The Skip Barber Race Team kicked off the 2023 TC America season this past weekend at Sonoma Raceway in California’s majestic Wine Country. The teams’ goal for the season is to build on their past success with more wins, podiums, and third Series Championship.

In the TC competition, Celso Neto piloted the No. 7 Skip Barber Racing School HPD Civic Type-R in his first ever-race weekend with the Skip Barber Race Team. Neto brings over experience from racing in his home country of Brazil, competing in the Brazilian Touring Car Championship, Stock Car Light, and Turismo 1.4. In TCA, a pair of students turned pro racers, Will Lambros and Cooper Broll, represent Skip Barber Racing School behind the wheel of the HPD Civic Si FE1. Lambros transitions from karts to cars with Skip Barber Racing School and has since competed in the Skip Barber Formula Race Series, USF4, Spec Miata, and Legend cars. Broll started his first pro race this past weekend after completing multiple Skip Barber Racing School programs.

The 40-minute first race was relatively drama-free and featured extremely close racing. Clouds moved into the Sonoma Valley, lowering temperatures and giving drivers and teams perfect conditions to push the cars and tires to the limit. Neto showed podium pace, but unavoidable contact followed by a drive-through penalty on the opening lap put him out of podium contention. In TCA, Lambros fell back on the start and lost a couple of positions but fought his way back to the Top 5 throughout the race to secure a fifth-place finish in his debut TC America race. In a similar fashion, Broll struggled early in the session, losing a couple of positions but showed great race craft and made his way back to his starting position of eighth place at the checkered flag in his first pro racing start.

The second race was another impressive showing of talent from the Skip Barber Race Team with a lot of tight racing. In the opening lap, Neto ran wide through the carousel and lost ground to the front of the field. Looking for redemption, Neto put his head down and ran quick lap after quick lap and, after a last-lap pass, secured a fourth-place finish in the weekend’s final race. Lambros and Broll continued to learn the TCA platform in the second race, claiming sixth-place and eighth-place finishes, respectively. Both drivers showed impressive skill and car control going wheel-to-wheel with their fellow TCA competitors.

The Skip Barber Race Team returns to TC America action at NOLA Motorsports Park on April 28-30. Make sure you follow the Skip Barber Racing School on Facebook and Instagram to stay up-to-date with the latest news and catch the live action on the Skip Barber Racing School Facebook.