is Ryan Vargas, the newest driver of Monster Jam's newest truck power rush. Ryan, welcome to Inside Monster Jam. Great to have you, buddy.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. First time caller, longtime listener. I'm super excited to be on here chatting Malthings Monster Jam with you.
SPEAKER_01Well, I appreciate that, man. You have uh a lot a lot of hype surrounding you, uh, buddy, and you came in with a bang. We're gonna get to that here in a little bit, but I want to talk about uh you're honestly one of the most accomplished racers I think we've ever had step foot into a monster jam truck. So talk a little bit about when you started racing, what you started racing, and why that became a big passion for you.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so I started racing uh all the way back when I was 11 years old. I mean, truthfully, my my passion for motorsports ironically came from attending a Monster Jam event when I was about four or five years old and just always had the itch to do it. Um, and by the time I turned 10, 11 years old is when I found out that, hey, kids could go racing. Uh, so I started in a division called Bandoleros, worked my way up through the series, uh, ended up racing street stocks, moved up to late models, and then eventually getting the call to go uh out west from SoCal to Charlotte, North Carolina, and go race in NASCAR. And here I am, I think close to 80 starts across the NASCAR Craftsman Truck, NASCAR Riley Auto Parts series, and now gone international. Uh, and I now help co-manage uh Arkham Nard series race team. So it's been a crazy career path so far, but I'm very thankful for all of the experiences I've been able to have on the stock car side of things.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I'm taking a look at your resume here, uh, Xfinity series uh in 2019. That is no easy task, even to get into the Xfinity series. And we we have a driver, uh, I'm not sure if you've ever heard of him, Camden Murphy. You know, he's done a little bit. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He he uh you know he he's done a lot of racing, uh, whether that be a NASCAR or stock car. Uh what was your familiar familiarity with Camden before uh Monster Jam became on your radar?
SPEAKER_00Well, uh funny enough, the day I made my NASCAR debut in the Xfinity series or now the O'Reilly series, um I was actually raced against Camden. There's actually a photo of me and Camden sitting on the bench at driver intros next to each other. Um I'm I I'm I could almost imagine that I probably talked to him a little bit about Monster Jam. So uh it's definitely a full circle moment for me, uh, going from you know the 18-year-old kid then, you know, looking at a guy like Camden, seeing all the stuff he's done, both in NASCAR, but also in Monster Jam. Um and I'll kind of following in his footsteps, and now I get to be a part of Team Power Rush alongside him as well as the incredibly talented Brandon Arthur, absolutely killing it overseas. So um, yeah, it's just a wild set of circumstances there.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I want to get to uh Power Rush here, obviously, but you also uh raced in in a Euro series. Talk about racing uh in that series and what was that, what that was like for you. How did that help your career?
SPEAKER_00You know, uh it's one of those things where everyone's path in motorsports, everyone thinks it's a very linear path. It's really not. Um, you know, for myself, I had raced so much here in the States, racing in those upper levels of NASCAR. Whereas, you know, for me, I want to take a step back and say, look, let's prioritize fun. Let's go have fun. Let's try something completely out of my wheelhouse. And that's where racing in the NASCAR Euro series came about. And uh was able to connect with Jerome and Ann Galpin over there uh with the Euro Series, was able to connect with the Blika Molin family, uh, was able to go drive some races overseas and really travel the world, something that I never thought I would do, let alone to drive uh NASCAR stock cars overseas in Europe. So uh it's a very unique series, a very fun series, and uh a lot of incredible memories and friendships made.
SPEAKER_01So, how did the Monster Jam connection come up? Was it uh Camden Murphy that, you know, sort of extended that olive branch? Did they reach out to you? Did you reach out to them?
SPEAKER_00You know, I always saw what Camden did and saw it as something that I wanted to do and saw it as something that, like, you know, hey, I always love Monster Jam. It's something that I would love to look into. Um, you know, I reached out, you know, I reached out to uh Monster Jam. I was kind of like, hey, this is something that I'd love to do. Is there is there a pathway? And, you know, thankfully I was able to go through the process, go through Monster Jam University, learn from the GOAT, the professor, Tom Mintz. It feels like just yesterday I was taking my first steps at MJU, and here I am running with the big dogs uh consistently, which is exciting.
