Skip Barber instructors are the finest teaching professionals in the industry today.
Many are former or current racers whose collective experience spans all types of
racing and driving situations. Scroll through the list below to learn about our
instructors, their careers, and how their knowledge can be put to work for you.
Roy, who joined Skip Barber in 2006, races a Spec Racer Ford in SCCA and successfully raced a 2.5-litre 911 in vintage racing. Roy is also a mentor instructor for Porsche Club of America. In addition to instructing for various car clubs, Roy’s done work for auto publications including Road & Track. Oh, and his best racing experience? a podium finish on his wedding anniversary.
Years of Experience: 5
Hometown: Berkeley Heights, N.J.
Years of Experience: 13
Hometown: Plymouth, Wis.
Pete was chief instructor at the Brands Hatch Racing School in England for 11 years. A one-time British Formula Ford champion, as a factory FFord driver for Royale he set a lap record at Hockenheimring in the European championship and won the ‘‘Kentagon’’ FF title based at Brands Hatch… In the U.S., Pete won the IMSA Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta in a Porsche, and in Grand-Am set a track record at Homestead and won at Watkins Glen... In 2007, he's entered into the Grand-Am Koni Challenge series with Regional Race Series stand-out Tim George, Jr. ... Pete’s father Cameron Argetsinger was founder of road racing at Watkins Glen (1948) and first brought the U.S.G.P. there in 1961.
Years of Experience: 16
Hometown: Sebring, Fla.
Bruce grew up in Indianapolis and got the bug for automobile racing as a result of his father’s involvement in the Indy 500 every year, working for the ‘‘Indianapolis Star.’’ That’s right, the smell of race fuel and the excitement of racing got him to pursue racing himself as a teenager, starting in karting and then sprint cars in the Midwest. Realizing that an education and a career were, um, ‘‘necessities,’’ he focused on a 25-year sales and marketing career in the pharmaceutical industry, although never losing the passion for motorsports and racing. In 1998, Bruce once again pursued his passion for motorsports and started road racing. He never turned back and currently competes in BMWCCA and PBOC Club Racing programs… Bruce has been instructing for almost a decade at Road Atlanta and Sebring International Raceway for Panoz and now Skip Barber. In addition, he’s team managed for Hyper Sport Racing Team in the ALMS, Grand-Am Rolex and the Koni Challenge series.
Hometown: Lawrenceville, Ga.
Pronounced "BALE-itch"… Currently vintage racing a '59 Turner, but Paul’s racing life started in 1972 when, in his first-ever autocross, he spanked a bunch of hot shoes in Datsun 510s – with his 1964 VW Beetle… In 1974, Paul was the Eastern Motor Racing Association (EMRA) Formula Vee Championship runner-up -- and was also EMRA's chief instructor for four years... Paul's been a car-club track day instructor since 2000.
Years of Experience: 2
Hometown: Chatham, N.Y.
Pronounced "STEFF-on ba-STRICK-ee"… A Skip Barber instructor since 1995, Stephan’s also taught for Saab, Bentley, Volvo, Chevy, Jaguar, BMW, the Alfa Owner’s Club and Ford… Like many of our instructors, he’s done a bunch of TV and film work: Stunt driver for Nickelodeon television shows and NESN’s Wait 'Til This Year movie about the Red Sox… From 2000 to 2003 Stephan raced in SCCA World Challenge and was noted as the fastest qualifier of all the Honda drivers. Before that he was a race winner and two-time championship runner-up in SCCA IT and S Showroom Stock.
Years of Experience: 11
Hometown: Barkhamsted, Conn.
Rich has been racing successfully since 1983 and won the GT4 championship in SCCA Regional competition twice in three years. Also raced professionally for two years in what’s now called the SPEED World Challenge.
Years of Experience: 10
Hometown: North Port, Fla.
Wally was Mazda’s star driver throughout the 70s and 80s, winning multiple IMSA championships piloting Mazda sedans and sports cars… Finished eighth in the 1990 Barber Pro Series… There isn’t a track in North America that he hasn’t raced on, passed on, won on – and yes, maybe even spun on. Great driver, great teacher.
Years of Experience: 20
Hometown: Sarasota, Fla.
Started autocrossing in 1964 and did that up until the early 1970s, when Roger got his first competition license, with the Midwestern Council of Sports Car Clubs, racing in Formula Vee… Was an instructor for MCSCC for more than a decade… Roger went back to high speed autocross from 1994 to '98, winning the championship in 1997
Years of Experience: 1
Hometown: Kimberly, Wis.
'Jonathan was winning in karts as a young pup, including the IKF Junior Sportsman title and the IKF Formula Y championship, both in the late 1990s. In 2000, because he won the very first Stars of Karting race, ‘‘Bomber’’ earned a Skip Barber Three Day as his award… In 2001 and 2002, he was racing and winning in Grand-Am Cup as well as winning regional SCCA races in Formula Ford 2000. Jonathan also won the Stars of Karting championship in 2002… In 2003, as a rookie, Jonathan won the U.S. Formula Ford Zetec championship on the strength of five victories and a total of nine podium finishes in 12 races (plus three poles). He did a few Atlantic races in 2004 (including a podium at Portland), some Star Mazda races in 2005 then a full season of Atlantic in 2006. Bomber won a race (Road America), had a second and a third and finished sixth overall in the championship. In 2007, Bomarito finished fifth in the final Atlantic standings and in 2008, he's led the standings most of the year.
Years of Experience: 4
Hometown: Monterey, Calif.
'Driving professionally since 1998, Gerardo started in autocross in the late 1980s, and by the mid-1990s he had won two overall and six class championships. He was also a star karter… Going open-wheel in 1994, in a driver talent-search in Canada in 1994 and 1995, Gerardo finished fourth out of 94 and fifth out of 105, respectively… He was racing and winning in the Skip Barber Regional Race Series by 2000 and by 2004 he had funding for a full season of Skip Barber National, one of the toughest entry level pro series in the world. That year he won the most races (four) but was edged by 9 points for the title by Marco Andretti, who won once. In 2005 Gerardo came back even stronger, again winning four times and this time taking the championship… That 2005 SBN title and its $100,000 launched his career into Star Mazda, where in 2006 Gerardo won once and finished sixth in the championship. In 2008, Gerardo was named lead driver for B-K Motorsports' BP Lola B07/46 Mazda in the ALMS championship.
