With the championship decided, and just qualification for the 2025 season to be decided, the final race of the year, and an era, was finally here.

To send off the Commodore Brenton Hobson would be amongst a few drivers bidding farewell to the car that they’ve spent the last 5 years mastering. Hobson’s “Farewell Holden” livery would sum up the occasion.

Qualifying would be hotly contested with several drivers throwing down quick laps early that they wouldn't better across the extended session. Luke Rosella and Madison Down would be amongst this group.

Ultimately, this would be the closest qualifying session in the history of the series and one that will be nearly impossible to beat again. James Scott would manage to set a 2.16.206. Not to be outdone, his fellow Lobs Esports driver Jarrad Filsell would match the time to the thousandth of a second, and beat it by two ten thousandths of a second.

Brenton Hobson with a special "Farewell Holden" Livery for the last round of the Championship

So it would be another Jarrad Filsell pole position which would take him to a third of the poles for the year with four, ahead of James Scott, with Luke Rosella and Madison Down on the second row. Notably, Blake Worboys would have issues and be unable to set a qualifying lap forcing him to start from the rear of the field.

Madison Down would struggle to get the car away from the grid and drop several spots on the opening lap. The usual chaos would ensue on the run through Eau Rouge and Radillion for the first time.

Hobson would make contact with Jacob O’Reilly and get spun in front of the field at the fastest part of the race track, collecting Matthew Bowler and ending his night. Hobson would continue, but without a draft and with damage to the car.

The race would then settle down with not much movement inside the top 10, and with everyone saving fuel before the first round of stops would be kicked off by Shawn McNamara looking for the undercut on lap 12. Ethan Grigg-Gault’s Evolution Racing Team Commodore would be the last of the cars to pit in the first cycle at the end of lap 18.

The field would be shuffled a fair bit as the fuel numbers were quite varied up and down the field.

The run through Eau-Rouge

Zach Rattray-White would be on target for his best night of the season to convert good speed and growth into a top 10 and auto qualification for 2025, but that would come at the cost of Shawn McNamara, as his undercut failed to create the track position he needed heading into the final stops of the year.

Filsell would kick off the final round of stops with 10 laps to run, and would be followed a lap later by the bulk of the top 10.

Grigg-Gault would jump Filsell on pit exit, but the effective race lead would change hands multiple times on the run along the Kemmel straight. Paint would be traded at the chicane and down the hill through Rivage before Grigg-Gault would finally get the spot over Filsell.

James Scott would turn spectator as he wasn’t able to get close enough to join the battle initially.

Filsell would take a few laps to set up Grigg-Gault before finally getting the move done with 6 laps to go, and with a fair bit of bravery around the outside of the entry to the Les Combes chicane. Scott would sense an opportunity and try to get to the inside of Grigg-Gault on the run down the hill, not quite able to pull the car up and make slight contact. He’d slot back in behind Grigg-Gault.

Rattray-White and Beau Albert would have a stash for the ages with a couple of laps to go. Albert would get the job done and nick the spot on the run to Eau Rouge, but then it’d be fought for all the way down the straight, both drivers would cut the chicane after running deep and bring Griffin Gardiner and Robbie Gibbs into the equation.

Grigg-Gault battles with Jarrad Filsell late in the race

The series, the championship and the Gen 2 era would all be brought to a close with a win for the driver who took out the inaugural Logitech Pro Invitational title as Jarrad Filsell would take the flag.

James Scott and Ethan Grigg-Gault would come to blows in a last lap, last corner incident that would earn Scott a 5 second post race penalty and demote him from the podium, which would elevate Grigg-Gault to second and Madison Down to third.

Blake Worboys would drive an overtaking masterclass to come home with 14 spots gained to 18th.

And that would be all she wrote, Gen 2 off into the sunset to welcome the introduction of the new cars. Holden waves goodbye, as we welcome Chevrolet to the fold.

The finale to 2024 seemed fitting, but boy it leaves me hungry for next year. Everyone’s worlds are about to change in dramatic fashion, and I cannot wait to be back for 2025 to dive into Gen3 and the drama of the Qualifying series.

