Skip Barber Race School Has A Very Special Graduate

Cambridge, ON - August 1, 2014
Photo via Racing With Autism

It's not too often you'll hear an announcement like this one.

Austin Riley has become the first graduate of the Skip Barber Race School who is on the Autism spectrum.

You read that exactly right.  The 15-year-old Canadian from Uxbridge, Ontario already has three Karting Championships on his racing resume, as well as being ranked one of the best karters for his race group in Eastern Canada.  Yesterday, Austin got his diploma from Skip Barber after a three day race school at Road Atlanta.

With that Skip Barber diploma*, Austin needs to pass a medical, and he can then apply to Canadian Automobile Sports Clubs - Ontario Region for a Novice Competition License.

Austin has now had a chance to drive a proper race car on a proper track.  It's a great start to a process that could see Austin racing something more than a kart in the near future.

Congratulations Austin!

* Assuming that CASC-OR, the sanctioning body for motorsport in Ontario, has Skip Barber on their list of approved professional race schools.  At this time, I could not find a list confirming that Skip Barber is an approved school.