Standout rookie Jaylan Battley went from winner of the Skip Barber Winter Shootout to champion of the 2026 Skip Barber Race Series, capping off a dominating season with a pair of victories at Sonoma Raceway and putting an exclamation point on his campaign.
Battley began his season at Circuit of the Americas by winning the Skip Barber Winter Shootout, propelling himself into the Skip Barber Race Series, where he continued to impress and develop. He swept the opening pair of races of the season at Sebring International Raceway before repeating the feat at Circuit of the Americas one month later.
The Houston-based driver stayed consistent throughout the summer, adding six podiums, including one victory at VIRginia International Raceway’s South Course. He returned to form at Road America, scoring another weekend sweep that placed him on the cusp of the Skip Barber Race Series crown.
As the series descended on Sonoma Raceway, Battley simply needed a clean weekend to clinch the title. He went above and beyond that requirement, delivering his fourth weekend sweep of the season and leading every lap of both 25-minute sprint races.
Spain’s Aaron Vazquez, the winner of the Skip Barber Formula iRacing Shootout, finished both races in second place and ended the season second in the Drivers’ Championship standings. Vazquez, who began his journey to the series by finding success on iRacing, proved that going from sim to reality is more than achievable for the world’s top sim racers. Vazquez ended his season with three victories, including a weekend sweep at New Jersey Motorsports Park, where he scored his first-ever real-world racing victory.
Matt Ales captured the Master’s Class crown, while rookie Charlie Gillespie finished the season in third place in the Drivers’ Championship. Canada’s Thaden Van Wong made massive strides in his development as a driver in his sophomore season in the Skip Barber Race Series. Van Wong ended the season with six podium finishes, including a career-best second-place finish at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
The Skip Barber Race Series will return in 2027 with another group of drivers that so far includes national and international karting champions, the latest Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series winner, part-time drivers who will be launching full-season campaigns for the crown, and Master’s Class drivers.
For more information on the 2027 Skip Barber Race Series, visit SkipBarber.com and follow Skip Barber Racing School on social media!