Three of iRacing’s fastest Formula drivers are preparing to make the transition from virtual racing to a real Formula car. Martin Kadlečík, Matt Caruana and Brandon Hawkin will head to Virginia International Raceway for the 2026 Skip Barber Formula Car Shootout, where they will compete for a fully funded seat in the 2027 Skip Barber Formula Race Series.
The three drivers earned their opportunity through the 2026 Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series, a competition specifically designed to create a direct route between sim racing and real-world motorsport. More than $500,000 in combined prizes were available throughout this year’s programme, with the biggest prize reserved for the driver who can prove himself after making the jump from iRacing to an actual Formula car.
From iRacing to Virginia International Raceway
Kadlečík, Caruana and Hawkin qualified for the real-world Shootout by finishing inside the top three of the 2026 Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series standings. The championship featured six events and 12 races across virtual versions of circuits also used by the real Skip Barber Race Series, including Lime Rock Park, Laguna Seca, VIR, Sonoma Raceway, Richmond Raceway and Circuit of the Americas.
Each event began with a Hot Lap Qualifier, with the fastest 20 eligible drivers advancing to the championship races. Competition took place using the FIA Formula 4 car in iRacing with fixed setups, placing the emphasis on driving performance rather than setup development.
Martin Kadlečík ultimately won the 2026 championship with 312 points after drop scores were applied. The Czech driver recorded four victories during the season and finished just four points ahead of defending champion Matt Caruana, while Canadian Brandon Hawkin secured the final Shootout position in third.
Caruana finished the season particularly strongly by winning both races at Circuit of the Americas. Hawkin, meanwhile, completed all 12 races inside the top 10 and secured third place in the championship despite not recording a race victory.
A fully funded 2027 racing season is at stake
The three sim racers will now travel to Virginia International Raceway for the three-day Skip Barber Formula Car Shootout. Their performances there will determine who receives the programme’s ultimate prize: a fully funded seat in the real-world 2027 Skip Barber Formula Race Series.
Skip Barber Racing School describes the Formula iRacing Series as a bridge between virtual and real motorsport. When the 2026 championship was announced, Skip Barber Chief Marketing Officer Joe Monitto said the organisation believes successful simulator drivers possess skills that can transfer to real cars, with the series designed to give the best of them an opportunity to demonstrate that ability on a real circuit.
The programme goes considerably further than simply awarding cash prizes. Fourth and fifth place in the virtual championship received One Day Racing School awards, while Hard Charger winners throughout the season also earned Racing School opportunities. Drivers qualifying for Formula iRacing Series events additionally received a $200 credit towards a Skip Barber Racing School programme.
Martin Kadlečík, Matt Caruana and Brandon Hawkin
Kadlečík enters the Shootout as the 2026 Formula iRacing Series champion. He won four races across the season and overcame a particularly complicated Laguna Seca event, where post-race penalties left him with no points, before recovering to take the championship at Circuit of the Americas.
Caruana already has experience of this stage of the programme. The British driver was the defending Formula iRacing Series champion entering 2026 and will be making his second attempt at the Formula Car Shootout. His four victories during this year’s campaign matched Kadlečík’s total.
Hawkin takes the third position after a highly consistent season. Although he did not win a race, the Canadian accumulated enough results throughout the championship to secure his place at VIR ahead of Ayden Young and Guglielmo Callegari.
Sim racing as a pathway into real motorsport
The Skip Barber programme has already demonstrated that the opportunity can extend well beyond a one-off real-world test. Previous Formula iRacing Series grand prize winner Ivan Machado Perez converted his sim racing success into a full season of real competition, winning 10 Skip Barber Race Series races on the way to the championship before progressing into USF Juniors.
That makes the upcoming Shootout particularly significant for Kadlečík, Caruana and Hawkin. They are not simply competing for an isolated test day or demonstration drive; one of them can secure the funding required to contest an entire 2027 Formula racing season.
“It represents one of the most direct links between success on iRacing and in real-world race cars,” iRacing Vice President of Sales and Marketing Otto Szebeni said when the 2026 programme was announced.
For three sim racers, that link is now about to become very real. After fighting for tenths of a second on iRacing throughout the 2026 season, the next stage will take place inside an actual Formula car at Virginia International Raceway, with a complete 2027 racing programme on the line.
More information about the programme is available from the official iRacing announcement and Skip Barber Racing School.
See you on the track!
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