Skip Barber

John "Skip" Barber III (born November 16, 1936) is an American retired racecar driver who is most famous for previously owning and founding his Skip Barber Racing Schools.

Skip Barber
Born (1936-11-16) November 16, 1936
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality American
Active years1971 – 1972
Teamsnon-works March
Entries6 (5 starts)
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Career points0
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1971 Monaco Grand Prix
Last entry1972 United States Grand Prix

Driving career

Barber started racing in 1958 while studying at Harvard University, where he earned a degree in English.

In the mid-1960s, he won three SCCA national championships in a row and finished third in the 1967 United States Road Racing Championship. Later, Barber went on to win 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 the Monaco Grand Prix, Dutch Grand Prix, United States Grand Prix, and Canadian Grand Prix in a privately funded March. He returned to the U.S. and Canadian races again in 1972. After that he raced GT cars.

Retirement leads to Skip Barber Racing

When 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 remains active in motor sports today as the owner and operator of Lime Rock Park, a road-racing venue in Connecticut. He lives in the nearby town of Sharon, with wife Judy.

Barber was inducted into the SCCA Hall of Fame on March 2, 2013.[2]

Racing record

SCCA National Championship Runoffs
YearTrackCarEngineClassFinishStartStatus
1969DaytonaCaldwell D9Ford KentFormula Ford120Running
1970Road AtlantaTecnoFord KentFormula Ford14Running
1971Road AtlantaTecnoFordFormula B13Running

Complete Formula One results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 WDC Points
1971 Gene Mason Racing March 711 Cosworth V8 RSA ESP MON
DNQ		 NED
NC		 FRA GBR GER AUT ITA CAN
Ret		 USA
NC		 NC 0
1972 Gene Mason Racing March 711 Cosworth V8 ARG RSA ESP MON BEL FRA GBR GER AUT ITA CAN
NC		 USA
16		 NC 0

References
  1. "Skip Barber Racing School Has Filed For Bankruptcy:Report".
  2. Lewandowski, Dave (January 8, 2013). "Notes: Rahal among five elected to SCCA Hall". IndyCar. Archived from the original on January 12, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
  • Lime Rock Park: 35 Years of Racing, by Rich Taylor, Sharon Mountain Press, 1992, page 153, ISBN 0-9633994-0-3
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