Category: Skip Barber Racing School

The Skip Barber Formula Car Race Series made its first visit to the winding and fast NOLA Motorsports Park near the famous New Orleans French Quarter. Rounds 3 and 4 of the championship took place under threatening skies, but the drivers brushed off the weather and produced great racing in front of the SRO GT America World Challenge crowd.

Friday practice sessions yielded familiar results at the top, with Sebastian Wheldon, Jeshua Alianell, and Jaxon Bell posting top times in both sessions. Bell waited until the final lap of Practice 2 to make his statement with a Friday best of 1m46.283s. Thomas Tarlton (Masters) and Gabe Tesch rounded out the top five, not far behind the top three. For everyone, Practice 1 was more about learning the track, with significant improvements posted in Practice 2.

In Saturday qualifying, Alianell set the Q1 pole time with a new Skip Barber track record of 1m45.878s on his sixth lap. Alianell was closely followed by Bell, Wheldon, Tarlton, and karting champ Caleb Gafrarar. In addition to being fourth overall, Tarlton earned the Masters pole and proved age is just a number in racecars.

Later Saturday morning, Race 1 began in wild fashion, with P2 starter Bell sweeping around the outside of pole-sitter Alianell at Turn 1. Bell dominated the remainder of the race, with Alianell in close pursuit, waiting for an opportunity. Many laps later, Bell and Alianell caught the lapped car of Bob Perlmutter on the approach to Turn 13. Bell and Alianell split Perlmutter, much like Mika Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher at Spa in 2000. However, Alianell missed his brake point this time, forcing Bell into the escape road. The two recovered enough to keep Wheldon at bay for the checker.

Sunday morning qualifying saw Alianell nip Wheldon for Pole by 0.05s. Tesch made a strong statement with his third place qualifying for Race 2.

As Race 2 began, Alianell led from the start, with Wheldon, Tesch, and Bell close behind. The door opened mid-race when Wheldon attempted a late pass on Tesch at Turn 13, overshooting the corner and taking a trip through the grass. Wheldon’s re-entry allowed Bell to pass both Wheldon and Tesch for second easily. Bell then used that momentum to chase and pass Alianell for the win in dramatic fashion. Tesch finished second, followed by Alianell, Gafrarar, and Tarlton . Wheldon crossed the finish line in second but received a post-race penalty, dropping him out of the top five.

“Another great weekend of racing for the SBRS series. I am so pleased and proud of the progressions from all the drivers this weekend,” said Ken Fukuda, Series Director.

NASCAR Xfinity Series team  DGM Racing has announced a new partnership with Skip Barber Racing School that will feature Ross Chastain as the driver of the No. 91 entry at Sonoma Raceway and the Indy Road Course.

The partnership highlights Skip Barber as the world’s largest automotive education and entertainment company offering driving and racing schools at the finest tracks in America.

Chastain is no stranger to success at Sonoma. Last year he finished fourth in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. He also finished seventh in his previous two NASCAR Cup Series starts at the famed raceway in Northern California. Chastain finished fourth for DGM Racing in last year’s race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

“Racing on road courses is something I have only done in NASCAR. I didn’t grow up turning left and right, so I have had to learn and adapt quickly. I recognized early on that I needed as many laps as possible. Skip Barber has been a great way for me to get laps, and I am excited to announce this partnership for Sonoma and the Indy Road Course,” said Chastain.

Skip Barber Racing School has developed more winning racers than any other school. Its alumni have taken the podium in all facets of motorsports, including NASCAR, IndyCar, SCCA, World Challenge, and IMSA. Skip Barber features Driving Academies at legendary venues across the country, including Circuit of the Americas, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Laguna Seca, Lime Rock Park, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Road Atlanta, Sebring Raceway, Sonoma Raceway, and Virginia International Raceway.

“We’ve been fortunate to have some of the best NASCAR drivers in the world train and race with us over the years,” said Anthony Demonte, CEO of the Skip Barber Racing School. “We’re proud of what Ross has accomplished in his career, and we look forward to helping him to become a NASCAR Cup Series champion.”