Years of Experience: 8
Hometown: Orlando, Fla.
Gregg started racing in 1989 in Skip Barber Regional, scoring six podiums in his first season (at this time he also started wrenching for the Racing School)… By 1992 he was instructing for us as well as entering the occasional Barber Dodge race… In 1995 Gregg established ArmsUp Motorsports, now a race-winning FF2000 and Continental team… Gregg scored points in four of eight races in Barber Dodge in 1998, the first year of the carbon-fiber Reynard 98E… His talents as an engineer saw him become the data acquisition specialist for Skip Barber in 2003.
Years of Experience: 15
Hometown: Elkhart Lake, Wis.
Paul left the family audio-visual business to work for Group 44 (the famous IMSA team owned by Bob Tullius) in Falls Church, Va., in 1974. He first started instructing for Skip Barber in 1984 (just one month after Skippy stalwart Terry Earwood, by the way!). For a while Paul ran his own driving school, teaching law enforcement performance driving… Paul started racing well before Skip Barber started the school, but knew him (he had met Skip through Tullius and Group 44)… He was the lead instructor for Jeff Gordon's Three Day at Road America in 1990. Paul's Eval of Gordon: "It's all there, could use a bit more brake. Oh, we should offer this kid a Pro Series test day." ... Paul won a state (Maryland) karting championship in 1976, and later (1980) was the SCCA National Champion in an E-Production MGB (an ex-Group 44 machine)… He went pro racing and some of those highlights include finishing second in the IMSA GTO race at Brainerd (formerly the notorious ‘‘Donnybrooke’’) in an ex-IROC Camaro; a fourth at the Daytona 24 in IMSA GTU in a Datsun 280Z; and winning the 24-hour endurance races at both Mosport and Nelson Ledges in an Archer Brothers Eagle Talon… Paul’s very first race was at Summit Point, in a 1969 Bug-Eye Sprite... Paul – “PB” to friends and fellow instructors – is also an automotive journalist, having hosted “AutoTalk,” Saturdays and Sundays on KSTP AM1500 in Minneapolis-St. Paul for 25 years. His weekly column, “Motoring,” has appeared in the Minneapolis Star Tribune for 23 years, and he recently authored “How to Repair Your Car” published by Motorbooks International.
Years of Experience: 22
Hometown: Stanchfield, Minn.
Randy found himself in race car for the first time, at age 29, thanks to his wife buying him a gift certificate to a Three Day school. He went, he was fast, and the next thing he knew he bought a Formula Vee. By 1991, Randy won the notoriously competitive SCCA San Francisco Region FVee title… All Skip Barber instructors have, by necessity, huge amounts of patience, but Randy is known for his Biblically prodigious forbearance – especially as chief steward and pit lane coordinator for the Skip Barber National, contested mostly by very young, impetuous teens.
Years of Experience: 17
Hometown: San Rafael, Calif.
A mechanical engineer by trade, Sylvain began racing karts in 1980 and since that time has competed in FF1600 and FF2000 as well as touring cars. Sylvain began instructing in 1989. When not instructing, Sylvain has worked as a test driver, and has performed ride and drive programs for several automotive manufacturers.
Years of Experience: 5
Hometown: Lorraine, Qué.
'Kelly has been racing and winning in sports cars around the world since the mid-1990s, not long after he began teaching for Skip Barber… A hired gun for various factories – he’s raced and won in Corvettes for Chevrolet, M3s for BMW and GTO.Rs for Pontiac, among others – Kelly has scored podiums in the Daytona Prototypes, too… In 2007, Kelly won twice in Grand-Am GT driving the Banner Racing GXP.R and tied for second in the points. In 2008, he won the title, along with co-driver Paul Edwards... One of his early successes was a podium in Barber Saab in 1990… Kelly is often hired by TV car commercial production companies (twice for Mazda, by the way) for the ‘‘money shots.’’
Years of Experience: 18
Hometown: Newport Coast, Calif.
Years of Experience: 5
Hometown: Taconic, Conn.
Well into his second decade of instructing (from Panoz and Porsche to Audi and, of course, us), Brian did a Skip Barber Three Day back in 1991... Brian’s involvement in motorsports began as an extracurricular activity while he was completing his degree from Georgia Tech. In addition to computer science classes, Brian competed weekly on oval tracks around the Southeast. Soon afterward, he became hooked on road racing, and has competed successfully in a variety of GT and showroom stock cars over the last decade. Brian’s real passion, however, is teaching and coaching others, where he can combine his technical background and love for the sport.
Hometown: Woodstock, Ga.
Still successfully climbing the motorsports ladder, Joe started out by winning the 2003 Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Shoot-out, then immediately impressed by winning the Skip Barber Southern Series championship (seven wins in 12 starts)… Moved into the National and was quickly a top-five finisher. After Joe won another Skip Barber scholarship, he graduated to British and European Formula Ford; in the prestigious Formula Ford Festival, he scored one of the best finishes for an American in the long history of the event, fourth in the final… With all his race wins overseas (including Formula Renault), Joe went into Champ Car Atlantic in 2006 and scored six top-10 finishes and set a lap record at Portland.
Years of Experience: 3
Hometown: Brownsburg, Ind.
Hometown: Gainsville, Ga.
