‘Anyone can be a champion’: The greats who graduated from Skip Barber Racing School

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Since being founded in 1975, over 400,000 students have graduated from the Skip Barber Racing School, among them countless drivers who would go on to become professional racers and champions.

They include former Skip Barber scholar Ryan Hunter-Reay, seven-time F1 race winner Juan Pablo Montaya and IndyCar race winner Danica Patrick.

Two of the school’s coaches who’ve mentored some of its top scholars and graduates are Terry Earwood, chief instructor, and Bruce MacInnes, senior instructor. Themselves successful racers (Earwood is the most successful driver in the history of the Firestone Firehawk Endurance Series and MacInnes, a two-time Pro Formula Ford National Championship winner) they know what it takes to excel at the highest levels of motorsport.

“The right attitude,” says Earwood, bluntly. “If you’re heart’s not in it, you won’t win it. Come to us with the right attitude and we can help you.”

MacInnes agrees, adding, “Some drivers are gifted with the ability to win races and others have to work hard at their skills. I’ve seen good results with both approaches. At Skip Barber we feel that the smartest guys or women become the best drivers.”

One driver for whom MacInnes has great affection is Jerry Nadeau. The former Skip Barber scholar raced in several series including Nascar and European Formula Ford before an accident during a practice session at the Richmond International Raceway in 2003 prematurely ended his racing career.

“Years ago, Jerry was a young kart racer with no money,” he recalls. “We gave him a scholarship and he went on to win numerous championships and, later in his career, was leading the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch in the UK when he was punted off on the last lap. He then clawed his way into NASCAR, was Jeff Gordon’s teammate and beat Dale Earnhardt at the Atlanta 500.”

Nadeau himself has never forgotten the help he received from the Skip Barber Racing School when he needed it most. “I love those guys at Skip Barber,” he says. “They gave me so many breaks and sponsored my career early on when I needed the support and encouragement. I have huge respect for them.”

Listening to the extremely likeable Nadeau, one is reminded of Earwood’s other prescription for race success – that people should like you and like being around you. “Success shouldn’t just be measured in trophies, nice though they are to have,” he says. “It also exists in whether you help your fellow man and what kind of team member you are. Remember, the support crew are just as important as the driver behind the wheel.”

“It’s like raising kids. When I see them on the podium, I just feel so proud”

Studying Nadeau’s career it’s clear that on and off the track the driver conforms to this definition to the extent that today, he enjoys a successful life as a demonstrator and instructor in his own right. “I share all my secrets,” he says. “I don’t hold anything back or keep anything for myself.” He could be the very definition of a champ.

Are such people born that way or can they learn it? “It’s a combination of both,” says Earwood. “Over 50 years I’ve seen a few natural drivers but they’re rare. Instead, with the right coaching and a good car, I believe anyone can be a world champion.”

And he should know. Earwood has coached top drivers including the aforementioned Hunter-Reay, Spencer Pigot (a former Skip Barber National Championship racer), IndyCar Series champion Josef Newgarden and Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi.

“What they all have in common is that, besides having attended our three-day racing school, each of them is their worst critic,” says Earwood. “There’s no such thing as good enough and that’s what makes them so great. For me, it’s like raising kids. When I see them on the podium, I just feel so proud.”

Perhaps Earwood’s patience with Robinson stemmed from his own experiences as a student. “I was a terrible student but I like to think this is why, today, I know the pitfalls and can help students counter them.”

Like a parent watching over their brood, MacInnes takes a keen interest in all his past students. Naturally he’s seen some take a tumble, not necessarily through their own fault, and it colours his definition of what makes a great racing driver. “Winning is a function of enthusiasm, desire and willingness to sacrifice tempered with discipline,” he says. “However, the same qualities that can get you championships and lap records can also get you hurt without a measured approach. This is why self-discipline is the cornerstone of everything we do at Skip Barber Racing.”

That kind of self-control takes special instructors to find and encourage in a driver. “Years ago, we put out an advertisement for instructors,” says MacInnes. “We had 400 applicants, interviewed 30 and didn’t hire one. Over the years, we’ve assembled the best racing drivers in America to teach our programmes and we’re very proud of the results we’ve had.” For evidence of those results, look no further than the Skip Barber Racing School’s race-winning alumni.

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