The Door Dash 250 at Sonoma Raceway on Saturday, June 10, 2023, will go green at 8:00 P.M. ET and be broadcast live on FS1, PRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90. The Pennzoil 150 at The Brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course on Saturday, August 12, 2023, will go green at 5:30 P.M. ET and be broadcast on USA Network, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90

The Skip Barber Formula Race Series kicked off its 2023 season this past weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. A mix of experienced and new drivers, plus changing weather conditions, made for an intense weekend of great racing action.

Experience showed to pay off as series veteran Jeshua Alianell swept the practice sessions in wet to drying conditions. Alianell topped the charts with a 1m41.433s in the first session and a 1m41.664s in the second session. Finishing behind Alianell in second place in both practice sessions was Jaxon Bell. Bell came into the race weekend with only one race under his belt, having competed at the season finale last year at Circuit of The Americas. Recent kart-to-car racers Caleb Gafrarar and Sebastian Wheldon traded third-place results between the two practice sessions.

As the track continued to dry, the drivers went out to qualify on their wet tires, as by the time the session finished, the optimal dry line began to dry out. The top spot was traded around, but at the drop of the checkered flag, Bell had claimed the pole position for Race 1 with a time of 1m34.775s. Wheldon solidified a front-row starting position with his time of 1m35.300s, with Alianell narrowly missing out on that spot, only 0.078s behind Wheldon.

Bell led the 16-car field to the green flag for Race 1, but Alianell who made a pass for the lead at Turn 10 early in the race. Unfortunately, mechanical issues for Alianell forced him to retire from the race, handing the lead over to Bell. As he chased Bell, Wheldon ran the race’s fastest lap with a blistering 1m31.712s. Before Wheldon could battle Bell for the lead, the yellow flag came out to recover a car stuck in the gravel trap, which ended the race. Bell took his first career victory over Wheldon in the runner-up position. Nicholas Maloy was able to drive his way from the fifth-place position to the final step on the podium. Rounding out the top 5 was Thomas Tarlton in fourth and Gabe Tesch in fifth.

The starting grid for Race 2 was determined by the best lap times from Race 1, which put Wheldon and Tom Tarlton on the front row. Wheldon held the lead for the early laps as Bell made his way up to second, followed closely by Alianell. An incident on lap 2 brought out the yellow flag and bunched the field back up. After the restart, the top 3 drivers of Bell, Wheldon and Alianell began trading the top spot. When the second yellow flag dropped on the field, Bell was the leader at the time of caution, followed by Wheldon in second and Alianell in third. With not enough time left in the session to go back to green, the race ended under yellow.

After the first round of the Skip Barber Formula Race Series, Bell leads the overall points standings by 6 points over Wheldon. Maloy, Tom Tarlton, and Tesch round out the top 5. In the Masters class, Tom Tarlton leads Rob Tarlton by 8 points.

Check out the rest of the points standings by clicking here, and learn more about the Skip Barber Formula Race Series by clicking here.

Tom Tarlton will compete full-time in the 2023 Skip Barber Formula Race Series season. The 35-year-old Californian is set to make his first pro racing start after completing his 3-Day and 2-Day Skip Barber Advanced Racing Schools at Circuit of the Americas.

Prior to his time at Skip Barber, Tom mostly competed in sim racing with minimal karting experience. He believes that the Skip Barber Formula Race Series is the best place to kickstart his racing journey.

“The Skip Barber Formula Race Series is a good mix of great competition and an optimal learning environment,” Tarlton said. “I also like that all the cars are prepared equally, allowing for a level playing field amongst all the competitors.”

Tarlton will compete in the Masters class and go head-to-head against his twin brother, Rob. Tom’s goals for the season are to become a competitive racer and contend for the Masters class championship with hopes to eventually compete in IMSA as a gentlemen driver.

Join Tom in the 2023 Skip Barber Formula Race Series, and experience the thrill of competing behind the wheel of an open-wheel car on some of America’s most legendary racing venues including VIRginia International Raceway, Lime Rock Park, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Road America, and Circuit of the Americas. Graduates of the Skip Barber Racing School 2-Day Advanced Formula Racing School and those with valid racing licenses are eligible to compete in the Skip Barber Race Series.