SPEAKER_01Uh, when you went to MJU, the the students that you repaired with, did you have more experience than them uh that that you know of? Were you uh intimidated by you? Because I mean I could just Google your name and all of these incredible racing accomplishments come up before you even step foot in Monster Jam University.
SPEAKER_00Well, uh I had more experience, I guess you could say, behind the wheel, but I didn't have as much experience in terms of absolutely putting it all out there and having no fear. I was paired up with Geneva Keller, and there's no secret with uh her background in stunts, right? I was also paired up with uh dancing Joe, Joe Dennis, a couple times there, uh going to MJU. So, you know, two very different people, two very different backgrounds. And that was one of the most exciting things for me um as a driver going through Monster Jam University was hey, I'm getting different perspectives on things. I'm getting to learn different backgrounds, but also see how what I can learn from them. You know, Geneva, she has no fear, she's gonna send it big. Joe, he's very technical, he's very calculated, and it's kind of funny. You can almost see how he controls the truck, especially in two-wheel skills. It's almost like how he does his dance moves. So it's it's fun being able to watch these drivers uh progress, uh, as well as being able to watch them compete and become good friends with them and you know learn off of each other.
SPEAKER_01That's a heck of a lineup at MJU because all of you now have have made it to the big show. You've all driven Monster Jam trucks, and you know, not everybody that goes to MJU gets that opportunity. So that's an amazing class to be paired with. And uh congratulations to you guys because that's a star-studded MJU class if I've ever seen one.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's uh it's an absolute honor. I mean, truthfully, you know, Monster Jam, like I said, it it kicked off by passion for motorsports. So um to be able to sit here today being one of the three drivers of Power Rush, the brand new Monster Jam truck, a racing themed Monster Jam truck, um, it's truly an honor. And I and I and I, you know, I look at some of the trophies behind me already, you know, you know, being able to compete in Monster Jam, and it's it's the honor uh is very much there.
SPEAKER_01The first time you got into a Monster Jam truck, uh, what was your reaction? Was it overwhelming? Um, you know, were were you trying to figure out what different things did? Did it look the same at all to anything that you've ever driven before?
SPEAKER_00The biggest difference for me was being strapped in so tight. You know, in NASCAR, the way we're fitted into those seats, you know, we have the custom mold insert. It's very similar to a monster jam truck, however, you're not locked in as tight as you are. I mean, I cannot stress to the fans listening at home. Um, when you're in a monster jam truck, you're not moving. You can't turn your head side to side, you can't do that. In NASCAR stock cars, you have a little bit of flexibility. You are able to kind of do some of this, you know, be able to kind of move a little bit, right? Not in Monster Jam. And that's one of the things that I immediately, while it was different, I immediately felt comfortable because of the fact that I knew I was safe inside these monster jam trucks, being able to throw it in the air. I mean, I I never jumped a vehicle intentionally until I uh hopped in a monster jam truck, nor run on dirt. So a lot of uh variables being tossed at me at once.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's the seven hardest system, seven points there, uh each one uh equally as important as the as the other. So uh you're definitely strapped in there nice uh because you have to be, because you're taking 12,000 pounds and you're uh flying across arenas and stadiums in it. So obviously, we need to make sure that you are as safe as possible. Safety will always come first at Monster Jam. You took that hardest, you took that strapped in, you took that MJU pedigree, you rolled into Spokane, my friend, and all you did was win the overall event championship your second time out. That doesn't happen in Monster Jam. Talk about that first weekend for you and what it meant to walk away with the trophies so early in your career.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, that's the that's the rep, that's the trophy right there. Um, man, it's it's such an honor to have been able to go through that and be able to have gone to Spokane. My family was there, my mom and my dad, um, you know, just experiencing like just the highs all of a sudden, right? Um, and it really culminates down to the fact that, you know, Tom Ments, what he taught me at MJU, Camden was there, what he taught me, you know, really taking the time to learn the intricacies of these monster jam trucks, being able to go out there and compete alongside some really good names. I mean, we had Matt Cody there, you had, you know, Tim Hall Jr., you had some really good guys that were just throwing it all out there. And I think that's one of the things that to me it meant a lot because I was able to watch these guys for years, you know, while I was racing NASCAR, I was still watching the live streams, I was still watching the highlights and stuff, and I was itching to get out there. And so being able to go out there and compete alongside these very talented Monster Jam drivers um and come out on top, that meant a lot. And so it was a culmination of a life's you know, a lifelong passion um and a lot of uh work behind the scenes working with some very talented individual individuals.
