The next round of the 2026 Skip Barber Race Series sees the drivers visit Formula 1's home in the United States, Circuit of the Americas, for a pair of races under the Texas sun. After two stellar and competitive races in Sebring, the championship battle looks set to be a fierce one, with Jaylan Battley holding an early lead over Matt Ales. For many drivers on the grid, this is not their first visit to COTA. Shureed Kabir, who opened his season with a top-five finish in Race 2 at Sebring, completed his first Skip Barber Racing School program at COTA. After his first race weekend in the Race Series, however, he wants to enter this week's activities with a fresh mindset. "My first course at Skip Barber was at COTA," Kabir said. "Since then, I've done an Advanced Coaching session there, so I feel familiar with COTA's features. That said, after completing my first weekend at Sebring my approach has completely changed, and I plan to look at COTA as if it is new to me." Charles Gillespie, who competed in the Skip Barber Race Series Winter Shootout at Circuit of the Americas, is optimistic about his prospects for a good week. "Coming back to COTA actually feels a little bit more like a home race than Sebring did," the Miami-based driver said. "Having learned the fundamentals of the Formula car in Austin, this race brings everything full circle. This is an opportunity to build off the progress made in January, taking the knowledge and experience from Sebring and applying it back to somewhere familiar. Having a reference to what's been done will allow me to grow further." Several drivers are taking advantage of the concurrently operating Skip Barber Racing School program at Circuit of the Americas to get some track time ahead of the official sessions that begin on Tuesday. One of those drivers is Ocean Lopez. Lopez will be making his Skip Barber Race Series debut this week. Lopez began his Skip Barber career with a Three Day Racing School in the GT car before finding the Skip Barber Formula Car to be more to his liking. This week marks the home race for two drivers: Jaylan Battley and Mark Jennes. Battley, the championship leader after his pair of wins at Sebring, won the Skip Barber Race Series Winter Shootout at COTA in January. Jennes, meanwhile, has completed the full gamut of Skip Barber Racing School programs at COTA. Jennes checked off a Three Day Racing School, Two Day Racing School, and multiple Advanced Coaching days at the 3.426-mile circuit. "My past experience in particular will be very helpful," Jennes said of the track. "Especially when it comes to adjusting my simulator to match what I've already done. I've been extremely lucky to drive in just about every condition Austin can throw at a driver outside of snow — full rain, slicks on a wet surface, cold, hot. A successful week for me at COTA is a bit higher of a bar than Sebring, especially considering I've done over 100 laps and a few sessions here already. Obviously, I want to compete for a podium and a win. But success will be finishing within eyeshot of the winner and keeping it on track facing the proper direction all day. Safety is the biggest priority, as always, while defending and attacking is a good extra." One additional challenge lurking on the horizon for the drivers is Mother Nature, who looks poised to add rain into the mix. That poses an opportunity for Thaden Van Wong, the only driver on the grid with past experience in a rain-impacted Skip Barber Race Series event. Van Wong was on the grid last season when Laguna Seca was far from a dry lagoon. "In my limited career, my first exposure was during my Three Day Racing School at VIR with Skip Barber Racing School," Van Wong said. "I then raced at Laguna Seca last fall, which had the largest amount of rain in 40 years. It was an amazing experience to drive in those conditions, which allowed me to learn a ton about driving in the rain." Matt Ales, who impressed mightily at Sebring in the season opener, is now back for more at Circuit of the Americas. The oldest driver on the grid set a high bar for the younger competitors with a pair of overall podium finishes and two Masters Class victories. "I'd love to get a win, but I really want to build off of Sebring and look to be at the front of the pack again this weekend," Ales explained. "I'm shooting for an overall podium in both races, but as always, the number one goal is to learn and bring the car home safe." Spain's Aaron Vazquez and Mexico's Ian Osuna round out the grid for Circuit of the Americas. Vazquez, the winner of the 2025 Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series, is quickly proving to be a name to keep an eye on at the sharp end of the grid. Meanwhile, Osuna showcased his ability to improve quickly throughout the weekend and took home a podium finish in his first race. Be sure to follow the Skip Barber Racing School Instagram and Facebook pages for updates as the weekend progresses.