Thaden Van Wong will join the Skip Barber Race Series grid this weekend, with the young Canadian making his debut at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Van Wong, from Calgary, brings experience in karting and sim-racing to the grid and will seek to kickstart his Formula Car racing career by gaining experience in the Skip Barber Race Series. Van Wong began his journey to the Skip Barber Race Series at the Skip Barber Simulator Center in New York. He spent a pair of days on the centers’ six-axis, full-motion simulator, the Simcraft Apex 6 GT. Next, he travelled to Skip Barber’s training facility at VIRginia International Raceway where he completed the Three Day Formula Car Racing School. With those programs under his belt, Van Wong progressed to more advanced levels ahead of his debut. That includes completing multiple Advanced Coaching sessions to sharpen his skill set ahead of his inaugural Race Series weekend. “I'm truly blessed and thankful that I've been provided an opportunity that few people, anywhere, of any age, get.” Van Wong said. Van Wong is among the youngest competitors on the Skip Barber Race Series grid, and he is keeping that fact in mind as he lays out goals for himself. “That means I have a lot of room and time to grow as a person and as a racer,” Van Wong said of his age. “I want to complete all my races and learn, learn, learn. As a wise man once said, ‘To finish first, first you must finish.’” Away from the track, Van Wong stays busy with a wide variety of activities including practicing Wing Chun Kung-Fu and sharpening his Mandarin language skills. He is also a member of a street dance performance group in his hometown of Calgary. “It’s great to welcome Thaden Van Wong into the Skip Barber Race Series,” Skip Barber Racing School Chief Marketing Officer Dan DeMonte said. “Thaden is a dedicated racer and we’re looking forward to playing a role in his development as a competitor. The Skip Barber Race Series has seen a wide array of talented drivers compete in it and I’m eager to see what accomplishments Thaden can add to that history.” For more information on the Skip Barber Race Series, click here.