A lifelong student of racing, ‘‘Stevie D.’’ entered his first SCCA race in Wentzville, Mo., 1963 A.D. More than 30 years behind the wheel, more like 40 if you count stealing the keys at night. First “legit” competition was in 1976, with his killer '69 Datsun 510… Two-time SCCA Midwest Division Champion in GT-4 and GT-5… Met Chief Instructor Terry Lee Earwood when co-driving with Dorsey Schroeder in the IMSA Firehawk street-stock wars in the mid-80s. The rest as they say, is history. ''I've been sliding down that long slippery slope ever since!'' … Won a bunch of Firehawk races, but one of the best was in 1988 when, co-driving with Earwood in a Dodge Daytona – the first time that model was raced -- they beat everyone despite starting DFL (engine management issues in qualifying). Dodge ran a full page ad in USA Today: ‘‘First Race, First Place.’’
Years of Experience: 19
Hometown: St. Albans, Mo.
John started racing in the mid-1960s, mostly dirt stocks, then spent a number of years building a very successful metal fabrication business. By the mid-1990s, he had freed up some time to go racing again and ran in the Skip Barber Midwest Region for almost a decade… Since 2001 John’s been running SCCA races between his Racing and Driving School commitments.
Years of Experience: 5
Hometown: Grafton, Wis.
Began racing in the late 1980s, campaigning an SCCA Spec Racer, winning many races… By the 1990s he was racing and winning in SCCA Improved Touring… Was hired by Terry Earwood in 1996 as an instructor and has since specialized in OEM and Corporate Events.
Years of Experience: 10
Hometown: Lakeville, Conn.
Rick was an autocrosser of note before enrolling in a Skip Barber Three Day in 1987… He was a regional SCCA GT-1 champion in 1989, the 1993 American Sedan champion, a veteran of three Rolex Daytona 24 Hours (third in GT in 2000), and raced for nearly a decade in SPEED World Challenge, where 40 percent of his finishes were in the top 10… Rick has done a bunch of TV stunt work, including SPEED TV’s ‘‘Test Drive with Tommy Kendall.’’
Years of Experience: 15
Hometown: Harvard, Mass.
Years of Experience: 20
Hometown: Big Pine Key, Fla.
Hometown: Somerville, Mass.
Chief Instructor, Southern Region... Terry is the winningest driver in the history of the Firestone Firehawk Endurance Series (which became Grand-Am Cup/Koni Challenge)… 1996 Touring National Champion… It was Terry Lee who brought Driving School curriculum to Skip Barber in 1984, based on a curriculum he designed for the Georgia State Police… He started racing years ago, but it wasn't road racing -- it was drag racing. He was the 1973 NHRA Super Stock National Champion (in an SS/EA 1971 Hemi 'Cuda)... Numerous Drag Racing National and Regional event wins, three Regional autocross championships... Inducted in the NHRA Southeastern Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 1996 and the East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame, in 2002.
Years of Experience: 22
Hometown: Deland, Fla.
Instructing since 1994, Nick has taught for Panoz, Porsche and Justin Bell as well as the ‘‘Master Maserati’’ program at Road Atlanta. Nick does a fair amount of coaching for historic racers, too… His successful racing background includes stints in Grand-Am Cup/Koni Challenge, plus winning regional SCCA championships in Formula Ford/Formula Continental… Nick entered a ton of karting events early in his racing career, too.
Hometown: Tampa, Fla.
Rich completed his Three Day at Moroso in December 1995 – and loved the company so much he started as a Race Series mechanic the following month… He wrenched for all the Skip Barber Series, including the Pro Series…While wrenching, Rich did a lot of miles in the Race Series… Prior to his Skippy career, Rich was a hotshoe in Canadian Formula Ford (both 1.6 and 2.0). He also has a fair amount of seat time in Porsche Cup competition… His behind the wheel talent as well as an obvious teaching ability got him an instructor position in 2000.
Years of Experience: 10
Hometown: Hypoluxo, Fla.
Matt first heard of the Skip Barber School – from Michael Andretti, no less – when he was 11 years old. Enrolled in the Three Day at Laguna Seca in 2000… Soon he found himself entering SCCA regional autocross, winning two class championships… Started racing karts in Rotax Max Challenge and SKUSA Winter Tour for a couple years, scoring a pole in his first race. Matt then moved into cars and won a regional Showroom Stock championship in a Dodge Neon ACR… Currently, he’s also a stunt driver in the Disney/MGM Studios Lights! Motors! Action! Extreme Stunt Show in Orlando, spending part of his day driving a car on two wheels!
Years of Experience: 2
Hometown: Orlando, Fla.
Tommy, brother of Jon Fogarty, the two-time (’02 and ’04) Formula Atlantic champion, is a great teacher who’s been racing and winning in karts, sedans and open-wheel since the early 1990s, including campaigns in pro Super Vee, Star Mazda and Barber Dodge… Ask him what he knows about aircraft – and wine.
Years of Experience: 10
Hometown: Woodside, Calif.
A long time instructor at Road Atlanta, Joe joined the Skip Barber corps last year. He has experience in everything from karts and formula cars to Daytona Prototypes, and is currently a star driver in Koni Challenge.
Hometown: Lawrenceville, Ga.
Matt is another of a big handful of Skip Barber instructors who started their racing careers in the Regional Race Series and then, thanks to their speed, experience and teaching ability, joined the company as invaluable assets… ‘‘HazMatt,’’ owner of a successful wholesale and retail auto parts business, has always been the one to beat in any Race Series event he’s in.
Years of Experience: 2
Hometown: Annandale, N.J.
Years of Experience: 3
Hometown: Aspen, Colo.
Years of Experience: 3
Hometown: Aspen, Colo.
Years of Experience: 2
Hometown: Sea Side, Calif.
Bryan started out karting and was a two-time IKF 4-stroke Junior Class Champion… Twice he won the track championship at Lakeport Speedway in California… By 1990, Bryan was NASCAR Southwest Tour Rookie of the Year – and won the Southwest Tour championship in 1997 (Bryan still holds three NASCAR Southwest Tour records)… One of the biggest races every year out West is the Copper World Classic at Phoenix International; Bryan won the Southwest Tour race there, in 2003, passing Kenny Schrader with less than 20 to go.
