Machado Perez aiming to emulate Wheldon after top start in F4

Photo: Ivan Machado Perez

The long-running Skip Barber Formula Race Series is run by the official racing school of the USF Pro championships, and got to support them last weekend at NOLA Motorsports Park.

Skip Barber Racing School and USF Pro organiser Andersen Promotions partnered in 2022, and since then the champion of the SBFRS for first-generation Mygale Formula 4 cars has received a scholarship to race in USF Juniors. The last two drivers to achieve that are Sebastian and Oliver Wheldon, both Andretti Global juniors and sons of the late IndyCar champion Dan.

It was the second round of the centrally-run SFRS, which began at Sebring on April 2/3. American talent Ethan Booher was the driver to beat there, leading Ivan Machado Perez by 0.006 seconds in practice and 0.226s in qualifying. Brazilian car racing rookie Naim Saleh qualified third.

Booher streaked away in race one, building a four-second gap before Machado Perez brought his lead back down to 2.8s. Saleh held thired, and the closest battle was for sixth with Alan Orzynski holding off Chris Spada.

Machado Perez set the fastest lap so had pole for race two, but Booher made the better start to take the lead on lap one. It was a repeat of race one, as he distanced himself before the gap was reduced to 2.8s. Spada started and finished third.

Orzynski topped practice at NOLA, then Spada moved ahead in qualifying. He took pole by 0.3s over Machado Perez, with Orzynski and Booher next up.

A great start meant Booher challenged Spada into turn three on lap one, but then Machada Perez got back past. He stayed in Spada’s mirrors through the middle of the race, before the leader pulled away to win.

Booher lost out in a lap two move at turn one, and spent most of the race chasing Orzynski. He held on to third in a photo finish.

Trevor LaTourrette and Jaysen Cajero both went past fifth-placed Saleh in a great move at turn six on lap five, and later Saleh retired.

Spada had pole for race two, and despite running deep at turn three held the lead through lap one. Orzynski grabbed second despite an off, then a caution period was needed as Saleh crashed out.

The same mistake was made by Spada on the restart, but to no consequences bar enabling Machado Perez to squeeze past Orzynski at turn six. The top two was settled, and Booher harassed Orzynski on the next lap before passing at turn 10.

Booher’s last-lap retirement returned third to Orzynski, and meant LaTourette and Cajero’s race-long battle – settled by 0.18s – was for fourth.

Points leader Machado Perez starred in esports last year. He came third in Skip Barber’s iRacing series, which uses a second-generation F4 car, earning a spot in a real-world shootout at Virginia International Raceway.

The shootout prize was a 2025 SBFRS seat, which the Spaniard won after being assessed in the series’ car and off-track. Machado Perez karted in the 2010s and did single-seater tests before his budget ran dry, and has since engineered in the second and third tiers of international motorcycle racing.

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