Final day for Skip Barber Karts to Cars Scholarship at Sebring

For the first two days of the 18th Annual Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Shootout, drivers attended two hour-long seminars and learned from industry leaders including motorsports veteran Bryan Herta and safety professional Kelly Jones from RaceCraft1. Participants had the opportunity to expand their knowledge on safety training, were educated on the business of motorsports and tested their everyday car control skills and became acclimated to iconic Sebring International Raceway.

The Karts to Cars Scholarship Shootout is the single most important event for karters transitioning into race cars. Past winners of Shootout awards include A.J. Allmendinger, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Ricky Taylor, Jonathan Goring, Spencer Pigot, Joel Miller and Luke Gabin. The Shootout is a critical component of the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development ladder – a fully integrated motorsports ladder comprised of the Skip Barber Racing School Summer and Winter Series, USF2000, Pro Mazda, Indy Lights and the IndyCar Series.

Yesterday, day two, the karters had the entire day to prove themselves on track in the Formula Skip Barber racecars. With seasoned (all are former professional race car drivers themselves) Skip Barber Racing School instructors on each corner writing notes and giving feedback, each driver's every move was under watchful eye. If any driver were to have an off-track excursion or simply want some helpful tips, they were able to pull into the pits during their session and receive radio feedback from the instructors.

Heading into the third day of competition, the top five racers are the following:

Daniel de la Calle
Dakota Dickerson
Konrad Czaczyk
Lucca Abreu
Nathan Laverdure

The final day will include one more timed session and a seminar from motorsports media personality Dave Despain.

The Karts to Cars Scholarship shootout will include a robust lineup of scholarships up for participants to win. RaceCraft1 will be awarding more than $4,500 worth of prizes to the top three racers in the competition while the champion will earn the "Top Gun Award" from RACER magazine. He or she will receive a feature in a future issue of the acclaimed publication. Motorsports veteran Bryan Herta will also be awarding the "Bryan Herta Career Enhancement Scholarship Award" of $15,000 credits to the racer that demonstrates the most drive, heart, and overall potential as a race car driver.

In addition to the contingency prizes listed above, Skip Barber Racing School will award more than $65,000 in scholarship prizes to the participants.