2026 Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series | Championship Preview | Circuit of the Americas
July 16th, 2026 by Justin Melillo
The 2026 Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series is set to conclude on Thursday night with a pair of races from the Circuit of the Americas. Five drivers enter the night with a chance at a championship, a title set to be defended by 2025 champion Matt Caruana. However, the title is not the only thing in sight. A top-three finish in the final standings will earn those drivers the same prize—a chance to run in the real-world Skip Barber Formula Race Series by the end of the night.
After Hot Lap Qualifying via Time Attack from July 10th to July 12th, 20 drivers have qualified for their final shot to contend for more than $500,000 in prizes. For Martin Kadlečík, Matt Caruana, Ayden Young, Brandon Hawkin, and Guglielmo Callegari, those five are the ones still eligible for the opportunity to qualify for a trip to the shootout later this year.
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 sixth and final round of the 2026 season at the Circuit of the Americas:
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: OVAL RACING AT RICHMOND
The penultimate round of the 2026 season saw a new discipline in play for the open-wheel virtual series: oval racing! For the first time, the 20 car field went left turns only for two 15 minute events, and they went better than anyone could have expected. Brandon Hawkin claimed the pole position for the first race on the night, but Ayden Young was able to get by early in the going. As grip began to fade, Hawkin tried to get back by, but couldn’t get the power down, allowing Young to hold on. In the second race, Matt Caruana, Guglielmo Callegari, and Martin Kadlečík all joined in on the action for the win. Kadlečík ultimately prevailed for his fourth win of the season, with Hawkin again claiming a runner-up spot.
FIVE DRIVERS, THREE FINALISTS, ONE CHAMPION
The points will be a huge topic of conversation entering the finale on Thursday night. When considering all of the points, Brandon Hawkin has the most with 280 points, eight more than the defending series champion, Matt Caruana, nine over another finalist last season, Ayden Young, ten points over standout Guglielmo Callegari, and a whopping 32 points over the winningest driver of the season, Martin Kadlečík.
However, there will be two dropped races by the end of the season, and taking those into account now paints a completely different picture. Kadlečík doesn’t drop anything, since his Laguna Seca races were already previously zeroed out. Kadlečík leads a dropped standings by 10 points over Caruana, 12 points over Young, 15 over Hawkin, and 16 over Callegari. Hawkin does have the best drops to fall back on should he need to, but to have a shot at this title, or at least a shot at the top-three to get to the shootout, these drivers will all need to consider those drops gone, and take on COTA to the best of their ability.
2026 Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series Points Standings entering finale (including drops):
Pos. |
Driver |
Country |
Points |
Wins |
T5’s |
T10’s |
| 1 | Martin Kadlečík | Czech Republic | 248 | 4 | 6 | 8 |
| 2 | Matt Caruana | United Kingdom | -10 | 2 | 7 | 9 |
| 3 | Ayden Young | United States | -12 | 2 | 7 | 9 |
| 4 | Brandon Hawkin | Canada | -15 | 0 | 6 | 10 |
| 5 | Guglielmo Callegari | United States | -16 | 1 | 8 | 10 |
TRACK FACTS
It can fairly be said that American road racing entered the 21st century with the debut of Circuit of the Americas as host of the 2012 U.S. Grand Prix. The first facility in the United States designed specifically for Formula One, COTA (as it is familiarly known), was conceived by promoter Tavo Hellmund and World Motorcycle Champion Kevin Schwantz and designed with the assistance of noted race circuit architect Hermann Tilke.
The ambitious COTA project was revealed in July of 2010 when Hellmund announced plans to build the track on about 900 acres of undeveloped land near Austin, Texas. With backing from billionaire Red McCombs, plans quickly proceeded. The circuit’s design was submitted to the FIA for approval in December of 2010 with construction beginning later that month. The FIA issued its final approval of the circuit in September, 2012 some sixty days before the inaugural Formula One race.
The 3.427-mile, 5.515-km Grand Prix circuit features COTA’s signature corner—Turn 1, a tight hairpin at the crest of a 133 ft. rise—followed by a rapid descent into a series of fast, sweeping corners leading to another hairpin. From there the cars follow a .62-mile straightaway before a complex series of multi-apex corners in a stadium-like setting rejoins the pit straightaway. The facility also includes a shorter 2.6-mile National circuit which, like the Grand Prix circuit, runs counter-clockwise.
In addition to state-of-the art circuit, pit and garage facilities, COTA features impressive spectator and VIP amenities including a 251 ft tall observation tower, several stadium grandstand seating sections and spectator mounds for general admission viewing. Along with Formula One, COTA has hosted touring car, motorcycle and sports car races as well as various club and vintage events.
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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