SPEAKER_01You know, in in the NASCAR circuit and and all of the things that you you have driven, all the series you've driven in, it seems like speed has always been the ultimate goal. You know, I'm sure there's there's technical aspects to it as well, but it seems like you know, the the fastest technical driver usually wins. Monster Jam is a little different. So how were you able to uh maybe uh satisfy your need for speed and become a little more technical, especially in competitions like the two-wheel skills challenge?
SPEAKER_00Well, the biggest thing for me, and I hit on it at the Monster Jam World Finals press conference. You know, I was able to translate the need to be calm behind the wheel into driving the Monster Jam trucks, you know, especially in two-wheel skills for myself. That's something that I I really love two-wheel skills, it's my favorite competition. Um you know, I'm used to being in a race car strapped in tight, you're going 190, 195 miles per hour, inches apart from the cars directly in front, behind, and around you. And you have to be calm. I mean, one, you know, if you're off by just an inch, a centimeter, you're veering into the next car and you're causing a very expensive incident. Um so for me, you know, when I'm you know hanging up there in two-wheel skills, you know, shifting gears, you know, turning the truck, it's it's unfamiliar, but it's also a familiar emotional feel, I guess you could say. Um and mentally, I I I was able to translate that into what I'm experiencing now behind the wheel of these Monster Jam trucks. And uh just a it's a really unique experience going from one to the other, but there are characteristics of how you need to approach them that do relate to each other.
SPEAKER_01How long was it after you went to MJU that you got the call that you were going to be driving?
SPEAKER_00Man, I mean, it was several weeks, you know, uh just a lot of time, you know, going through the process of you know, practicing and practicing and practicing. And it's like, man, like I'm putting everything I can into this. I'm just hoping and hoping and hoping that, you know, something comes about. And when I got the call that I'd be driving El Toro Loco, the crazy bull at Spokane and uh Hampton. Um I I mean, I I'm not gonna lie to you. I'm I'm an emotional guy. I cried. I was so happy. Um it was a it was a very uh it was a very special moment for me, and you hit on how good Spokane was. Uh, you know, really those those several weeks, uh, you know, a couple months there really are just a blur um in a good way, and uh I'm very thankful for all of it.
SPEAKER_01Hey man, it's good to be emotional when your dreams are coming true. I um I I remember the phone call I got back in 2018 from Scott Douglas when he told me that I was gonna be the new uh voice of Monster Jam on NBC Sports Network, man. I uh you know I went out uh I was DJing that night uh in Orlando and I had to take a break, uh, put on a long mix. I went out and and called my family, man. I just cried because it's it's okay. Like we're I mean, we're we're we're we're grown men and and emotional uh grown men and we're accomplishing our dreams, buddy. So um that that's great. Let's talk about Power Rush now because uh we saw at the press conference that Power Rush now is going to be this three-headed monster Camden Murphy will handle domestically in the stadiums, you're gonna handle domestically in the arenas, and then Brandon Arthur will handle the international series. That is quite the potent lineup of drivers, if I've ever seen one, and it fits with this indie car power rush scheme. So, talk a little bit about your feelings when you found out that you were gonna be a part of this power rush team.
SPEAKER_00Well, first of all, after I cried again, um, I was super excited about it, really just because of the fact that, you know, it fits, you know. I mean, Camden Murphy, obviously, we all know his background, we all know Brandon Arthur's background, racing in off-road trucks. Um, and we've seen just how competitive those two drivers are. I mean, their background has definitely come into play with their skill set behind the wheel and to even be in consideration to represent the brand new Monster Jam truck, this brand new IP, being able to go out there and you know show to these Monster Jam fans, hey, Power Rush, we're here to make an impact. And uh to me, that's uh a real big honor just in itself, and getting to you know represent team Power Rush here in the States on the arenas, it's gonna be a a very challenging year. I'm gonna be a lot of learning. You know, I'm going from running, you know, a few events here and there to now it's you know, hey, you gotta be in it, it's gonna be consistent, you gotta get ready to go.
