Photo: Skip Barber Racing School
Ivan Machado Perez is champion of this year’s Skip Barber Formula Race Series, run by the racing school of the IndyCar-supporting USF Pro championships.
The Spaniard had an immense season as he transitioned from esports to real-world racing. It started on a high, and included an unbeaten run at Virginia International Raceway which extended to rounds at two other tracks.
VIR also hosted the penultimate round on August 27/28, and Machado Perez led Logan Anderson by 0.952 seconds in practice as the only driver to set a sub-two minute lap. In qualifying he improved to 1m58.766s, on pole by 1.675s over Alan Orzynski while Naim Saleh trailed by 2.699s in third.
That advantage continued into race one, as Machado Perez won by 6.873s to wrap up the crown with three races to spare. LaTourrette made his way from fifth into second for his first ever trip to the podium, and Saleh pipped Anderson to the final podium spot by just 0.046s.
Orzynski’s race did not go to plan and he ended up a lap down in sixth, but he bounced back in race two with his first win of 2025 after a run of podiums earlier in the season. LaTourrette finished second to be the event’s top scorer, holding off the inexperienced Robert Mosteller.
Machado Perez set the fastest lap by 2.318s but struck trouble and he finished sixth while Saheh retired nine laps in.
The season finale was at Laguna Seca on November 12/13, and Scott Pyle was quickest in the first practice session. Machado Perez moved ahead in the second, setting a 1m29.785s to lead Pyle by 0.953s. Nobody else appeared capable of a competitive pace, as proven in qualifying when Machado Perez’s last lap put him 2.44s clear at the top.
Pyle was again his closest rival, LaTourrette was 3.649s behind in third and Mosteller was fourth. Saleh was absent due to being injured in a crash while racing in Brazilian Formula 4 four days before, as was series runner-up Orzynski who was in the paddock’s minds as his father died on the morning the finale began.
Machado Perez was the fastest driver on track once again in race one, but an incident eliminated him and caused a caution period. Racing resumed with one lap remaining, and Pyle won a fight with LaTourrette to claim his maiden victory.
Canada’s Thaden Van Wong finished third, breaking the record previously held by 2009 Atlantics champion and former BMW factory driver John Edwards and then 2024 SBFRS champion Oliver Wheldon as the youngest ever podium finisher.
The track was soaking wet for the season-ending race two, and Machado Perez put in his best drive of the year to dominate with a pace advantage exceeding six seconds per lap. His title has not led to any prize, but he is eyeing USF Juniors for 2026.
Results round-up
VIR race 1 (11 laps)
1 Ivan Machado Perez 25m32.228s
2 Trevor LaTourrette +6.873s
3 Naim Saleh +9.209s
4 Logan Anderson +9.255s
5 Scott Pyle +10.899s
6 Alan Orzynski +1 lap
Ret Robert Mosteller
Pole: Machado Perez, 1m58.766s
Fastest lap: Machado Perez, 1m59.225s
VIR race 2 (13 laps)
1 Orzynski 26m28.229s
2 LaTourrette +0.655s
3 Mosteller +1.088s
4 Anderson +3.179s
5 Pyle +13.488s
6 Machado Perez +14.093s
Ret Saleh
FL: Machado Perez, 1m58.521s
Laguna Seca race 1 (15 laps)
1 Pyle 27m54.856s
2 LaTourrette +1.119s
3 Thaden Van Wong +6.598s
Ret Machado Perez
Ret Mosteller
DNS Anderson
P: Machado Perez, 1m29.178s
FL: Machado Perez, 1m29.121s
Laguna Seca race 2 (15 laps)
1 Machado Perez 25m14.226s
2 Pyle +1m36.317s
3 LaTourrette +1 lap
4 Mosteller +1 lap
5 Van Wong +1 lap
DNS Anderson
FL: Machado Perez, 1m39.443s
Championship standings
1 Machado Perez 478 2 Orzynski 407 3 Saleh 336 4 LaTourrette 325 5 Chris Spada 294 5 LaTourrette 263 6 Anderson 250 7 Pyle 223 8 Ethan Booher 178 9 John O’Donnell 158 10 Keagan Day 156