If there’s one thing we’ve learned in the last couple of weeks of the Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series, it is that the race is never over until the cars have crossed the line.

Matt Caruana’s chances at a complete sweep at VIRginia International Raceway in the 2025 season were seemingly over on the final lap of the second race on Thursday night. Having won the earlier race, Caruana was poised to complete the season sweep by winning both races on the North Course last month and both races on the Full Course last night, which also would have marked his fifth straight win at the venue in the series dating back to the 2024 season.

Somehow, someway, Caruana was able to get just enough, together with a slight push from Aaron Vazquezz, to snipe it from Ayden Young at the line by 0.002 seconds, going down as one of the closest finishes in series history, and completing the season sweep to extend his points lead to 17 points over Aaron Vazquezz with only one event to go in 2025.

“I just didn’t really want to fight too hard, so letting (Young) through wasn’t really a big deal,” Caruana explained in post-race. “I knew that the slipstream here is unbelievable, like it is so strong. It didn’t make too much of a difference. I just got a really good run out of the last corner, and then yeah, that was it, to be honest… I didn’t think I was going to get him. I thought he had me, but I was just watching the relative in the bottom left. It was getting closer and closer and it just went past him as I went over the line. There was like three seconds afterwards where you have to wait and see whether you got them. I’m really happy with that.”

Now with six wins in 10 races throughout the season, Caruana will be a virtual lock for the top-two at a minimum, although the championship is still not yet fully decided with Vazquezz still having a mathematical shot. Drop races will also be counted after the final two races, so that wrinkle could shape how the standings wind up.

THE EVENT

Caruana didn’t have a perfect day at VIRginia International Raceway, as it was Felipe Cabrera Loyola who took the pole position for the opening race. Cabrera led only one lap, however, as he was shuffled out of the equation, ultimately finishing seventh in Race #1.

At the front, Caruana and Young split laps led, with the former taking the majority. Still, Young continued to put his FIA F4 machine in position to take control throughout the night, at one point claiming the preferred line away from Caruana.

On the final lap, Caruana was able to lead off the final corner, with Young attempting to close in before the stripe. Young couldn’t get there, and for the fourth-straight Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series race at VIRginia International Raceway, it was Caruana victorious.

The second race was more of the same, except with the addition of a gigantic pileup around halfway. Caruana led the field to the green, splitting lead time with Victor Wolfsohn throughout this one. Young stayed in the pack behind the two, as did Vazquezz, Matt Bussa, and Cabrera.

Following the pileup that took out at least five cars, all eyes turned to the front of the field. Caruana and Wolfsohn, with history from Lime Rock Park earlier this season, were wheel-to-wheel, sometimes bouncing off of one another, but kept things cordial as the laps ticked away.

As Wolfsohn and others lost the lead pack, Caruana took the white flag ahead of Young and Vazquezz. Somehow, Young was able to get by Caruana’s defenses and take control for the first time in the second race. However, Caruana just would not be denied, claiming the victory.


2025 Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series | Race #9 at VIRginia International Raceway | RESULTS

Fin.

St.

No.

Driver

Laps

Interval

Led

Best

Pts.

1 2 1 Matt J Caruana 9 0.000 6 1:48.189 35
2 3 2 Ayden Young 9 -0.083 2 1:48.264 32
3 4 7 Victor Wolfsohn 9 -1.236 0 1:48.141 30
4 5 15 Aaron Vazquezz 9 -1.294 0 1:48.141 28
5 6 4 Leo Ovtcharov 9 -1.576 0 1:48.364 26
6 11 16 Matt Bussa 9 -1.658 0 1:48.019 25
7 1 3 Felipe Cabrera Loyola 9 -1.725 1 1:48.358 24
8 9 8 Ross Banfield 9 -1.778 0 1:48.157 23
9 15 17 Marc Swaan 9 -4.287 0 1:48.019 22
10 13 14 Cameron Martineau 9 -4.397 0 1:49.171 21
11 20 6 Max Repolust 9 -4.615 0 1:48.618 20
12 19 5 Guglielmo Callegari 9 -4.681 0 1:48.185 19
13 8 10 Cade Middleton 9 -6.349 0 1:48.746 18
14 14 11 Jeffrey Decker 9 -8.080 0 1:48.655 17
15 7 12 Matt M Adams 9 -8.264 0 1:48.110 16
16 16 20 Edwin Onofre 9 -8.586 0 1:48.543 15
17 17 19 Nickolas Lo Galbo 9 -8.987 0 1:48.202 14
18 12 18 Andrew Moran 9 -9.462 0 1:48.618 13
19 18 9 Bryce Weyer 2 -7 L 0 ——— 12
20 10 13 Kinich Martin 0 -9 L 0 ——— 11