SPEAKER_01And it's uh it's gonna be a whirlwind for you, man. A first weekend out. And it's just uh these these arena, even the stadium series, it's just like this incredible well-oiled machine that just hits you out of nowhere. And when it once it's it hits you, you're strapped on, you're strapped in for uh you know, you know, for for life. So you're uh you're gonna have a great time. I'm excited to see you out there. Um, I I do want to ask you, when did you find out you were gonna be uh doing Power Rush?
SPEAKER_00It was in the mid-summer, uh, I'd say not too long before World Finals. Um, you know, obviously, you know, Power Rush was still very new, and so a lot of things were coming together. So um to get the call when I did, and it was like, hey, we're gonna reveal this, let's do it. I was all there. I was ready to go. Let's do it. Um ironically, I was working on a race car, I was getting ready to go drive. So um I feel like that kind of fits the brand perfectly. I I I got the call, I was turning a wrench, and now I'm running outside out of the shop so I can get some cell service, and here we are.
SPEAKER_01So uh you're you're from California, correct? Is that where you still live now?
SPEAKER_00Uh no, I live in Charlotte, North Carolina. So I moved from the LA area. I I used to go to the Anaheim events all the time growing up and went to the World Finals for several years out in Vegas and moved to Charlotte to you know pursue racing.
SPEAKER_01Right. Yeah, I guess sort of the same path from from Camden, except he came from Atasca, Illinois, which I couldn't even point to uh on a map if I tried, but that's okay because it's uh it's a charming town, and uh now he's in North Carolina because that's like the racing hub of the universe, is is especially for you know sports like NASCAR and IndyCar, obviously IndyCar in Indianapolis as well. Most of those teams have shops in North Carolina, correct?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I know Panske's out here, and there's also a lot of sports car teams, a lot of teams in the Imsa paddock. So uh it's really cool for me, you know. And one of the cool things to to me uh going through this journey, you know, joining Monster Jam is just how many people in the NASCAR garage, the Imsa Garage, you know, across the motorsports landscape paid attention to it. Um I remember uh after Spokane seeing some of my favorite uh podcasts over on Dirty Mo Media. Um they even shouted out that we that I won my first event in Spokane's first event weekend. So um it's cool to see how much the motorsports world pays attention to this. Um and that's one of the cool things to me that I hope uh you know being a part of Monster Jam ends up being one of the things that carries with me is that people who are fans of stock car racing or indie car racing or sports car racing, you know, that they follow this because I think it's really cool to see just this lineup and what we do.
SPEAKER_01Did you ever get to uh see the Gravedigger uh NASCAR scheme that we had out there with that partnership? Because yeah, it was pretty cool. They made it, they made an awesome toy uh that I have in my house that I absolutely love. But it's uh it's great to see stuff like that. And then we also see now the uh freestyle motocross bikes painted. So Monster Jam transcends everything. I think even if you're a racer, if you're a a motorcycle rider, I just think seeing a this incredibly large truck being able to do the things that it does, and the drivers uh doing the things that they do, you have to have respect for that. Uh it's man versus machine, and in most other worlds, machine always wins, but in Monster Jam, man can win that BKT trophy that's sitting behind you. Absolutely. And one of the things that we're gonna do is women, right, and woman, and women can also win that.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely, absolutely. We saw we saw Logan just recently absolutely killing. So, I mean, it's it's awesome to see you know what these incredible men and women do in Monster Jam. But you know, one of the coolest things to me, and and I and it speaks to what I was just saying about how people pay attention to it, really, is the fact that you know I remember going to the track, and for many years, it was like, hey Ryan, what are you up to this year? What are you racing? What what's going on? Now I go to the track and you know, they're like, Man, I I saw you were killing it in El Toro Loco. That's awesome. Oh, you saw you're running Monster Mutt to Albation, that's cool. Hey, congrats on the new Power Rush deal. Like these are you know, colleagues of mine, competitors that I've raced against. These are team owners that are seeing this and they're and they're coming to me and saying, Hey, this is awesome. I've signed so many autographs uh for people that I you know work alongside because hey, you know, my my family are big fans of this. Could you sign this or something? So it's just it's so cool to see how many people really just get behind it and are so excited about it.
