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Meet Thaden Van Wong

At just 12 years old, Canadian open-wheel racer Thaden Van Wong is rapidly establishing himself as one of the premier young talents in junior motorsport. Hailing from Calgary, Alberta, Thaden’s journey to the racetrack began with an unmistakable clarity. From an incredibly young age, while most kids were discovering basic sports, Thaden knew with absolute certainty that his life belonged in the cockpit of a race car. That early passion has since evolved into a driving style defined by technical intelligence, sharp instincts, and a relentless pursuit of pace.

In 2025, Thaden made a historic transition from elite competitive karting to single-seater formula cars, debuting mid-season in the Skip Barber Formula Race Series at New Jersey Motorsports Park. In a field of older, more experienced drivers, his impact was immediate. Later that season, Thaden secured a monumental podium finish at the legendary WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, officially etching his name into the record books as the youngest podium finisher in the history of the Skip Barber Race Series.

Thaden carried that momentum straight into the off-season, capturing 3rd Place Overall in the Skip Barber Winter Shootout championship, and enters the 2026 season tackling his first full-year single-seater campaign with the strategic backing of Road to Racing and TracksVR.

Driven off the Track

Thaden’s dedication to high performance doesn’t end when he steps out of the paddock; he pours that same relentless focus, agility, and discipline into every part of his life. Off the track, you will often find him channeling his energy into fast-paced hip-hop dancing, a passion that sharpens the exact rhythm, spatial awareness, and quick reflexes he relies on behind the wheel. Constantly pushing his mental boundaries, he is also dedicated to learning Chinese, embracing a global perspective to prepare for an international future in motorsport. And when he isn’t in a real cockpit, Thaden is still engineering his next win—collaborating with TracksVR on advanced simulators to dissect data, analyze telemetry, and master complex circuit layouts before his tires ever touch the asphalt. Whether he is breaking racing records or mastering a new skill, Thaden represents a versatile, next-generation athlete who is truly driven to win from day one.

  • Age: 13 years old
  • Nationality: Canadian, from Calgary, Alberta
  • Current Competition: Skip Barber Formula Race Series- First full campaing
  • Affiliations: Road to Racing, TracksVR Virtual Racing

  • Youngest Ever Skip Barber Podium Finisher: Thaden holds the historic record as the youngest podium finisher in the history of the Skip Barber Race Series. He secured this monumental achievement at the legendary WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca during the 2025 season finale, breaking the long-standing record previously held by former BMW factory driver John Edwards (and subsequently Oliver Wheldon) by a matter of months.
  • Skip Barber Winter Shootout Podium:Demonstrated his off-season development by capturing 3rd Place Overall in the Winter Shootout championship standings.
  • Rapid Sim-to-Reality Transition:Leveraging his extensive partnership with TracksVR, Thaden successfully bridged the gap between advanced, high-fidelity motion simulators and real-world formula racing with immediate competitive pace.

2026 Skip Barber Formula Race Series

  • Status: Currently competing in his first full-year single-seater racing campaign.
  • Sebring International Raceway (Season Opener): Highlighted by an impressive comeback performance in Race 1. After enduring a highly challenging qualifying session under intense wet weather conditions, Thaden sliced through the field to salvage a strong finish.
  • Virginia International Raceway (VIR) — July 1–2: Continued his upward trajectory in the championship, fighting through a highly competitive grid to secure crucial points and demonstrate his evolving racecraft on one of North America’s most challenging natural terrain road courses:
    • Race 1: Finished P7
    • Race 2: Finished P6, continuously moving up the grid and making outstanding progression throughout the weekend.
  • New Jersey Motorsports Park (NJMP) Progression: Returning to the track where he made his formula car debut, Thaden showcased his monumental development by shaving nearly a full minute off his total race time compared to his previous outings at the circuit. This massive leap in overall race pace highlights his rapid adaptation, refined physical conditioning, and deep telemetry work with simulator partner TracksVR Virtual Racing.

2025 Skip Barber Formula Race Series (Debut Season)

Thaden made his transition from elite competitive karting and professional simulator training to open-wheel formula cars mid-season, competing on a partial schedule where his adaptation was immediate.

  • Championship Standing: Finished 13th overall in the final standings with 103 points (despite running a partial schedule).
  • Debut Race (August 1–3, 2025, at New Jersey Motorsports Park):
    • Race 1: Finished 8th place (1 lap down)
    • Race 2: Finished 7th place (2 laps down)
  • Season Highlight (WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca): Secured his historic, record-breaking podium finish during the season finale weekend, officially etching his name as the youngest podium finisher in the history of the Skip Barber Racing School series.

Double Podium at New Jersey Motorsports Park! 

July 15th 2026

Thaden Van Wong put on a masterclass in determination, speed, and precision, fighting his way to the front and bringing home a Double podium.

