Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series returns, over $500,000 in prizes available
April 21st, 2026 by Press Release
Skip Barber Racing School is proud to announce the return of the Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series for the 2026 season. With more than $500,000 in combined prizes on the line, the series continues Skip Barber’s mission of bridging the gap between sim racing and real-world motorsports. Competitors will chase the ultimate prize: a fully funded seat in the 2027 Skip Barber Formula Race Series.
The competition spans six rounds across a calendar of circuits drawn from the 2026 Skip Barber Race Series schedule. Those tracks include Lime Rock Park, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, VIRginia International Raceway, Sonoma Raceway, Richmond, and Circuit of The Americas.
Each round opens with a Hot Lap Qualifier held Friday through Sunday, with the top 20 qualifiers from each week advancing to the championship race. Points accumulate across the season, with the top three in the overall standings earning an invitation to the Skip Barber Formula Car Shootout at VIR where they will compete for the grand prize.
The drivers who finish fourth and fifth in the championship standings will receive a One Day Racing School. Each week, the Hard Charger recipient will be awarded with a One Day Racing School. Plus, every entrant will receive a $200 Skip Barber Racing School credit.
The 2026 season gets underway when Hot Lap qualifying opens on May 1 for Round 1 at Lime Rock Park, with the championship finale scheduled for July 16 at Circuit of The Americas. Entry is available on a per-event basis at $50 per week, or competitors can secure a Full Season Pass for $250, covering all six Hot Lap Qualifier events. The Full Season Pass is only available until the conclusion of the first week.
“iRacing has been a cornerstone of our driver development philosophy for years, and the Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series is the natural extension of that,” Skip Barber Racing School Chief Marketing Officer Joe Monitto said. “We know that the drivers who compete on simulators have the skillset required to compete in the real-world. Now we’re giving the best sim racers in the world a chance to take those skills and compete on an actual circuit, in an actual race car.”
Last season’s grand prize winner, Ivan Machado Perez, went on to great success in the Skip Barber Race Series. The Spaniard won ten races on his way to clinching the championship. He is now competing in USF Juniors where has one win and one pole position after the first three races of the season.
“The Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series has been one of our most exciting and successful esports series since its inception,” said Otto Szebeni, iRacing Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “It represents one of the most direct links between success on iRacing and in real-world race cars, and the support of the Skip Barber team is crucial to making it happen. We’re looking forward to crowning another worthy champion this year on the way to promoting another driver into the real-world Skip Barber Formula Race Series in 2027.”
To be eligible for the grand prize, drivers must be at least 14 years of age by the start of the 2026 Skip Barber Formula Race Series and be eligible for a USAC racing license. All official communications, rule updates, and race-day support are hosted on the Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series Discord server. For more information and to register, click here.
Click here for the original press release featured on SkipBarber.com
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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