The Skip Barber Race Series made its way to America’s Motorsports Resort (or as described by Paul Newman – heaven on earth), Virginia International Raceway, for rounds 5 and 6 of the 2023 season. Drivers and fans alike were treated to beautiful weather and a wildly competitive race weekend at VIR. The event saw many drivers make massive improvements, and a few front runners learn important lessons that will be useful throughout the remainder of the championship season. Practice 1 on Friday saw bountiful improvements throughout the field, including the return of Nicky Glazier, who ended the practice in P6. On top of the timing charts were two very familiar names, with Sebastian Wheldon making a statement by topping Jaxon Bell by 1.370 seconds with a blistering time of 2:01.741 on his final lap. Practice 2 yielded similar success, for Wheldon topped his practice once with a 2:00.747. The rest of the field also saw improvements in practice 2, with Jeshua Alianell and Caleb Gafrarar in 2nd and 3rd. Bell and Nicholas Maloy rounded out the top 5 to end the practice for the day. Qualifying proved quite competitive, with Alianell, Gabe Tesch, Rob Tarlton, Glazier, and Spencer Schmidt all trading the top spot early on. Wheldon had stayed consistent in P3 throughout qualifying until the final lap, where he put up a new personal best time with a 2:00.179 to take P1 in qualifying. Wheldon was followed by Alianell and Gafrarar to round out the top three spots. The masters class also had competitive qualifying, with Rob Tarlton topping the times and 5th overall, followed by Thomas Tarlton in 7th overall, with Edgar White holding the 11th spot overall. Race 1 on Saturday afternoon was greeted with a beautiful 86-degree Virginia day, perfect for the 15-car field to put on a great show, and a great show is exactly what these drivers put on with Wheldon and Alianell leading the field to the green flag. The front two rows remained side by side throughout the first section of Virginia International Raceway, with Gafarar and Tesch swapping positions multiple times in the opening laps. After an early yellow flag, Wheldon nailed the restart with a great defense into turn 1. Many battles fired up during the restart, including Dystany Spurlock gaining 5 spots shortly after the green flag flew again. Bell was forced to start at the rear of the grid, but after the restart powered through the field to make up 12 positions during his charge. Race 1 also saw rookie Kinsley West make massive improvements dropping 13 seconds on her lap time from FP1 to race 1. The checkered flag saw Andretti development driver Wheldon winning his first race by just over 6 seconds, taking a huge step in his career in open-wheel racing, and that would have certainly made his father proud. Wheldon was followed by Alianell, Gafrarar, and Bell, and in his return to the series Glazier rounding out the top 5. Following the entertainment of Race 1, Race 2, as a live stream, delivered another fantastic showing from the Skip Barber drivers. Wheldon sat on the pole again for race 2 followed by Alianell, Glazier, Gafrarar, and Bell, rounding out the top 5. Race 2 was full of action following Race 1. As the field went green, Bell showed his race craft by improving from 5th to 3rd on the green flag. Bell would spin and fall to the back of the field after a blistering start. Tesch and Gafrarar would constantly battle for multiple laps trading the last spot on the podium but eventually making contact where Tesch began to fall back in the field and ultimately retired from the race. Wheldon would also start to develop issues dropping him back before eventually retiring. Rookie Lincoln Day showed great pace in only his third race weekend with the SBRS team. Another Series Rookie, Spencer Schmidt, had strong finishes in both races, moving up to 5th in race 2. The end of the race saw Alianell taking the checkered and winning race 2 followed by Gafrarar and Glazier, who fought his way back to a podium position after an early race spin. Rob Tarlton finished in 4th, showing some muscle from the master class, followed by Schmidt in 5th and Spurlock in 6th. The masters class showed strength with their podium consisting of Rob Tarlton, Perlmutter, and Edger White rounding out the podium. The next Skip Barber Racing Series race will be held at the historic Road America, August 11-13. There is no feel, like open wheel. The Skip Barber Racing School Mygale Formula 4 delivers the best race car driving school experience imaginable. The car is a racer’s dream. Beautifully designed and engineered, it’s a visceral experience that is simply amazing. These cars are incredible. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the F4 for yourself. Sign up today for a One, Three, or Two-Day Advanced Skip Barber Formula Racing School by clicking the links below or calling 866-932-1949. See our entire schedule with all our classes at skipbarber.com.ONE DAY FORMULA RACING SCHOOLSRoad Atlanta – June 12VIR – July 11THREE-DAY FORMULA RACING SCHOOLSVIR - July 11Road Atlanta – June 12Laguna Seca – November 8TWO-DAY ADVANCED FORMULA RACING SCHOOLSRoad Atlanta – June 15Lime Rock Park - August 21VIR - September 13Laguna Seca - November 11