Skip Barber Racing School graduates started the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs with a statement as three of them, Chris Buescher, Ross Chastain, and Bubba Wallace began their post-season runs with top-ten finishes in the Cook Out Southern 500 from Darlington. Chastain’s day began slowly, finishing Stage 1 deep in the field. His rise was made more difficult with a significant amount of green flag racing that presented few opportunities for the team to make adjustments to the car. Despite this, Chastain climbed eight spots by the end of Stage 2 and was well-positioned to pounce in the final stage. The Melon Man passed a further eleven cars to crack into the top five by the end of the 500-mile race. Meanwhile, Chris Buescher collected 36 points by virtue of his third-place finish and the stage points he gathered at the end of Stage 1. After winning at Daytona and claiming victories at Richmond Raceway and Michigan International Speedway, Buescher has been one of the hottest drivers in the NASCAR Cup Series and he proved that once again with an excellent result to open his playoff run. Bubba Wallace ended his evening in 7th while Joey Logano narrowly missed the top ten with his 12th-place result. Michael McDowell’s night ended prematurely after being left with no safe path when others wrecked in front of him. Before the evening’s entertainment in Darlington began, the NTT IndyCar Series ran its penultimate race in Portland. Colton Herta’s strong showing in the Firestone Fast 6 left him as the best-placed Skip Barber Racing School graduate on the grid, but it was Josef Newgarden’s 5th-place finish at the end of the 110-lap event that stood as the best of any graduate. Other notable results from graduates included Kyle Kirkwood (10th) and Helio Castroneves (14th). In the Road to Indy ladder, Skip Barber graduate Myles Rowe claimed the USF 2000 championship, the culmination of many years of hard work from Rowe who has been steadily rising through the ranks. Many congratulations to Myles from everyone at the Skip Barber Racing School! Even earlier on Sunday, the Italian Grand Prix was held at the legendary Autodromo Nazionale di Monza where Skip Barber Racing School graduate Sergio Perez finished second and maintains his 2nd-place position in the driver standings. Looking ahead, the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Kansas Speedway where Wallace won last year’s fall race and scored a top-five finish earlier this year. Finally, the NTT IndyCar Series ends its 2023 season at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.