Years of Experience: 13
Hometown: Windsor, Calif.
Bob is in his second decade with Skip Barber and has coached the Race Series, written curriculum, organized OEM events and instructed hundreds of driving and racing school programs. Although Bob is local to Lime Rock, he spent many years as crewman on an Outlaw Sprint Car and Dirt Modified team. He took the Three Day Racing School with his two sons when they were in high school and shortly after was a top-10 SCCA road racer in the Northeast in a 35-year-old Formula Vee. Bob has run with studs on the ice and trekked in the Saudi desert and mountains of Oman. ‘‘From Vipers to Legends Cars, the principles are all the same. Winning races is based on skilled efficiency.‘‘ Bob has been driving the pace car and hot lapping dignitaries for the major events at Lime Rock for more than 10 years, too. Tongue in cheek, Bob calls himself ‘‘over-educated.‘‘ He has published several technical papers for the SAE, MIT and ISATA and operates ‘‘Survive the Drive‘‘ (survivethedrive.org), a not-for-profit organization that advances driver training for teens. He was on a federal advisory committee on teenage drivers and is an SAE and ADTSEA member. In his Skip Barber ‘‘off-seasons,‘‘ he’s made presentations to more than 60,000 high school students about the consequences of common driving errors.
Years of Experience: 15
Hometown: Lakeville, Conn.
Conrad was fast right out of the box in the 2002 and 2003 Skip Barber Midwest Series… He was one of the ‘‘early adopters’’ in U.S. drifting competitions and is now a driver always threatening to win… In 2006, Conrad also entered some Rally America events… He’s now one of the valuable instructors for the Computer Car curriculum.
Years of Experience: 4
Hometown: Monterey, Calif.
Ryan started in karts and won a host of races and championships as a factory driver. He entered a few Skip Barber Eastern and Southern Series race weekends, then became a frontrunner in SCCA Regional Formula 500 – Ryan had a podium in the bag at the National Run-offs until his motor packed up... Ryan also spent time in ITB and Spec Miata competition... Started as a mechanic with Skip Barber Racing before heading to the instructor ranks. In addition to instructing at racing and driving schools, Ryan gets called for a lot of OEM Event work.
Years of Experience: 5
Hometown: Torrington, Conn.
‘‘MHP’’ has a wealth of open-wheel racing experience, mainly in the cutthroat racing wars of Europe… Mark was England’s Formula Vauxhall-Lotus Wheatcroft Challenge champion in 1990 and the following year, he was the top American in the British Formula Vauxhall-Lotus championship… Racing in the Formula Ford 2000 series in Canada in 1992, he was again the leading American driver… MHP races a wide variety of cars in vintage racing, too.
Years of Experience: 15
Hometown: Lakeville, Conn.
Don has been a professional instructor for more than 25 years, most of them with Skip Barber… Don was named the OEM Events Chief Instructor in January 2007… He has raced and won in Skip Barber Regional, IMSA Grand Sports, Sports and World Supercar and was part of the team that won two IMSA Manufacturers Championship for Chrysler.
Years of Experience: 17
Hometown: Tifftin, Ohio
London-born Nick started out racing in the tough-as-nails European karting world, the last two as part of the British Junior team at world championship events… He raced in the Maranello Ferrari Challenge, finishing second and earning Rookie of the Year honors… Came to the U.S. and entered the Skip Barber Western Series, finishing second in the championship and yes, winning Rookie of the Year… Nick’s also tested and raced FF1600, Sports 2000, Atlantic, Trans-Am, Showroom Stock and more. Since the mid-1990s, he’s been doing a ton of race engineering: Team manager and race engineer for PPI’s Atlantic team from 1997 through 2000 (Anthony Lazzaro and Andrew Bordin were first and third, respectively, in 1999, and Dan Wheldon and Bordin were second and third in 2000). Nick was recognized as Engineer of the Year for his Wheldon efforts… In 2001 and 2002, he was team manager, then general manager, for the PPI Nextel Cup program. Nick has also engineered for Jonathan Bomarito (Atlantic, 2004) and Andreas Wirth (2005)… Nick’s Dad raced in Europe in the 1960s – even built his own race car, based on a Lotus 23 – and later wrenched for Brabham, March, ATS and Arrows.
Years of Experience: 14
Hometown: Dana Point, Calif.
Jeff was a karting instructor (while also a Tae Kwon Do teacher!) for a number of years… He's won a bunch of SCCA races, and in his first-ever Grand-Am professional race, Jeff finished seventh… Recently, he's been unstoppable in the Kumho 12 Hours of Homestead showroom stock event: Second place in 2003, then three consecutive wins in '04, '05 and 2006.
Years of Experience: 1
Hometown: Weston, Fla.
Chief Instructor, Eastern Region… Jason, a British-Canadian, was starring in karts at age 9 and as a teen won the Canadian Senior National Championship, among a host of other karting titles… Moved up to the exciting 250cc superkarts before heading to Formula Fords, then Formula Atlantic. By the late 1980s Jason was racing in the professional Atlantic Series in the U.S. and consistently finished races in the top 10 despite limited campaigns. Also has some NASCAR Busch East race experience.
Years of Experience: 17
Hometown: Ossining, N.Y.
Years of Experience: 20
Hometown: Hollywood, Fla.
Having recently come stateside from Porto Alegre, Brazil, Jonatan won numerous Brazilian karting titles – no easy thing – between 1992 and 1999… Entered the Skip Barber Southern Series in 2001-2002, winning races, finishing second in the championship and earning Rookie of the Year honors… He’s also competed in British Formula Renault and was a test driver for Dallara and the historically successful Alan Docking F3 team… Jonatan was Scott Speed’s roommate in England for a year… Once put Rubens Barrichello into the fence (not on purpose!) in a karting event in Brazil.
Years of Experience: 1
Hometown: Miami, Fla.
