The Skip Barber Race Series will crown its 2023 champion this week at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas with the competition coming down to the last race week of the year. Among those in contention are points-leader Sebastian Wheldon, Jeshua Alianell, Jaxon Bell, and Caleb Gafrarar. Wheldon will enter the doubleheader with a 15-point advantage over Alianell. The second-generation driver has shown remarkable consistency throughout the season and his performance has been stellar in the second half of the year with four wins and four podiums since Road America. “I’m feeling really confident heading into the race week,” Wheldon said. “I love this track, it’s really good for racing. The track surface at the Circuit of the Americas is really smooth and the fast, high speed corners make it very interesting. “I’m hoping that I can get away because the draft will be very big here with the long straights. Winning the championship would be amazing and was the ultimate goal for this year,” Wheldon added. Within reach of Wheldon is Jeshua Alianell, who will arrive for his home race with plenty of experience. If Alianell could pick a track where he needed to win, Circuit of the Americas would be high on his list as he has scored three wins in the last four races at the track. “I’ve been looking forward to Circuit of the Americas all season long,” Alianell said. “It’s one of my most successful tracks in the F4 car with three wins in a row. Coming into this week I know it’s going to be a challenge, but anything is possible. The pressure is pretty high, but that’s what makes it exciting! I’m just going to give it my all and see what happens,” he said. Bolstered by a win and a podium finish at Laguna Seca, Jaxon Bell will look to keep the momentum he established in Laguna Seca going. His performance at his home track on the California coast, which included a win and a podium, moved him to third place in the standings. “Laguna Seca was a solid weekend for me and gave me good momentum coming into the final round at Circuit of the Americas,” Bell said. “This year has been full of ups and downs. It’s hard to not be higher up in the championship given how fast we were this year, but I look forward to ending the season on a high in Austin.” Another driver who has shown steady development in his first year out of karting is Caleb Gafrarar. Since the season’s halfway point, Gafrarar has a pair of wins, two podiums, and has scored 207 points, the second most of any driver over that period. Reinforced by this string of strong outings, he’s within striking distance of Bell and Alianell as the field descends upon Circuit of the Americas. The champion of the 2023 Skip Barber Race Series will receive a $100,000 scholarship to compete in a USF-sanctioned series. Runner-up in the championship is granted a full season in the 2024 Skip Barber Race Series while third place receives a half-season entry into the Skip Barber Race Series. Entries for the 2024 Skip Barber Race Series are currently open. A number of current drivers have committed to returning to the series including Lincoln Day and Masters Class leaders, Rob and Tom Tarlton.