Martin Kadlečík wins 2026 Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series title at Circuit of the Americas

Matt Caruana scores double victory, Brandon Hawkin claims third in final standings

After six double race events spanning the virtual United States, the 2026 Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series came to a close on Thursday night. $500,000 in prizes, including a chance at a real-world racing ride for the 2027 season, were on the line. 20 drivers qualified for the event, but only five were still eligible for the big prize earned by the top-three finishers. On top of that, only one of those five drivers could take the championship. By the end of the night, Martin Kadlečík was crowned the champion, with Matt Caruana and Brandon Hawkin finishing second and third in the standings and earning their tickets to the shootout later this year.

What a finish to the 2026 Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series championship! Matt Caruana takes the final two checkered flags of the season and finishes inside the Top 3 with Brandon Hawkin, but it is Martin Kadlecik who unofficially wins the 2026 title!@SkipBarberRS pic.twitter.com/JDYnTWeA5F

— iRacing (@iRacing) July 17, 2026

Caruana claimed both wins on the night, but Kadlečík was runner-up, which was more than enough to get him the title. For the majority of the night, the top-five raced inside the top-five, the proverbial cream rising to the top in crucial moments. Hawkin’s two podium finishes were enough for him to leap frog Ayden Young for third after Young was involved in a crash during the first race on the night, which dropped him from a fourth or fifth place effort down to seventh.

Hawkin, despite not finding his way to victory lane this season at any point, had the most points entering the night, but by the Skip Barber rules, two drop races were to be factored in following the conclusion of all 12 races. Considering those drops early, it was actually Kadlečík leading the way with a guaranteed title in his lap should he finish inside the top-three in both races at the Circuit of the Americas, the site of the final round of the 2026 season. Caruana entered second by those same standards, 10 points back, while Young was 12 points back in third.

Hawkin had so many points that he would be dropping more points than anyone else, and entered the finale in fourth, 15 points behind Kadlečík. Guglielmo Callegari also dropped a number of points, but stayed in the conversation in fifth, 16 points back of the lead. Hawkin had the best points to fall back on should anything have happened up front, but with all of the drivers in the mix throughout the night, those drops were essentially out of the conversation. It would come down to the results from the final two races, pending a final review by the Skip Barber officials

The top-three finishers in the final standings—Kadlečík from the Czech Republic, Caruana from the United Kingdom, and Hawkin from Canada—will be invited to VIRginia International Raceway in the United States for the three-day Formula Car Shootout. They’ll be competing against one another for a full-season seat in the Skip Barber Formula Race Series, last year won by Aaron Vazquez. Caruana will be making his second attempt in the Shootout, while Kadlečík and Hawkin will both attempt it for the first time.

Both Young and Callegari, who reside in the U.S., also walk away with a 1-Day Racing School voucher for finishing fourth and fifth in the final standings. 1-Day Racing School awards were also given throughout the season to each race’s Hard Charger, the driver to gain the most positions in that particular race.

Hard Chargers include Hawkin (Lime Rock), Young (Lime Rock & Laguna Seca), Callegari (Laguna Seca), Patrick Hingston (VIR), Leo Ovtcharov (VIR), Flavio Dantas (Sonoma), Max Repolust (Sonoma, Richmond, & COTA), Austin O’Neal (Richmond), and Bryce Weyer (COTA). On top of all of that, anyone who has qualified for a Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series race this season will receive a single, one-time $200 credit to a Skip Barber Racing School program of their choice.

RACE #1

The difference between a win and finishing in fifth is nine points, and with the top-five in the standings all separated by just 16 points, these final two races still left a world where any one of those drivers could either claim the title or at least place inside the top-three. Martin Kadlečík held the advantage, but he also had nothing to fall back on, which meant he would need to, at the very least, finish both races to have a shot. Everyone else could still take it, but Kadlečík held control over his own destiny, in a way.

As such, Kadlečík claimed his fourth qualifying pole position of the year, and led the field up the hill into Turn 1 as they spread out three, four, and even five wide at times. Matt Caruana and Brandon Hawkin were able to get through into the top-two spots, relegating Kadlečík to third. Ayden Young and Guglielmo Callegari rounded out the top-five. Hawkin was able to lead for a few laps, but Caruana was able to save his equipment, making the move back for the lead around halfway. Kadlečík had a bit of a tougher time getting around Hawkin, which allowed Caruana to get away.

On the final lap, Kadlečík was through to second, but too far behind Caruana to do anything for the win. Hawkin was holding on to third with Young and Callegari fighting for fifth. With a half of a lap to go, Young was able to get the advantage over Callegari, but disaster struck as Ryan Oddo overshot the corner. Oddo speared Young, and cost the latter at least two positions as a result as Callegari, Gregory Kohler, and Leo Ovtcharov all made their way past. Oddo gave back the spot to Young, placing Young seventh, but the result was a six point swing to Hawkin, which meant Young would need three points to win a tie breaker over Hawkin in the final race for third overall in the championship. Oddo did receive a six second penalty post-race.

2026 Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series | Race #11 at COTA | RESULTS

*= Six second penalty for avoidable contact

RACE #2

Once again, the field fanned out four wide, with Caruana and Hawkin once again getting the early jump. Kadlečík kept his car out of trouble, knowing he still had to keep it close to Caruana as to not give up the title. Young sprang from seventh to the top-five almost immediately as the field singled out entering the esses.

Hawkin once again managed to take the lead from Caruana, but this time, Kadlečík was waiting in the wings. As Hawkin and Caruana scrapped for the spot, it allowed Kadlečík to jump on the opportunity and lead for the first time all night. Caruana fell into place in second as Hawkin was third, Young was fourth, and Callegari was fifth. Callegari fought Young just enough to give Hawkin enough of a buffer for the end of the race, but even if Young would have gotten around him, Hawkin still would have gotten third in the standings by a single point.

Up ahead, Kadlečík had control, but Caruana knew his only shot was to win and hope that the cars behind could move Kadlečík down the order. Caruana dove it in down the backstretch, and for a few corners, the two ran wheel-to-wheel, neither giving an inch but also both giving enough to race cleanly. Caruana got control before the carousel but Kadlečík fought back on the outside. Into the second to last corner, again side-by-side, but entering the final corner, Caruana shut the door and took his fourth win of the season, cementing him in the top-three in the final standings.

2026 Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series | Race #12 at COTA | RESULTS

*= Six second penalty for avoidable contact

2026 Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series Points Standings after Race #12 at COTA (including drops):

*Pinter Zsombi: Sonoma Race 2 winner

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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