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by Scott Rankin

Altus eSports have fired a warning shot to everyone else at the 2024 Pre Qualifying Shakedown last night by sweeping P1 in both sessions at the hands of 2023 Super 3 Champion Jobe Stewart.

The 2024 Logitech G Pro Invitational Series is off to a great start with the Shakedown practice sessions held at Phillip Island and Winton. The sessions were an opportunity for all competitors who have registered for the 2024 Qualifying Series to do some testing ahead of the Pre Qualifying process at the same tracks.

The top 4 drivers in both sessions were identical, with Jobe Stewart from Altus eSports setting the fastest times in both sessions. Brian Borg in Racekraft Simulation colours was next on both timesheets in P2 and Jordan Ross of Synergy Sim Racing was P3. Shawn McNamara of 9ine 5ive Simsports managed P4 at both tracks while P5 was Brody Sentence at Phillip Island and Seth Brown at Winton Raceway.

Brian Borg

The Shakedown sessions were held for a duration of 6 hours at both circuits and the drivers had ample time to test their vehicles and get a feel for the tracks. The results of these sessions will be crucial for the drivers as they prepare for the Pre Qualifying process, which will be starting on Sunday night and will continue over 4 nights until Wednesday where the 90+ entries will be narrowed down to 45 for this year’s Qualifying Series.

The 2023 Super 3 Champion Jobe Stewart has set the bar high with his impressive performance in the Shakedown sessions and it will be interesting to see if he can maintain his form in the upcoming Pre Qualifying process and the Qualifying Series. The other drivers who performed well in the Shakedown sessions will also be looking to build on their performances and make a strong start to the season while the results create a form guide for many of the other competitors to now work towards.

The 2024 Logitech G Pro Invitational Series is set to be even bigger and better than last year, with 12 rounds across the Season. The series will kick off with the traditional first round at Sebring on March 13th, 2024. With the top 20 drivers from the Qualifying Series earning a spot in the main event, the competition is sure to be fierce. Stay tuned for more updates on the series.

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2024 has been wild. Its had moments that have rattled all of the top contenders, or rather the expected top contenders. So it seems fitting that the penultimate round is the track most likely to shake that up again.

A concrete canyon can create calamitous chaos of colossal consequences. Try saying that 10 times fast whilst putting in a lap, and you have the beginnings of understanding how difficult a race start is at Detroit Belle Isle.

Yes, its back, the street circuit that had consequences last year for a large chunk of the field. The only difference to 2023 is that it came before the endurance races, and left drivers with 3 rounds to get their points in order.

Dylan Rudd will be riding an absolute high on his way into this round. 2 races to go, over a race win in terms of points lead, and the ability to crown our 2024 champion prior to the final round! What could go wrong? Oh… I said it, didn’t I?

Walls, they are everywhere! Pace? That's found by being against the fences and using every millimetre of the road! Setup? You’re going to need to have a car that handles a lot of 90 degree turns, bumps, kerbs, all of it.

In 2022 this track sat in the same slot on the calendar. The difference this time around is that we’ve got 2 years of history in the rearview mirror and an understanding of the “bubble” to automatically qualify for the 2025 season and what that means for our drivers. For the bulk of the field that will be the focal point, and when you look at the numbers everyone from 13th placed Jordan Ross to 23rd placed Shawn McNamara has a realistic shot of being in or out.

For the rest, they’re going to need some dramatic numbers to find themselves not facing a run through the gauntlet of the Qualifying series in what we expect to be an unknown quantity in Gen 3. Tantalising! I love it!

That leaves us with a street circuit race that is going to provide a strong chance of someone being relegated, someone pulling a result from nowhere, and a championship on the cards all at once. Can you sense why my anxiety kicked up a few notches when this track got announced during the Bathurst 1000?

