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John "Skip" Barber III (born November 16, 1936) is an American retired racecar driver who is most famous for previously owning and founding theSkip Barber Racing Schools.
Born | (1936-11-16)November 16, 1936 (age 88) Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, United States |
---|---|
Formula One World Championship career | |
Nationality | ![]() |
Active years | 1971 –1972 |
Teams | PrivateerMarch |
Entries | 6 (5 starts) |
Championships | 0 |
Wins | 0 |
Podiums | 0 |
Career points | 0 |
Pole positions | 0 |
Fastest laps | 0 |
First entry | 1971 Monaco Grand Prix |
Last entry | 1972 United States Grand Prix |
Driving career
editBarber started racing in 1958 while studying atHarvard University, where he earned a degree in English.
In the mid-1960s, he won threeSCCA national championships in a row and finished third in the 1967United States Road Racing Championship. Later, Barber won consecutive Formula Ford National Championships (1969 and 1970), a record tied only recently.
At the start of the 1971 season he purchased a March 711, which he planned to take back to the United States and race in the U.S.Formula 5000 series. Before he did so, he took part in theMonaco Grand Prix,Dutch Grand Prix,United States Grand Prix, andCanadian Grand Prix in a privately fundedMarch. He returned to the U.S. and Canadian races in 1972. After that, he raced GT cars.
Retirement leads to Skip Barber Racing
editWhen his racing career ended, Barber's belief that auto racing was "coachable" in the same manner as any other sport—at the time, a distinctly minority position—led him to create the eponymously named racing school, and a year later the equal-car race series.
In 1975, with two borrowed Lola Formula Fords and four students, Barber started the Skip Barber School of High Performance Driving. In 1976 it was renamed the "Skip Barber Racing School", and that same year he created the Skip Barber Race Series. Barber divested from the racing school in 1999.[1]
Barber was the owner and operator ofLime Rock Park, a road-racing venue in Connecticut. In April 2021 he sold the facility to Lime Rock Group, LLC. He maintains a minority stake. He lives in the nearby town ofSharon, CT with wife Judy.
Barber was inducted into theSCCA Hall of Fame on March 2, 2013.[2]
Racing record
editSCCA National Championship Runoffs
editYear | Track | Car | Engine | Class | Finish | Start | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1969 | Daytona | Caldwell D9 | Ford Kent | Formula Ford | 1 | 20 | Running |
1970 | Road Atlanta | Tecno | Ford Kent | Formula Ford | 1 | 4 | Running |
1971 | Road Atlanta | Tecno | Ford | Formula B | 1 | 3 | Running |
Complete Formula One results
edit(key)
Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | WDC | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1971 | Gene Mason Racing | March711 | CosworthV8 | RSA | ESP | MON DNQ | NED NC | FRA | GBR | GER | AUT | ITA | CAN Ret | USA NC | NC | 0 | |
1972 | Gene Mason Racing | March711 | CosworthV8 | ARG | RSA | ESP | MON | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER | AUT | ITA | CAN NC | USA 16 | NC | 0 |
American open-wheel
edit(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position)
USAC Championship Car
editUSAC Championship Car results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Team | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Pos. | Pts | ||||||||||||||
1974 | Crower Engineering | Eagle | Chevrolet | ONT 15 | ONT | ONT 32 | PHX | TRE | INDY | MIL | POC | MCH | MIL | MCH | TRE | TRE | PHX | NC | 0 |
References
edit- ^Westbrook, Justin T. (2017-05-22)."Skip Barber Racing School Has Filed For Bankruptcy: Report".Jalopnik: Black Flag. Gizmodo Media Group. Archived fromthe original on 2017-06-04.
- ^Lewandowski, Dave (January 8, 2013)."Notes: Rahal among five elected to SCCA Hall".IndyCar. Archived fromthe original on January 12, 2013. RetrievedJanuary 9, 2013.
- Lime Rock Park: 35 Years of Racing, by Rich Taylor, Sharon Mountain Press, 1992, page 153,ISBN 0-9633994-0-3