Skip Barber National Championship
 |
|
| Category | Open Wheel Racing |
|---|---|
| Country |
 United States
|
| Folded | 2011 |
| Tyre suppliers | BFGoodrich |
| Last Drivers' champion |
Scott Anderson
|
| Official website | The BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda Website |
The BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda is an entry-level professional race series run by Skip Barber Racing School. Initially formed as the Formula Dodge National Championship, Since 2006 the Skip Barber National has been the initial open-wheel race series in the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development ladder, which includes the Cooper Tires U.S. F2000 National Championship and the Star Mazda Championship. The Skip Barber National has run in support of the American Le Mans Series, Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series and A1GP and is designed to give young drivers transitioning from karting to race cars their first experience of professional level road racing.
The Skip Barber National was developed to fill the gap between the Skip Barber Regional Race Series and the Barber Dodge Pro Series. The first season was in fact a one-race shootout for top drivers from the four Regional Race Series. Held at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut, the race (and championship) was won by 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay.
For the first several years of its existence, the Skip Barber National schedule was made up of what were deemed to be the best tracks scheduled for each of the four Skip Barber Regional Race Series. The Skip Barber National was run as a separate run group within each race weekend, with a separate fleet of cars. The National made its professional support series debut at the 2003 12 Hours of Sebring. The Skip Barber National Champion during this era earned a $100,000 career enhancement award to help them pick up a ride in the next level of open-wheel racing.
When Mazda replaced Dodge as automotive partner with Skip Barber Racing School at the end of 2006, the Skip Barber National was renamed, with BFGoodrich taking over title sponsorship of the series. As part of this new partnership with Mazda, the Skip Barber National joined the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development ladder, with the Skip Barber National Champion earning a fully funded season in the following year's Star Mazda Championship. The original ladder included the Skip Barber National, Star Mazda, and the Atlantic Championship. In 2010 this was changed with the replacement of the top of the ladder Atlantic Championship with the newly reformed U.S. F2000 Championship slotted between the Skip Barber National and the now top rung Star Mazda Championship. This overlaps with the Indy Racing League's new Road to Indy development ladder that includes U.S. F2000, Star Mazda, and Firestone Indy Lights.
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