A unique blend of top sim racers, former karters, and Racing School standouts will take the grid for the 2026 Skip Barber Race Series season-opener this weekend. Headlining the field is Aaron Vazquez, winner of the Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series and one of the world's top sim racers. He's joined by Skip Barber Winter Shootout winner Jaylan Battley, and Canada's Thaden Van Wong, who returns for his second season after becoming the youngest podium finisher in Series history. They will be joined by a trio of drivers whose time in Skip Barber Racing School programs has impressed instructors and who have rapidly risen through the ranks. Among them is Shureed Kabir who first completed a Three Day Racing School in late-2024 but whose 2026 season is off to a hot start. The New York driver kick started his year with Advanced Coaching sessions at New Jersey Motorsports Park and Circuit of the Americas ahead of Series debut this weekend. Mark Jennes will also be making his debut at Sebring International Raceway. His rise into the Skip Barber Race Series has been even quicker. After impressing instructors at Circuit of the Americas with his preparation and positive attitude, he quickly escalated into the Two Day Advanced Racing School before completing Advanced Coaching. Vazquez was the first driver to clinch his spot in the 2026 Skip Barber Race Series. The Spainard spent most of the 2025 summer competing in the Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series. By finishing in the top three in the standings, he earned a spot in the real-world shootout at VIRginia International Raceway. There he completed a Three Day Racing School, spent time with instructors, tried his hand at media interviews, and showcased his on-track potential. At the conclusion of the third day, he was awarded the grand prize: a spot in the Skip Barber Race Series. Meanwhile, the youngest member of the grid, Thaden Van Wong, is hoping his youthfulness can be used to his advantage this season. “Being so young, I’ve learned how much more learning I get to do,” Van Wong said. “But I also learned how valuable my age is, allowing me additional time to learn.” Learning is a theme that many of the drivers in the Series are taking into the opening weekend. Matt Ales and Jaylan Battley, both of whom will be making their Race Series debuts, are targeting a learning-first weekend. “As always, bringing the car home with no incidents is first and foremost,” Ales said. “I'd love to get a podium but really this series is all about learning and that's what I'm here to do,” he added. For Jaylan, a “successful weekend for would be one that can say learned something valuable from.” The final two drivers, Charles Gillespie and Ian Osuna, both competed in the Skip Barber Race Series Winter Shootout. Osuna's racing career includes winning the NXG Youth Motorsports GP Series Championship and competing in multiple karting events, a journey that led him to his current role as an Ambassador for NXG Youth Motorsports. The Skip Barber Race Series marks Gillespie's introduction to wheel-to-wheel racing, a rite of passage shared by many aspiring competitors. Before taking on the Winter Shootout, Charles sharpened his skills at Circuit of the Americas, completing both Skip Barber's Three Day Racing School and Two Day Advanced Racing School earlier this year. Both sprint races of the weekend will be streamed live on the GTWorld YouTube Channel. You can also follow along on the Skip Barber Racing School Instagram. Race 1 of the season begins at 9:05am ET on Saturday with Race 2 beginning at 11:00am ET.