2026 Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series | Preview #4 | Sonoma Raceway
June 18th, 2026 by Justin Melillo
The 2026 Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series continues with the fourth event of the season on Thursday night, as another pair of 15-minute races are scheduled at Sonoma Raceway, on the “Cup Long” layout.
After Hot Lap Qualifying via Time Attack from June 12th to June 14th, 20 drivers have qualified for their shot to contend for more than $500,000 in prizes and the opportunity to run in the real-world Skip Barber Formula Race Series.
Race Coverage begins at 7:00 p.m. ET at iRacing.com/live and across iRacing Social Media Channels.
DRIVER ROSTER
The following 20 drivers are entered into the fourth round of the 2026 season at Sonoma Raceway:
RACE NIGHT FORMAT
Every one of the six races this season will feature two races, each set for a timed amount of 15 minutes, and all competitors utilizing fixed setups.
While all 20 drivers needed to set their fastest times in the official Time Attack leading up to tonight, these pair of races will still be set by one more lone qualifying lap for the opening event. To set the second race grid of the night, the results from the first race will be how that is determined.
Every race offers up to 35 points to the winner, with that making a perfect night a 70 point day in winning both races. The Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series Champion will be determined by the total number of points earned during the season, excluding the lowest two individual race scores which will be deducted to determine the final points. The lowest individual race scores include zeros, disqualifications, and non-participated-in races.
LAST RACE
Martin Kadlečík is on a heater this season, and in the last two races at VIRginia International Raceway (VIR), he proved why he might be the driver to beat this season when the final standings are calculated. For the third straight event, Kadlečík put himself on the pole position, fighting against Pintér Zsombi for the win in both races. Kadlečík was able to win the first race with ease, but the second race came down to a last lap pass where Zsombi moved to the left on the straight as Kadlečík stormed past for the double up.
SONOMA MAKES ITS SERIES DEBUT
The Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series has its staples, like VIR, for example. However, one thing this series does well is change up the schedule often. The next two races will be brand new to the series, and first up is a NASCAR staple over in Wine Country, Sonoma in California.
TRACK FACTS
Nestled in the Sonoma Mountains near a geographic formation known as Sears Point, Sonoma Raceway is one of several road-racing venues on the NASCAR schedule. The Sonoma Raceway that NASCAR uses is the 1.99-mile, 10-turn stock car configuration, which cuts off two slow turns and a half mile of pavement. The one that the Skip Barber series will use on Thursday night is the older NASCAR layout, the 2.53-mile, 16-turn course that uses that inner loop.
Keeping the tires and brakes in good working order while maintaining a competitive pace is one of the bigger challenges these drivers face all year. Until it was taken over by Speedway Motorsports in 1996, the facility endured a turbulent history under a variety of names and owners, one of which was a Hollywood studio.
While the circuit opened for competition in 1968 under the name Sears Point Raceway and hosted USAC, IndyCar, NASCAR West stock cars, SCCA professional and amateur and AMA motorcycle races, it failed to perform financially and was closed down two years later. In 1973 the track reopened as a venue for amateur sports car competition and–on a separate drag strip–drag racing, but it wasn’t until 1989 and the arrival of NASCAR’s top series that the track’s prospects truly began to brighten. A $60 million improvement program, begun in 2000, has catapulted Sonoma Raceway into the top rank of American motorsport facilities.
ABOUT THE SERIES
The Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series is where future stars of real-world motorsport prove themselves in the virtual one. Using the iRacing Formula 4 machine, drivers take part in an open qualifier each week, and the top racers registered in the program are selected to compete on Thursday nights.
The top three point scorers at season’s end will receive a 3 Day Racing School and compete in a shootout later this year for a 2027 Skip Barber Race Series seat. 1 Day Racing School certificates will be awarded to fourth and fifth in points, as well as the Hard Charger Award winner from each race, and all of the qualifiers for each race will earn a one-time $200 credit towards an SBRS course.
To learn more about the Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series, visit https://www.skipbarber.com/iracing-series/.
For more information about iRacing and for special offers, visit www.iracing.com.
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