Nick has been a race car driver since the mid-1980s, having driven a multitude of race cars. Virtually every entity that has needed a talented, professional driver has hired him: Film companies, Champ Car (for pace cars), drifting teams, stunt teams, Ford Drive for Life, television and IMAX producers, car magazines -- you name it… Nick started teaching at Skip Barber in the early 1990s.
Years of Experience: 14
Hometown: Encintas, Calif.
In 1988 Don raced in the Skip Barber Midwest Series – while working as one of the mechanics – and was named Rookie of the Year… ‘‘Dancin’ Don’’ was a tenured associate professor of Dance at Buffalo State College (SUNY College Buffalo)… He’s been an instructor for the SCCA Western New York and Toronto area, and has coached drivers in IMSA, PSR, PCA, Ferrari Challenge, Grand-Am and Vintage racing. Don’s been part of numerous Ride & Drive and product introduction tours, including lead instructor for the annual Viper Thrill Rides event… His racing resume includes: 1996 and 1997, IMSA Endurance Racing (best finishes were two second-places at Sears Point and Mosport 24-hour, where he co-drove with Pierre Kleinenbing); 1989-1991, various Formula Ford, F2000, Sports Racer events; 1989, IMSA Professional Endurance Racing; and Western New York SCCA Formula Ford Rookie of the Year, 1987… Don started racing in karts in 1958 and won numerous regional and territorial championships based out of Mansfield, Ohio (sadly never the National Championship)… His parents, John and Doris Kutschall, were instrumental in starting and administrating the Dart Kart Speedway Club in 1958 (originally the Mansfield Kart Club) which is still one of the largest and most active Karting clubs in the US and stages endurance races at Mid-Ohio.
Years of Experience: 16
Hometown: Daytona Beach, Fla.
Years of Experience: 1
Hometown: Avon Lake, Ohio
Fernando started racing later in life, just like many Skip Barber Race Series competitors. Running in Midwest SCCA championships, Fernando went into Spec Racer Renault – he was the Mid-American champion at age 50 – then Formula Ford. He even won a National FF race in a car that was, shall we say, very outdated.
Years of Experience: 2
Hometown: Ft. Myers, Fla.
Phil, often working Race Weekends with the Computer Car customers, is two-time SCCA Run-off competitor in Formula Continental (sixth in 2001, fourth in 2003)… He was the 2001 SCCA Northeast Division Champion in Formula Continental, and in 2000 he was both the NERRC and the NARRC champion in Formula Continental... A star karter, Phil won a bunch of national titles in different WKA classes in the early and mid-90s… Phil’s record in FC (essentially FF2000) is enviable: 29 races, 13 wins, 23 podiums, 26 top fives and only two DNFs. In 2006 at VIR, in what was his first pro FF2000 start, Phil not only took the pole, he won the race.
Years of Experience: 10
Hometown: Nashua, N.H.
Carl has been with Skip Barber virtually since its inception in 1975. From wrenching on the formula cars to director of operations, Carl has, in fact, seen it all -- including being named Rookie of the Year in the 1978 Eastern Race Series. … He is also the widely known, well-respected author of what has been called the definitive treatise on racecar driving: Going Faster! Mastering the Art of Race Driving. Carl is also one of the motorsports industry’s leading lights in the realm of racecar data acquisition as a valuable tool for driver coaching.
Years of Experience: 27
Hometown: Canaan, Conn.
Years of Experience: 25
Hometown: Chocorua, N.H.
Geoffrey (yep, son of Gregg!) was fully into motorsports by age 13, racing karts. Three years later he was club racing a Porsche 911 Carrera… Geoff currently races a 1990 spec Mazda Miata in the SCCA. He also was invited to race a Porsche 911 RSR at Daytona in the HSR race in 2006 – and finished third overall… Geoff has the distinction of being the youngest instructor hired by the Panoz Racing School, Audi Driving Experience and Gilbert Racing. He’s also worked with Paul Newman during the 24 hours of Daytona in 2005, with Silverstone racing… Geoff does a
Hometown: Viera, Fla.
Greg ‘‘Captain America’’ Lowdermilk joined the Skip Barber ranks following the Panoz Racing School purchase. He is a Bondurant grad who went on to race a Porsche 914 at Riverside and did some off-road racing and motocross, before joining the Air Force. Started his instructor career with the Porsche Club of America (PCA), and volunteered time to instruct for Chin Motorsports and the Porsche BMW Owners Club (PBOC)... Started racing again in the early 90s with the Porsche Club and has since raced a Spec Miata in SCCA. Today Greg races in HSR. Currently racing in HSR… Greg’s a certified flight instructor in the United States Air Force as a Combat Rescue Officer: aerial operations, special operations insertion and extraction procedures from rotary wing aircraft. If we tell you any more about his military background, well, we’d have to kill you…
Hometown: Orange County, Calif.
Bruce was one of the most accomplished Formula Ford racers ever. He was a two-time pro FF champion, and was twice named Formula Magazine’s ‘‘Driver of the Year’’… At one point, Bruce held 18 track records... Bruce famously won the wet and wild Can-Am race at Lime Rock Park in 1985… He’s also a three-time winner of the notoriously tough ‘‘Longest Day at Nelson Ledges’’ race… A great teacher, Bruce has taught and nurtured an incredible amount of racing talent in his long service with Skip Barber… He’s a whiz at creating one-off engineering marvels, and is a light airplane pilot of considerable skill.
Years of Experience: 29
Hometown: Sheffield, Mass.
Grant is part of an extremely exclusive group: he was one of the four drivers that won sponsorship from Red Bull in the very first Red Bull F1 Driver Search in 2002… He got there by virtue of his success in the ’02 Skip Barber National: six wins and three poles to win the title over Scott Poirier and Scott Speed.
Years of Experience: 6
Hometown: Neenah, Wis.
Currently racing in SCCA Spec Miata Series… 2003 SCCA Showroom Stock-B National Champion… 52 SCCA National wins
Years of Experience: 10
Hometown: Racine, Wis.
