John “Skip” Barber III (born 16 November 1936) is an American former racing driver, instructor and circuit owner. Although an accomplished national champion and occasional Formula One competitor, his greatest influence came through the Skip Barber Racing School, which helped turn driver coaching into a serious industry.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | American |
| Birthplace | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Born | 16 November 1936 |
| First Grand Prix | 1971 Monaco Grand Prix |
| Last Grand Prix | 1972 United States Grand Prix |
| Current/Last Team | Privateer: Gene Mason Racing March |
Driving career
Barber began racing in 1958 while studying English at Harvard University. By the middle of the following decade, he had established himself as one of America’s leading amateur racers, winning three consecutive SCCA national championships and finishing third in the 1967 United States Road Racing Championship.
He then captured back-to-back Formula Ford national titles in 1969 and 1970, establishing a championship record that remained unmatched for many years.
Ahead of the 1971 season, Barber purchased a March 711 with the intention of returning it to North America for the Formula 5000 championship. First, however, he decided to sample Formula One.
Running the March as a privately funded entry, Barber attempted the Monaco and Dutch Grands Prix before appearing in the Canadian and United States rounds. He returned for the two North American World Championship races in 1972, after which he turned his attention to GT machinery.
Building the Skip Barber Racing School
Barber retired convinced that racing drivers could be coached just like athletes in any other sport. At the time, that was far from the accepted view: natural talent and bravery were widely treated as qualities that could be admired, but not systematically taught.
He put the theory into practice in 1975, launching the Skip Barber School of High Performance Driving with two borrowed Lola Formula Fords and a first class of just four students.
The business became the Skip Barber Racing School in 1976. That same year, Barber established an equal-car racing series, allowing developing drivers to compete in identical machinery and place the emphasis squarely on ability.
The school grew into one of the best-known driver-development organisations in American motorsport. Barber sold his interest in the business in 1999.
He also owned and operated Lime Rock Park, the historic road circuit in Connecticut. In April 2021, Barber sold the venue to Lime Rock Group, LLC, while retaining a minority shareholding. He lives nearby in Sharon, Connecticut, with his wife, Judy.
Barber was inducted into the SCCA Hall of Fame on 2 March 2013 and joined the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2025.
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 6 |
| Race Starts | 5 |
| Did Not Start | 0 |
| Best Race Start | 20th |
| Best Race Finish | 16th |
| Retirements | 1 |
| First-Lap Retirements | 0 |
| Not Classified | 3 |
| Disqualified | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 1 |
Qualifying
| Qualifying Sessions | 6 |
| Reached Q3 | 0 |
| Q2 Eliminations | 0 |
| Q1 Eliminations | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 1 |
