Grid for Skip Barber Formula Race Series filling up with current and former karters (Photo: Skip Barber)

Oliver Wheldon is making the jump from Karts to Cars (Photo: EKN)

Over the last two decades, the Skip Barber Racing School has been the choice for many kart racers looking for training to move into car racing, such as reigning Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden. The next generation of open wheel racing stars are now emerging from the program’s Formula Race Series, including 2023 champ Sebastian Wheldon, who is taking his $100,000 USF Juniors scholarship to graduate into the USF Pro Championships this season with VRD Racing. A new group of racers, including many karters, are signing up for the 2024 Skip Barber Formula Car Series, which will get underway on the March 1-3 weekend at the iconic Sebring International Raceway.

One of the top American kart racers to announce their participation in the series is Oliver Wheldon, the younger brother of Sebastian, and the son of the late Dan Wheldon. Oliver was a top Junior karter in 2023, finishing in the top-five overall in the Superkarts! USA Pro Tour in the X30 Junior category. He also finished in the top-10 in the class in the United States Pro Kart Series. To cap off the 2023, Wheldon was also on the podium in the season-ending SKUSA SuperNationals, finishing fourth.

Ryan Giannetta takes the next step from karting, making his Skip Barber debut in 2024 (Photo: Spencer Russell)

California karter Ryan Giannetta confirmed his participation in the series last week, as the 14-year-old from Redondo Beach is set to make his formula car debut. Giannetta has competed in many karting series and events, including the SKUSA Pro Tour and USPKS, California ProKart Challenge, and the Challenge of the Americas. Ryan completed his Skip Barber 3-Day Formula car School in 2023 and followed that up with a Two-Day Advanced Formula Car School.

Canadian Caleb Campbell confirmed his participation in the program this week, having competed last October at the series’ Circuit of the Americas round. The Cambridge, Ontario high school student has an extensive national karting resume, racing primarily in the US in Superkarts! USA, ROK Cup USA, and USPKS competition. In addition to these races, Campbell raced in Italy and Spain in 2021 and 2022 in WSK and ROK Cup events.

Canadian Caleb Campbell has competed in karting all over the world, now moving to car racing with Skip Barber (Photo: Caleb Campbell)

All three drivers will join a field full of Mygale F4 cars, powered by turbo-charged four-cylinder race engines cranking out 160 hp, through a SADEV sequential paddle-shifting six-speed gearbox. The champion of the series will once again receive a $100,000 scholarship to move into the USF Juniors program in 2025. The series runner-up wins a full season in the 2025 Skip Barber Formula Car Series while the third-place finishers will be awarded a half-season in the series.

If you’re a young driver with plans to move into car racing in 2024, head to www.skipbarber.com to learn more about their schools and Formula Race Series.

2024 SKIP BARBER FORMULA RACE SERIES SCHEDULE

March 1 -3: Sebring International Raceway
April 5 – 7: NOLA Motorsports Park*
May 24 – 26: Circuit of The Americas
June 14 – 16: VIRginia International Raceway (Full Course)*
August 9 – 11: Road America*
August 21 – 22: Lime Rock Park
September 18- 19: VIRginia International Raceway (Grand Course)

*with the USF Pro Championships / USF Juniors

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