The arrive-and-drive race series combines the expert coaching of Skip Barber instructors with a true spec series, utilizing state-of-the-art Mygale Formula cars, offering a premier amateur racing environment at world-class North American tracks. Equalized race cars and a focus on driver development allow a driver’s true talent to determine the race outcome. The 2023 Skip Barber Race Series Champion will win a scholarship to compete in the 2024 USF Juniors or USF2000 season, with second place receiving a full-season scholarship to compete in the Skip Barber Formula Race Series and third receiving a half-season Skip Barber Formula Race Series scholarship. Join the elite class of Skip Barber alumni including Sergio Perez, Michael Andretti, Colton Herta, Kyle Kirkwood, Josef Newgarden and Alexander Rossi.

Learn more about our Formula Race Series by clicking here.

Dystany Spurlock will compete full-time in the 2023 Skip Barber Formula Race Series. The Virginia native is a recent Skip Barber graduate as she completed her Skip Barber 3-Day and 2-Day Advanced Racing Schools at Circuit of the Americas.

Spurlock brings a wide variety of experience to her debut season in formula cars, piloting late models, drag motorcycles, and arena cars. She won the 2023 WBR Racer of the Year Award, 2023 Women Who Drive Richmond Award, and finished runner-up in the 2022 drag racing season. When given the opportunity to transfer her skills to the formula car, Spurlock looked no further than Skip Barber Racing School.

“There are so many Skip Barber Racing School alumni that have been extremely successful after graduating,” Spurlock said. “I love the family feeling that Skip Barber offers and the top-notch coaching that they provide. The school sets future drivers up for success in every category of motorsports.”

Spurlock’s short-term racing goal is to continue to learn as much as she can with the hopes of one day being able to compete and win championships in both drag racing and road course racing. In addition, she is launching her own foundation, What’s Your Dystany Foundation, and hopes to be able to assist the next generation of racers.

Join Dystany in the 2023 Skip Barber Formula Race Series! Experience the thrill of competing behind the wheel of an open-wheel car on some of America’s most legendary racing venues including Virginia International Raceway, Lime Rock Park, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Road America, and Circuit of the Americas. Graduates of the Skip Barber Racing School 2-Day Advanced Formula Racing School and those with valid racing licenses are eligible to compete in the Skip Barber Race Series.

The arrive-and-drive race series combines the expert coaching of Skip Barber instructors with a true spec series, utilizing state-of-the-art Mygale Formula cars, offering a premier amateur racing environment at world-class North American tracks. Equalized race cars and a focus on driver development allow a driver’s true talent to determine the race outcome. The 2023 Skip Barber Race Series Champion will win a scholarship to compete in the 2024 USF Juniors or USF2000 season, with second place receiving a full-season scholarship to compete in the Skip Barber Formula Race Series and third receiving a half-season Skip Barber Formula Race Series scholarship. Join the elite class of Skip Barber alumni including Sergio Perez, Michael Andretti, Colton Herta, Kyle Kirkwood, Josef Newgarden and Alexander Rossi.

Kinsley Cronin-West will compete full-time in the 2023 Skip Barber Formula Race Series season. The 15-year-old Texas native is set to make her first pro racing debut start with the Skip Barber Formula Race Series.

Kinsley brings former track day experience from her time spent at Monticello Motor Club and she is also a recent Skip Barber Racing School graduate, completing her 3-Day Formula Racing School at Circuit of the Americas in December of 2022. Kinsley returned to Austin, Texas earlier this month and completed her 2-Day Advanced Formula Racing School, solidifying her chances to enter the series.

“Competing in the Skip Barber Race Series is an amazing place to start my racing career and is also paving the path to bigger and better opportunities along my racing career,” Kinsley said. “The experience that comes with a series like this is irreplaceable and will help me in so many ways on and off the track.”

The Skip Barber Formula Race Series is set to take the green flag across eight legendary racing venues across the United States, but Kinsley is most looking forward to racing at Circuit of the Americas the most.