'Mazz'' has raced everything from open-wheel and stock cars to Outlaw sprinters and Trans-Am. He's currently campaigning a Z06 Corvette… Paul has won two Regional SCCA titles: one in GT1 and the other in IT/GT.
Years of Experience: 11
Hometown: Indian Harbour Beach, Fla.
Keith raced karts as a boy and by the mid-1980s had raced open-wheelers in Mexico. From 1991 on he was in FF2000s at Bridgestone and then the extremely competitive Canadian Formula Ford 1600 Championship… When Keith graduated from high school, he went on a backpacking trip through Europe. He somehow convinced the test driver at the Lamborghini factory to give him a factory tour! Then a couple days later, Keith went to the vineyard of Mr. Lamborghini in Italy and spent the afternoon having tea with him and touring his private Lamborghini collection… Clearly a smooth talker, between 1986 and 1996 , he talked his way into being a ‘‘gopher’’ with the Williams Formula 1 Team at their North American races.
Hometown: Belleville, Ont., Canada
Years of Experience: 3
Hometown: Las Vegas, Nev.
Mikel started karting in on the West Coast in 1989 (Rookie of the Year, with 22 wins) and by 1992, with 70 total wins, he won the championship… Racing in the Skip Barber Southern Series by ’92, he finished first or second in 80 percent of his races… Was invited to the Barber Dodge ‘‘Big Scholarship’’ Shoot-out and made it to the semi-finals. He became an instructor in 1995 and in 1997 entered the Star Mazda Series – and took four wins (consecutive!), set seven track records, finished second in the championship and of course, won Rookie of the Year. In 1998, an almost identical record in Star Mazda (four wins, second overall)… Since then, Mikel has raced in Barber Dodge, Atlantic, Australian F4000 and is currently a frontrunner in Grand-Am Koni Challenge.
Years of Experience: 10
Hometown: Salinas, Calif.
Robbie has been racing since 2000, after graduating from a Skip Barber Three Day. In 2002, he was the Western Region Most Improved Driver – especially apt since he was that year’s champion! Robbie was a 2002 scholarship winner in the prestigious Barber/Champ Car program and as a rookie in the Barber Pro Series in 2003, he scored points in four of the six races he entered… Started four Star Mazda races in 2005, scoring points in all four.
Years of Experience: 3
Hometown: Laguna Niguel, Calif.
Benny began racing at 10, winning numerous karting championships in his early years, and at the 2004 Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Shoot-out, Benny was awarded the biggest prize, a paid season in the Skip Barber National. That year he won four SBN races – three more than champion Marco Andretti… Benny has an extensive background in racing Formula Ford, Formula Mazda, Formula Renault, Ford Focus Midgets and even stock cars. In 2007 Benny raced Late Model Stock Cars at the All-American Speedway in Roseville, Calif., for Bill McAnally Racing.
Years of Experience: 4
Hometown: Shingle Springs, Calif.
Jon was a Race Series winner of note and co-won the famous Skip Barber Big Scholarship Award a few short years ago… In 2001 Jon had seven top-10 finishes and three top-fives in the notoriously competitive Barber Pro Series.
Years of Experience: 7
Hometown: San Francisco, Calif.
Cassius has been teaching at Skip Barber since 1991 and like most racers, he ran karts as a kid, mostly on dirt tracks such as Williams Grove, the racing hotbed west of Philadelphia. Cassius was the local champion twice in three years, in fact… In his first race car event, a Showroom Stock race at Lime Rock, Cassius finished third. Soon he won the SCCA Mid-Atlantic SSC title, and also went on to win in Formula Ford and qualified more than a few times for the National Run-off… Cassius has been wrenching since he was 16 and so it’s no surprise he owns a 10-bay Bosch Service Center.
Years of Experience: 5
Hometown: Carlisle, Pa.
John is not only a NASCAR Busch East competitor, but was also a National SCCA Atlantic race winner and champion… John was also the SCCA Northeast Regional champion in Formula Continental in the late 1990s.
Years of Experience: 11
Hometown: Canaan, Conn.
Years of Experience: 4
Hometown: Mooresville, N.C.
Years of Experience: 10
Hometown: Aventura, Fla.
Not only a great instructor, a world-renowned photographer, a race car driver of particular note, a decent chef, an inveterate collector of ridiculously cool cars and one of the finer race-control stewards in the entire state of Rhode Island, Nick also claims to be a pilot. Must be true, since the FAA once busted him for over-flying a secret auto racing MTV reality TV show shoot and had to pay the crash damage for one of the drivers when she got scared by Nick’s low flying C-5 Galaxy and put her Skip Barber Formula 2000 in the fence… Nick has raced at Le Mans, finishing fourth in the C2-class one year… He also got a third place in Camel Lights at the Daytona Rolex 24 and second at the Sebring 12-hour… Regrettably, he’s a very good friend of Peter Dannan, the British driver who’s considered one of the worst drivers of all time.
Years of Experience: 19
Hometown: Raleigh, N.C.
Jim’s racing C.V. is particularly impressive… He’s won the Daytona 24 Hours twice – once Overall (GTP) and once in class (GTU)… He’s also twice won the Sebring 12 Hour: Overall in GTP and also in Camel Lights… Jim was the 1994 IMSA GTU champion, and he’s raced at Le Mans… Jim was the Race Series Rookie of the Year in the late 1980s, and he also won races in the ultra-competitive Barber Pro Series.
Years of Experience: 18
Hometown: Ridgeland, Miss.
Lonnie has been teaching for Skip Barber for well over a decade, having started racing in Formula Ford. His first year, he won five races (plus four other podiums) and set a class record-lap time at Lime Rock… Since 2003, Lonnie’s been very successful in ALMS and Grand-Am, as founder, team principal and driver for the Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche GT3-RSR.
Years of Experience: 16
Hometown: Salinas, Calif.