2025 Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series | Race #10 at VIRginia International Raceway | RESULTS

Fin.

St.

No.

Driver

Laps

Interval

Led

Best

Pts.

1 1 1 Matt J Caruana 9 0.000 7 1:48.322 35
2 2 2 Ayden Young 9 -0.002 0 1:48.254 32
3 4 15 Aaron Vazquezz 9 -0.068 0 1:47.927 30
4 3 7 Victor Wolfsohn 9 -0.765 2 1:48.186 28
5 6 16 Matt Bussa 9 -1.061 0 1:48.131 26
6 7 3 Felipe Cabrera Loyola 9 -1.430 0 1:48.114 25
7 11 6 Max Repolust 9 -3.432 0 1:48.482 24
8 10 14 Cameron Martineau 9 -6.390 0 1:48.911 23
9 19 9 Bryce Weyer 9 -10.537 0 1:48.345 22
10 5 4 Leo Ovtcharov 9 -11.533 0 1:48.182 21
11 14 11 Jeffrey Decker 9 -15.475 0 1:48.402 20
12 16 20 Edwin Onofre 9 -18.155 0 1:48.998 19
13 13 10 Cade Middleton 9 -41.893 0 1:52.727 18
14 18 18 Andrew Moran 8 -1 L 0 1:48.772 17
15 8 8 Ross Banfield 5 -4 L 0 1:48.288 16
16 9 17 Marc Swaan 3 -6 L 0 1:49.098 15
17 12 5 Guglielmo Callegari 3 -6 L 0 1:47.871 14
18 15 12 Matt M Adams 3 -6 L 0 1:48.689 13
19 17 19 Nickolas Lo Galbo 3 -6 L 0 ——— 12
20 20 13 Kinich Martin 3 -6 L 0 ——— 11

Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series Points Standings after Race #10 at VIRginia International Raceway:

  1. Matt J Caruana | United Kingdom | 321 points
  2. Aaron Vazquezz | Spain | -17
  3. Ayden Young | United States | -30
  4. Felipe Cabrera Loyola | Chile | -72
  5. Leo Ovtcharov | United States | -75
  6. Matt Bussa | United States | -100
  7. Cameron Martineau | United States | -104
  8. Victor Wolfsohn | Denmark | -105
  9. Cade Middleton | United States | -124
  10. Ross Banfield | United States | -153

The Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series Champion will ultimately 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 (includes zeros, disqualifications, as well as races a driver did not participate in). Points are awarded in both 15 minute sessions.

Considering current drops for Caruana, Vazquezz, and Young, they should be the top-three no matter what. Vazquezz could take the title if Caruana has to fall back on his current drops. Likewise, Young could also take second from Vazquezz in the same drop race scenario. The real race in points will be for fourth and fifth, the winners of those positions earning a 1 Day Racing School certificate.



The Hot Lap Qualifier for the season finale at the Circuit of the Americas will be active from Friday, August 29th, at 12 a.m. ET to Sunday, August 31st at 11:59 p.m. ET.

The entry fee for each Hot Lap Qualifier is $20, and the top 20 drivers on the Time Attack leaderboard will be invited to run each race. They’ll also get to take part in an open test with Skip Barber Racing School instructors on hand to provide feedback.

The finale itself is scheduled for Thursday, September 4th, once again at 7 p.m. ET. It will be live on iRacing.com/live and across all of iRacing’s social media channels.


To learn more about the Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series, visit https://www.skipbarber.com/iracing-series/.
Drivers can register to compete in 2025 Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series events here.
For more information about iRacing and for special offers, visit www.iracing.com.

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