Ryan Gifford
Gifford atRichmond International Raceway in 2011
Nationality	American
Born	(1989-03-10)March 10, 1989 (age 36) Winchester, Tennessee, U.S.
NASCAR K&N Pro Series East career
Debut season	2009
Starts	70
Wins	1
Poles	1
Best finish	9th in 2010
NASCAR driver
NASCARXfinity Series career
2 races run over 2 years
2014 position	67th
Best finish	63rd (2013)
First race	2013U.S. Cellular 250 (Iowa)
Last race	2014Get To Know Newton 250 (Iowa)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 1 0
Statistics current as of September 28, 2014.

Ryan Gifford (born March 10, 1989) is an American professionalstock car racing driver. A former development driver forRichard Childress Racing and a former member ofNASCAR NEXT. As a NASCAR'sDrive for Diversity member, he last drove the No. 2Toyota Camry forRev Racing in the regionalK&N Pro Series East. He has made starts in the nationalXfinity Series forRCR andBiagi-DenBeste Racing. Gifford is the firstAfrican-American driver to win a pole in the K&N East series and works in the shop ofTeam Dillon Racing.

Gifford is the son of Allen Burnette and Michelle Gifford, who died in 2010. Ryan also has a half-brother, Jabryle Hill. Ryan's grandfather, Farrell Gifford, was a drag racer who introduced him to racing at age six. Gifford graduated fromFranklin County High School and attendedMiddle Tennessee State University.^[1][2]

Gifford began his career in go-karts at the age of eight, competing in theWorld Karting Association from 2000 to 2004, winning two track championships, and finishing 3rd in national standings in his final season. In 2005, at age 15, he transitioned tostock car racing in dirt late models, earning three poles and four top 5s in his first season. In 2006,Mike Dillon, the son-in-law ofRichard Childress and RCR's general manager, noticed Gifford. Gifford would move into the Dillon'sNorth Carolina household in 2008 to compete for RCR and Team Dillon Racing on dirt and asphalt, registering three wins and 20 top 10s in 29 starts that season. In 2009, Gifford made four starts in theK&N Pro Series East and one in theWest Series in a No. 29Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet for RCR. Gifford scored four top 5s, including two second-place finishes.^[3][4][5]

In 2010, Gifford was among eleven young drivers selected forNASCAR's recently revampedDrive for Diversity program and piloting the #2Chevrolet in theK&N Pro Series East. Gifford raced alongside future national series driversDarrell Wallace Jr. andPaulie Harraka.^[6] Gifford earned 4 top fives in the 10-race schedule, finishing 9th in points. Gifford also won a pole atMartinsville Speedway, the first pole by an African American in the series' history. Gifford returned in 2011 and 2012, posting seven top 10s in 26 races and finishing 10th and 11th in points, respectively.

In 2013, Gifford was named part of the NASCAR NEXT program.^[7] Gifford was joined by a new crew chief, veteran race car driverMark Green.^[8] He won his first race, the Blue Ox 100, on April 27 atRichmond International Raceway. Gifford started 11th and worked his way to the front, beatingBrandon Gdovic andCole Custer on a late-race restart.^[9][10] Gifford would finish 11th in points with four top 5s and six top 10s.

After theLoudon, New Hampshire race in July 2014, Gifford was fined $1,000 for an altercation with another driver. Gifford was also placed on probation for the rest of the year.^[11]

In August 2013, Gifford made his national series debut atIowa Speedway forRichard Childress Racing in their No. 33MenardsChevrolet, coming from the 23rd starting position to finish 9th.^[12] In 2014, Gifford was signed to run two races forBiagi-DenBeste Racing atIowa in May andKentucky in June.^[13] Gifford finished 20th in his only appearance at Iowa.

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time.Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

• Ryan Gifford driver statistics at Racing-Reference

• 1989 births
• Living people
• People from Winchester, Tennessee
• African-American racing drivers
• NASCAR drivers
• 21st-century African-American sportsmen
• 20th-century African-American sportsmen
• Richard Childress Racing drivers

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Incomplete lists from January 2025