Matt Plumb has been a star in the Rolex Sports Car Series Grand-Am Cup fover the past four years, and was the 2003 Speed Wprld Challenge Rookie of the Year... Matt's career started in 1997 racing in the Skip Barber Eastern Series and in 1998 he won that championship... In 2001, Matt finished tied for second in Barber Dodge, winning at Detroit and Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca; the year before, he had finished fourth overall, taking a win at Vancouver.
Years of Experience: 8
Hometown: Newport, R.I.
A racing resume that includes more than two dozen wins and those six titles aptly describes Rick’s credentials. He started racing in SCCA in 1988, mostly Alfa Romeos and Formula Ford. By 1991, Rick won the Driver of the Year award… Rick set lap records at Lime Rock, Road America, Bridgehampton, Pocono and NHIS. Three times he won the North Atlantic Road Racing Championship (NARRC) and in the even tougher New England Region Championship (NERC), Rick also won the title three times… He’s taught for virtually every sports car owners club in North America and currently serves on the SCCA’s National Instructors Committee... As a kid, Rick drove an elevator in the Senate wing of the U.S. Capitol (little known fact: Elevator travel accounts for the fewest number of injuries per passenger-mile among all forms of public transportation. Rick never crashed an elevator that whole summer...).
Years of Experience: 5
Hometown: Pittsfield, Mass.
Spencer went from a rookie in the Eastern Race Series to Daytona 24 competitor in three years and by 1999 he finished inside the top 10 in GT3… In 2006, Spencer and his co-drivers won the Daytona 24 Hour in GT – and was the 2006 championship runner-up in Grand-Am Cup, including a win at Phoenix.
Years of Experience: 10
Hometown: Daculla, Ga.
Years of Experience: 8
Hometown: Castleton, N.Y.
Years of Experience: 11
Hometown: Rhinebeck, N.Y.
Beginning as a mechanic at Jim Russell, Jeff raced Formula Ford for a number of years in the notoriously competitive San Francisco Region of the SCCA... He’s now one of the lead instructors, based at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Other ”J-Rod” interests include motocross, supermoto, restoring cars and enjoying his 1983 Lotus Turbo Esprit.
Years of Experience: 15
Hometown: Salinas, Calif.
Years of Experience: 12
Hometown: Winter Park, Fla.
Years of Experience: 8
Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas
Years of Experience: 13
Hometown: San Clemente, Calif.
Grant ran two complete Toyota Atlantic seasons in 2001 and 2002, earning two podiums and a pole position (Milwaukee, 2001)… Prior to Atlantic, Ryley competed in Star Mazda. In 2000, Grant finished second in the western division championship, including three wins, six podiums and three poles, as well as third overall in the Best Western National Championship Series… Began racing in 1997-1998, in the Skip Barber Western Series, taking with four wins and 10 podiums.
Years of Experience: 5
Hometown: San Jose, Calif.
Raced in Japanese Esso Formula Toyota Series, 2000-2001… Canadian Formula Ford Championship, 1998-1999… 1987 Canadian Shifter Kart "Rookie of the Year"
Years of Experience: 3
Hometown: Punta Gorda, Fla.
Ricky was the 2002-03 Skip Barber Western Region champion, scoring nine wins. He's also made a handful of Skip Barber National starts.
Hometown: Pismo Beach, Calif.
Ray started out as a Southern Race Series competitor in the late 1980s and by 1990 was instructing for us – and still winning races, of course… In a 24 hour race at Mexico’s famous Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit, Ray and his teammates were slicing up through the field, lapping at the same speed as the leaders, until the engine let go.
Years of Experience: 16
Hometown: Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Years of Experience: 2
Hometown: Grantville, Pa.
Andrew had his first dirt bike when he was 8 (and was driving cars soon after!). In the late 80s and early 90s, he graduated from Bondurant, at both Infineon (nee Sears Point) and Firebird Raceway, then successfully competed in SCCA Improved Touring, garnering multiple wins and podium finishes. By 1998 he was running Pro-7 (Spec RX-7) and continued his winning ways... Andrew is one of our lead instructors and has been involved in numerous OEM events and tours throughout the years. He also facilitates our manufacture training events… When Andrew isn't instructing, he spends his free time at his home in Marin County mountain biking and has recently started restoring his 1964 Olds Cutlass convertible that he has had since high school.
Years of Experience: 10
Hometown: San Anselmo, Calif.
Cliff was successfully racing in the Midwest Series in 1999 when he got a last-minute phone call to substitute for a suddenly ill Skip Barber instructor at an OEM event. And he’s been instructing ever since… Cliff moved into SCCA Formula Mazda after his multiple wins in SBRS competition and qualified for the 2003 Run-offs. In the race, he started DFL but rocketed up through the field and won the “Hard Charger” Award… For nearly his whole working life, Cliff’s been a ski instructor, too.
Years of Experience: 7
Hometown: Waterford, Mich.
Matt was a star in SCCA Formula Ford, Formula Vee and F-Production throughout the 80s and 90s… Finished third in the prestigious North Atlantic Road Racing Championship Run-offs… Matt’s got experience in Grand-Am’s big sports car series, too.
Years of Experience: 10
Hometown: Kent, Conn.
Rob is one of those instructing stars within the Skip Barber system who’s done it all: Race Series winning driver, mechanic, crew chief, school manager, regional chief instructor, computer car/data acquisition specialist – Rob’s done it all… In addition to Skip Barber cars, Rob’s raced IMSA showroom stock, Formula Ford, Formula Mazda, Mexico Super Formula. In 1994, he finished second in the SCCA PCRRC (Pacific Coast Road Racing Championship).
Years of Experience: 20
Hometown: Canaan, Conn.
Years of Experience: 2
Hometown: Phoenix, Ariz.
Everybody pronounces Rocket Boy’s last name ‘‘STEW – ing,’’ but it’s really ‘‘STEE – wing.’’ Regardless, R.B. is another SBRS superstar who’s done it all, from starting as a mechanic to winning the Eastern Series championship. R.B. has had everyone from Paul Newman and Tom Cruise to Tommy Lee and Meat Loaf as racing school students… He’s done stunt work for TV and movies, too.