SPEAKER_01Now, with your busy monster jam schedule just a few months away, are you going to uh put your other vehicles to the side for a little while? Are you gonna be able to go back to them at all? What is the the trajectory of that look like for you?
SPEAKER_00Well, for me, you know, I'm full committed to Monster Jam. You know, I want to go full bore into this. I'm really excited about it. Truthfully, I mean, I've said it many times in interviews, whether it's, you know, NASCAR related or monster jam related, this is the most fun I've had in my career. Um, and I told myself very, very, very early on in my career, I mean, this is when I first moved out here when I was 17 years old, living on my own practically. I I told myself that this needs to be fun. If it if it's not fun, it's not worth doing. Um, and I could sit here and say all day long that driving these Monster Jam trucks, competing against these incredible Monster Jam drivers, getting to meet all the Monster Jam technicians, all the people within, you know, Monster Jam, it's such a welcoming environment. And I've been able to I I I I felt more at home than I ever have. Um and that's none, and that's nothing against all the other opportunities that I've had, because they've all been incredible. But going up there in these Monster Jam ducks, seeing the smiles that I put on people's faces. I love seeing some of the clips of me doing two-wheel, and you see, you know, the kids in the stands jumping up and down, going crazy. Like to me, that's fun. That's what this is all about. And so I am ready to go, you know, full board.
SPEAKER_01Well, before I let you go, we're gonna play a real quick game. We're gonna we're gonna put you uh in the hot seat with your power rush teammates, all right? Uh, you and Camden Murphy line up at the Indianapolis 500 in a stock car, one lap. Who wins?
SPEAKER_00Oh man. Well, you know, this might have to turn into a little bit of a grudge match here, but you know what? Camden actually has some experience at Indy, so he may have the edge on me there. But if you give me just a little bit of room, I'm gonna absolutely force my way through. And I think I can probably edge him out.
SPEAKER_01All right. Let's let's go back there. You and Camden Murphy line up in your power rush monster jam trucks. You gotta go one side of the track down to the other. Who wins? Straight shot.
SPEAKER_00Oh man, Camden's been in this for a long time. I think he's gonna have me covered. Uh, hopefully, I can learn a thing or two from him and see where that goes.
SPEAKER_01And he's currently the reigning fastest man in a monster jam truck. So, you know, that's very, it's very intimidating. I think he might have you uh on that straight shot, but we'll we'll see what happens. Now let's let's flip it a little, let's flip it a little bit going to Brandon Arthur. Same question. You and Brandon line up, let's say an international series track racing, power rush versus power rush, who wins?
SPEAKER_00Man, look, I've I've been able to tune in. My one of my favorite things is tuning in early in the morning and seeing the events going on overseas. And usually it's power rush at the top of the at the top of the board there. Watching uh I just saw them over uh overseas there. So I'm gonna have to say it's gonna be Brandon there, but like I said, give me give me some time. I need some seat time. Give me some experience. I'll try and I'll try and knock on the door.
SPEAKER_01Alright, well your your turn is coming here, so let's let's go uh let's go branded Arthur, Ryan Vargas, lined up, stock cars, one lap, who wins?
SPEAKER_00Well, judging by my experience, I'd probably say me, but I know Brandon would absolutely kick butt.
SPEAKER_01And then what about uh uh a short track?
SPEAKER_00Ooh, short track. Um, if we're doing short course racing like he's used to, the off-road stuff, he's got me beat. If we're doing short track racing where I can lay the bumper to him, yeah, I have to get the elbows out.
SPEAKER_01I think I listen, I think those are very respectable answers uh of your teammates. So uh great job, Ryan. So good to have you on, man. I'm glad that I got to meet you uh at World Finals. I'm glad that we did this. I wish you the absolute best of luck uh in 2027. I can't wait to see what you do out there.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. Thank you. And uh I'm just super excited, you know, rapping Team Power Rush all year. It's gonna be a lot of fun.
SPEAKER_01Ryan Vargas is bringing Power Rush to an arena near you in 2027. Get your tickets to see him and the newest truck in the fleet of monsterjam.com. That is all the time we have. I'll see you right here next week on Inside Monster Jam, the official Monster Jam podcast.