From the very first session, the grit and focus were on full display. During qualifying, Thaden completely dialed in, shaving a massive 1.035 seconds off his time from Practice 2 to secure P7 on the grid—marking the second-largest improvement in the entire field!

Race 1: Starting from 7th, Thaden launched an absolute charge through the field, slicing his way past competitors to claim an incredible 2nd place finish! Positions 3 through 6 were covered by just 3.629 seconds, and Thaden successful lead the pack like a champion.

Race 2: Backing up that performance, he delivered a masterfully clean and consistent drive to lock down 3rd place, securing back-to-back podiums and demonstrating the poise of a true champion.

Overall, this was another very strong weekend for Thaden Van Wong at New Jersey Motorsports Park, showing both speed and racecraft against a competitive Skip Barber Formula 4 field.

Weekend Highlights Qualifying

 •Qualified P7

 • Improved his lap by 1.035 seconds from FP2 to qualifying.

 • Recorded the second-largest improvement of any driver in the field, demonstrating excellent adaptation to changing conditions.

Race 1

 • Finished 2nd (Podium)

 • Started 7th and charged through the field to finish second.

 • Set a best lap of 1:09.295, one of the stronger race laps in the field.

Race 2

 • Finished 3rd (Podium)

 • Another clean, consistent drive to secure back-to-back podiums.

 • Best lap of 1:09.954 while managing the race and bringing the car home.

Press & Media

Thaden Van Wong Returns to the 2026 Skip Barber Race Series

May 5, 2026: Details his official return for a first full-year campaign with backing from Road to Racing and TracksVR, reflecting on his record-breaking youngest podium finish at Laguna Seca: https://www.skipbarber.com/2026/05/05/thaden-van-wong-returns-to-the-2026-skip-barber-race-series/

Sebring Sun is No Match for Skip Barber Race Series Drivers in Season Opening Round

May 12, 2026: Highlights a remarkable Race 1 comeback performance from Thaden after a difficult qualifying session at the 2026 season opener: https://www.skipbarber.com/2026/05/12/sebring-sun-is-no-match-for-skip-barber-race-series-drivers-in-season-opening-round/

Canada’s Thaden Van Wong Set for Skip Barber Race Series Debut

July 29, 2025: The original announcement of Thaden breaking into formula cars from karting and sim racing ahead of his debut at New Jersey Motorsports Park: https://www.skipbarber.com/2025/07/29/canadas-thaden-van-wong-set-for-skip-barber-race-series-debut/

Driver Database: https://legacy.driverdb.com/drivers/thaden-van-wong/

From Sim Racing to a Laguna Seca Podium at Just 12 Years Old – TracksVR
Sebring International Raceway | Skip Barber Race Series | Race 1
Sebring International Raceway | Skip Barber Race Series | Race 2

Thank You

Skip Barber

The Skip Barber Racing School is a premier gateway to professional motorsports, famous for training a significant portion of active IndyCar and Formula 1 drivers. Through advanced coaching, telemetry analysis, and highly competitive development race series, the school bridges the gap between grassroots karting and elite open-wheel racing.

The Skip Barber Racing School played a vital role in transitioning Thaden from karting into real-world formula cars. By providing specialized advanced coaching and an elite grid to compete on, they armed Thaden with the skills needed to make history as the youngest podium finisher in the series’ history.

TracksVR

TracksVR Virtual Racing
is Western Canada’s premier mixed-reality racing simulation center. Based in Calgary, Alberta, the 4,000-square-foot facility features 12 full-motion, industrial-grade virtual reality simulator cockpits and specializes in custom at-home simulator engineering, coaching, and pro-grade sim equipment.

TracksVR serves as Thaden’s official simulator development partner, providing him with the advanced technology and high-fidelity motion telemetry needed to train off the track. By mastering complex real-world layouts and analyzing precise driving data in their virtual cockpits, TracksVR directly enabled Thaden’s historic transition from karting to real-world open-wheel racing.

Road 2 Racing

Road to Racing (R2R) Canada
is a registered charitable organization and Canada’s only amateur athletics association dedicated exclusively to motorsport. R2R helps develop the country’s next generation of racing talent by providing a fundraising platform, scholarships, mentoring, and financial assistance to help elite amateur drivers climb the competitive racing ladder.

Road to Racing serves as a vital strategic and financial backer for Thaden’s open-wheel racing career. By providing crucial fundraising infrastructure, scholarship support, and networking opportunities with donors and mentors, R2R has given Thaden the resources and stability necessary to contest his first full-year campaign in the Skip Barber Formula Race Series.

Want to get involved in Thaden’s journey?

Reach out to us:

assist@vanwong.racing

admin@vanwong.racing

Sponsorship: sponsorship@vanwong.racing