With the conclusion of the final round of the racing season, Val Garbarino secures 3rd place in the standings with 9 podiums, 2 wins, and 4 fastest laps. Here’s a recap of his recent races in Miami and Sebring, coaching drivers to success with World Speed at Sonoma, and plans for 2026…
Back in Homestead Miami:
In September, I returned to Homestead Miami Speedway for round 4 of the Lucas Oil Formula Car Series. Having already won twice there earlier in the season, I came in excited and confident. I kicked off the weekend with strong pace in practice, even going purple in a couple sessions. On race day 1, we had a bit of a challenge with setup in the first practice, but quickly found the sweet spot and I was one of the fastest in the second session. In qualifying, I made a small mistake on my best lap, landing me p4. Race 1 was scheduled for that day but was postponed due to a lightning warning. Day 2 brought a mix of challenges and highlights. In race 1, I had a great launch and climbed to p3 early on, but ran into a few issues that affected my pace. Despite that, I held my own in a tight pack and crossed the line p5, later promoted to p3 after penalties. The mechanics did an awesome job resolving the power issues before race 2, and I grabbed the lead at the start, building a solid gap. Midway through, I started experiencing shifting problems, which worsened toward the end, costing me nearly 2 seconds per lap. Still, I managed to defend hard and held on for the win at the checkered flag. Due to the shifting issue, I switched to a different car for race 3, which wasn’t quite dialed in for the conditions, making pace a bit tougher. Even so, I brought it home in p4, which felt like a solid result given the circumstances.
Coaching at Sonoma:
I had the opportunity to coach current World Speed Formula 4 drivers Ridgeley Welsh and Yashom Kapoor at Sonoma for Formula Pro USA rounds 7-8. Having swept the weekend and broke the track record the previous year, I was able to provide all the little secrets that the boys needed. Both drivers showed great progress throughout the weekend. Ridgeley scored a 3rd place on Saturday, and Yashom won a 4 driver battle for the lead on Sunday, with Ridgeley coming home 2nd for a World Speed 1-2! The boys both drove great, and were fast all weekend, with Yashom scoring both pole positions and setting the fastest lap in race 2 as well. I’d like to thank World Speed for the opportunity to help out, and congratulations to Ridgeley and Yashom!
2 days at Sebring:
Sebring International Raceway has always been a legendary place in the world of Motorsport, and getting to race there this year was an incredible experience. I showed strong pace throughout the practice sessions and laid down a nearly perfect lap to take pole for race 1. I led the race in a two-driver breakaway, trading positions with p2 in a tight battle for the win. On the final lap, I went for a move around the outside in the last corner, but made a mistake and fell back, crossing the line in p6. While that was tough to take, I was confident in our speed and ready to fight for the top spot in races 2 and 3. In qualifying 2, I put together a great lap with no draft, securing p2. Starting race 2 from p6 due to race 1’s result, I charged to the lead by the end of lap 1. Once again, I broke away with p2 and battled for the win the entire race. I had some small issues with the car, which made passing tricky, but I managed to finish p2 at the line. A 30-second penalty for early-race contact dropped me to p6, but I stayed focused heading into race 3. I took the lead on lap 1 and pulled away with another driver. On the final lap, I made a move around the outside to retake the lead, but contact to the sidepod meant I finished p2 and was classified p6 after penalties. Despite the results, I’m proud of how the weekend went. Being in the fight for p1 in every race and showing winning pace is a huge achievement, even when things don’t go our way. That’s racing. We’ll take p3 in the championship and keep building for next year.
End of Season and 2026:
With the last race in Sebring, my 2025 scheduled racing season comes to an end. I had so many amazing opportunities this year, and I’m so grateful for all of the people and brands that support my racing journey. I’d like to thank everyone at Lucas Oil Racing School for an incredible season and taking care of me and my family all year. I’d also like to thank my family for all of their support, Dan Clarke, Tommy Byrne, Nick d’Orlando, and Oliver Askew for their coaching support all season, World Speed Motorsports, VMB Driver Development, Exclusive Racing, Harris Group Inc, Molecule, Chegg, Pitfit, and Casa Gourmet Burritos for their support, and of course, the Lord Jesus for keeping me safe and allowing for opportunities like these. As of now, I have a few more exciting things planned for 2025, so stay tuned for that!
Looking towards 2026, my current plan is to compete in USF2000, continuing to build momentum on everything we achieved in 2025. Having won the Formula Pro USA West Championship in Formula 4 in 2024 with World Speed Motorsports, I’m confident in my abilities to thrive in the USF field! I’m fortunate to have the support of a dedicated marketing resource to strengthen communications, networking, and fundraising efforts, which has made this season incredibly productive so far. Looking ahead, I’m eager to carry that progress into next year’s campaign. To make it possible, I am actively seeking partners who share the vision and passion for racing at this level. Together, we can create exciting opportunities both on and off the track.
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