Tire changer Ryan Flores eager for 'mentor' role with No. 38 team
Despite moving organizations after nine races in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, Ryan 'Skip' Flores is taking his pit-crew change in stride, viewing the opportunity to help propel an up-and-coming Cup Series team with driver Zane Smith as an exciting proposition.
Flores, who joins the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports group as a front-tire changer, was a front-tire changer for the No. 12 since 2022 before he was replaced last week by Keiston France, who served in the same position on the No. 38 team. Flores co-hosts 'Stacking Pennies' with Corey LaJoie.
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RELATED: Cup Series schedule | Listen to 'Stacking Pennies' podcast
'There's a lot of young guys on the 38, and if we look at where the 38's been on the charts, they're at the lower end of the charts,' Flores said during a podcast segment about the move. 'So, OK, my mind just immediately doesn't go to, 'What the hell, that's not fair.' Like, OK, shift gears, how do we win, what's the steps with this team? How do I prepare them to be a top-20 team, to be a top-10 team and how do I take the experiences I have from racing for championships for the last 10 years … and I understand what it takes to win at this level, how do I pass that on to these guys that are gonna want to get there?
'That's where my mind goes. My mind doesn't go anywhere of being destructive or being mad, being frustrated, feeling wrong.'
The No. 12 pit crew has struggled at times this season, including most recently at Darlington Raceway, where a slow stop resulted in a fifth-place finish instead of a possible visit to Victory Lane. According to NASCAR Insights, Blaney's No. 12 pit crew rating currently ranks 25th, while the 2023 champ's passing, defense, speed and restart ratings all rank inside the top 12. Meanwhile, Smith's No. 38 Ford ranks outside the top 20 in all categories; the No. 38 pit crew ranks 29th.
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Flores, who has been a part of several Xfinity and Cup Series championships — including Blaney's Cup title triumph — understands the sport's shifting nature, including that of pit-crew members changing teams. However, Flores views the move as an opportunity to help the next up-and-coming pit-crew member find their place in the sport.
'I want to be somebody that, when I come back to pit road, the young guys, and I've passed on the good of what the sport is and how you're supposed to act and how you're supposed to be a champion,' Flores said. ' … If I can bring a good attitude to a team, show kids what it means to win, inevitably, if I'm meant to be on a championship car and go win another championship. If I'm meant to be a mentor and somebody that is on a car to help kids and help younger guys to get to where they're at, then that's great, too.'
MORE: Talladega weekend schedule
The Cup Series resumes action this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway (Sun., 3 p.m. ET, FOX, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
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