Years of Experience: 20
Hometown: Falls Village, Conn.
Peter raced and won in a lot of Race Series events in the early 1990s… He and his two co-drivers won the infamous 24-hour ‘‘Longest Night’’ race at Moroso in the ITS-class a few years ago.
Years of Experience: 11
Hometown: Manitowoc, Wis.
Years of Experience: 2
Hometown: Greer, S.C.
Hometown: Huntsville, Ala.
The list of race cars and race series Doug has been in is longer than we have room for here, but let’s say it spans most everything from sprint karts and every open-wheel formula car worth driving to NASCAR Busch and Hooters Cup stock cars… Accomplishments include two Regional titles, a national title, 35 pole positions and top-three finishing percentage of 60 percent… Doug has recently gotten into drifting competition, too, running a Mustang for the renowned Kenny Brown team.
Years of Experience: 10
Hometown: Cornelius, N.C.
Hometown: Boucherville, Qué.
Born in the United States to a family with strong roots in Canada, René grew up in the U.S.A, Canada and France. Following his dream René started racing in 1987 when he attended the Spenard-David Racing School in Canada run by Richard Spenard – a popular and former teammate of Gilles Villeneuve in Formula Atlantic… Since then, René has raced a multitude of cars, from FF1600 and Barber Saab to F3, endurance touring cars and big-bomber Corvette C5-Rs – even Caterhams and million-dollar vintage Ferraris – all over the world… Helping to fund his racing in the early years, René was the stage- and production-manager for a number of Beach Boys tours.
Years of Experience: 2
Hometown: Woodland Hills, Calif.
Where to begin? Duck has been a very successful race car driver for almost (hold your breath…) 60 years, winning a host of SCCA divisional and national championships, vintage races, you name it. He’s been recognized with awards and honors from virtually every club, sanctioning body and racing-related organization extant, including earning the 2005 ‘‘Mario Andretti Award for Vintage Sportsmanship’’… He’s a race car designer (his background is industrial engineering) and a much sought after driver coach… He and his lovely wife Sue are fixtures at Road America in the summer and Sebring in the winter… The list of individuals and organizations Duck’s taught racing and driving skills to is longer than we can list here, but suffice to say it ranges from the Andretti family to the U.S. Air Force… If you’re getting feedback from Duck Waddle – yes, that’s his real name – it’s based on an amount of experience greater than the combined years of the whole staff of some other racing schools.
Years of Experience: 25
Hometown: Elkhart Lake, Wis.
Travis has been an SCCA sports car frontrunner for nearly 20 years, beginning with Solo II autocrossing in the early 1990s. By the mid-90s he was winning titles in D Sports Prepared and Improved Touring C. By the late 90s Travis was winning in Showroom Stock C and B (he holds the SSB record at Lime Rock). A couple years ago, he even tried his hand at SCCA and NASA rallying – and started winning immediately.
Years of Experience: 7
Hometown: West Haven, Conn.
Keith has raced everything from late-model dirts and A.S.A. to Formula Fords and Barber-Reynards, and has won a lot of races in the Race Series… Keith is also a much-in-demand “driver for hire” in vintage sports car racing… He is often the pit lane coordinator, an extremely important job during Race Series weekends.
Years of Experience: 11
Hometown: Antioch, Tenn.
Years of Experience: 2
Hometown: Stratford, Conn.
Steve started his racing career at age 8 in karting, winning multiple regional and national championships in 15 years of competition… In 2001, his first year in race cars, he won twice in the Skip Barber Midwest Series… By 2003 and 2004 Steve was competing in FF2000 and was scoring points regularly… In August of 2006, he scored a second- and a third-place in the very competitive pro FF2000 races at Road America driving for ArmsUp Motorsports.
Years of Experience: 2
Hometown: Greenfield, Wis.
Beginning his racing life as a Jim Russell mechanic at the old Riverside Raceway, before long he was winning races… In 1988 Kris finished second in the Formula Mazda series – and was named Rookie of the Year. He won the Horizon Driver Search in 1993 which got him a paid ride in USAC/SCCA Formula Ford 2000. He finished fifth in the championship in 1993 and was awarded Rookie of the Year honors... By the mid-1990s he was in the Firehawk Showroom Stock series and in his first year, won five races (and yes, was named Rookie of the Year!)… Recently Kris has been racing ALMS and Grand-Am prototypes and since 2004 has been competing in Grand-Am Cup… Kris is noted as one of the test drivers for the Racing School and the Race Series.
Years of Experience: 12
Hometown: Littleton, Colo.
Years of Experience: 3
Hometown: Elkhart Lake, Wis.
Nathanael started as a mechanic in the Barber Pro Series. Prior to that, he done some Formula Ford racing and worked for an Indy car team… Nathanael is also a professional graphic arts designer… Since 2000, he’s specialized in instructing for the wide-ranging OEM and Corporate Events groups.
Years of Experience: 10
Hometown: Canandaigua, N.Y.
Bob has been closely associated with Skip Barber Racing since, well, the very beginning! He won the first-ever Race Series event (Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway, 1976) and a look at his mantle would show not only an astounding 100+ wins but also an Overall Championship, three Masters titles, at least 15 years of race and championship finishes in the top three… Bob was the 1970 SCCA New England and NARCC Formula Ford Champion… Babson College Sports Car Club Driver of the Year, 1962-63… Bob took the pole at the SCCA Runoffs in 1967 in his MGA vs Bob Sharp and his factory-sponsored Datsun.
Years of Experience: 25
Hometown: Nashua, N.H.
Martin is a hard-core Skip Barber-ite; he’s been racing in the Midwest Series regularly since 1981! He’s also been the Midwest Series official starter for more than a decade, too… Started with autocrossing in the mid-1970s… Whenever Skip Barber Racing has a sales and information booth at Road America (for the big Champ Car and ALMS races), you can count on Martin manning it – because he loves it.
Years of Experience: 15
Hometown: Palatine, Ill.