“COTA is my hometown track and I owe much of my development as a driver to it,” Kinsley said. “ I grew up in Round Rock, TX which is a town right outside of Austin and COTA is where I watched my first F1 race and started my driver training with Skip Barber. It’s an extremely difficult track to master and many legendary drivers have competed there which is why I’m looking forward to taking the green flag there.”

Kinsley’s short-term racing goal is to perform to the best of her ability and continue to show improvement throughout the season. Eventually, she would like to climb the open-wheel ladder and compete in W-Series or Formula 1. When she’s not behind the wheel of a Skip Barber Formula car, you can find Kinsley on the simulator, traveling, and practicing martial arts.

Join Kinsley in the 2023 Skip Barber Formula Race Series! Experience the thrill of competing behind the wheel of an open-wheel car on some of America’s most legendary racing venues including VIRginia International Raceway, Lime Rock Park, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Road America, and Circuit of the Americas. Graduates of the Skip Barber Racing School 2-Day Advanced Formula Racing School and those with valid racing licenses are eligible to compete in the Skip Barber Race Series.

The arrive-and-drive race series combines the expert coaching of Skip Barber instructors with a true spec series, utilizing state-of-the-art Mygale Formula cars, offering a premier amateur racing environment at world-class North American tracks. Equalized race cars and a focus on driver development allow a driver’s true talent to determine the race outcome. The 2023 Skip Barber Race Series Champion will win a scholarship to compete in the 2024 USF Juniors or USF2000 season, with second place receiving a full-season scholarship to compete in the Skip Barber Formula Race Series and third receiving a half-season Skip Barber Formula Race Series scholarship. Join the elite class of Skip Barber alumni including Sergio Perez, Michael Andretti, Colton Herta, Kyle Kirkwood, Josef Newgarden and Alexander Rossi.

Skip Barber Racing School is proud to announce that Jaxon Bell will compete full-time in the 2023 Skip Barber Formula Race Series season. With his limited, but impressive racing experience, Bell is looking to be a championship contender this season.

The 19-year-old California native has only completed one full race weekend to date at the 2022 season finale at Circuit of The Americas but showed impressive results finishing on the podium with last year’s champion Elvis Rankin and championship contender Jeshua Alianell in both races. Jaxon is the son of former IndyCar driver, and current NBC broadcast analyst, and Skip Barber brand ambassador Townsend Bell.

“I chose Skip Barber as the starting point for my racing journey because they have the best reputation for success in the industry,” Bell said. “The goal for this season is to win the Skip Barber Race Series Championship and climb the USF Pro Championships ladder to one day compete in IndyCar and win the Indianapolis 500.”

The Skip Barber Formula Race Series is set to take the green flag across eight legendary racing venues across the United States. Bell is excited to make his debut laps at all the tracks in the series calendar, but mostly looking forward to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

“I’m looking forward to WeatherTech Laguna Seca the most because of the elevation change and the new track surface,” Bell said. “The new track surface will generate a lot of grip and make for some exciting racing.”

Join Jaxon in the 2023 Skip Barber Formula Race Series! Experience the thrill of competing behind the wheel of an open-wheel car on some of America’s most legendary racing venues including VIRginia International Raceway, Lime Rock Park, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Road America, and Circuit of The Americas. Graduates of the Skip Barber Racing School 2-Day Advanced Formula Racing School and those with valid racing licenses are eligible to compete in the Skip Barber Race Series.

The arrive-and-drive race series combines the expert coaching of Skip Barber instructors with a true spec series, utilizing state-of-the-art Mygale Formula cars, offering a premier amateur racing environment at world-class North American tracks. Equalized race cars and a focus on driver development allow a driver’s true talent to determine the race outcome. The 2023 Skip Barber Race Series Champion will win a scholarship to compete in the 2024 USF Juniors or USF2000 season, with second place receiving a full-season scholarship to compete in the Skip Barber Formula Race Series and third receiving a half-season Skip Barber Formula Race Series scholarship. Join the elite class of Skip Barber alumni including Sergio Perez, Michael Andretti, Colton Herta, Kyle Kirkwood, Josef Newgarden and Alexander Rossi.

Learn more about our Formula Race Series by clicking here.