2023 Results

Format - Sprint Round - 2x 28 Laps (105km)
Pole Position - Brady Meyers 1:29.292
Race 1 Winner - Andrew Gilliam (first race win in the series)
Race 2 Winner - Madison Down
Round Winner - Madison Down

2022 Results

Format - Regular Round - 60 Laps (226km)
Pole Position - Jarrad Filsell 1:27.524
Race 1 Winner - Jarrad Filsell

Historically this is an event you have to navigate with precision on your way to a title. Navigating Race 2 last year correctly led Madison Down into the enduros with a bit of a comfort buffer he was able to build on and look to secure a title. 2022 saw Jarrad Filsell assert his dominance to win the title one round early.

Dylan Rudd will be looking to do that here this year, and by my math a 10th place finish guarantees him the title, with an 11th requiring a win from the only other contender in teammate Andrew Gilliam at both this race and the next.

Working in Gilliam’s favour is that he has been among the best driver’s at this track 2 years running, including his first win in the series in 2023. This is where we first started to really see the best Gilliam has to offer, and with that in mind it's very tough to go past his potential to win this race.

Andrew Gilliam is second in the standings and has form at Belle Isle

Synergy Sim Racing always tends to claim a speedy car on the more bumpy circuits and this will be the perfect opportunity to test their mettle. Jordan Ross, Adam Briggs and Tom Freer are the only three SSR cars that currently sit inside the automatic qualification positions for 2025. Ross and Briggs realistically just need to make it to the 75% marker of the race to earn their slots for next year, which will be at the end of 55 laps. Tom Freer sits 86 points ahead of the bubble so he will need to finish somewhere around the mid 20’s to place himself into a strong position before he focuses on finishing the race at Spa.

Critically, the driver who sits just on the inside of the bubble is Zach Rattray-White. His points total of 1308 is 32 behind the leading Rookie in Beau Albert, but based on trends I do expect him to more than outscore that difference over the remaining two rounds. For the chasing pack that then means their marker only becomes the Vermillion Esports driver if Rattray-White ends up in an incident, and don’t automatically count that out.

To the race and my thoughts on it. Well…Drama. This race has had its fair share of ordeals, trials and tribulations. Sometimes it feels like smacking your head against a concrete barrier as you try and make your way forwards, and other days you might just find yourself on the outside of the track boundaries, partaking in a beer with the race fans whilst you think back on the night that could have been.

Predictions time!

1. Open with the “safe” option, we will see the Safety Car and it will impact the running order of the field.
   
   
2. Luke Rosella had some banter with me the other night that suggested that there has been some work on Lobs Esports engine program. I still expect 1 Lobs car to not make the finish line at a minimum. My gut feeling is saying Griffin Gardiner, he’s been quite lucky of late and it's probably his turn.
   
   
3. Tempers and temperament will be tested in the mid field. Leaving your run to find yourself inside the automatic qualification positions to the final round is too late. The only problem with this prediction is that the drivers that are in contention are also the level heads in the field. Probably going to get this wrong.
   
   
4. Least overtakes of the season. Difficulty is high, but tire deg tends to be a bigger factor in the current package. This is the longest race we have run here at an expanded 73 laps, or 275km, could that lead to drama when someone runs super long on the stops?
   
   
5. Dylan Rudd has never had this level of pressure on him before, nerves or a small mistake gets the better of him and the championship goes to the final round. I’m not doom and glooming this prediction, I just think he doesn’t do enough to get the job done here. Pitstop/strategy mistake, under driving the car too much to score the points leads to a minor error. Mathematical possibility style stuff whereby the result is Gilliam must win and Rudd must not finish, but its still not over until Rudd banks at least 149 points from the remaining two races.

Dylan Rudd will be hoping to wrap up the championship at Belle Isle

Out of all of the races for the season this tends to be the one most worth watching. The biggest change to these cars in the last several years is the New Damage Model, and if there is ever going to be a place that tests this system it's going to be Detroit Belle Isle.

Join us Wednesday night from 7.30pm AEDT over on our streams to find out if we can put the championship to bed, or if it goes down to the decider!

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by Scott Rankin

When the cars hit the track in anger for the first qualifying session of our brand new Logitech G Pro Invitational, all eyes will be on the intense battle for the very first driver’s championship, a chance to become the first written in the history books! But there will be another battle playing out too. The battle amongst the teams to be the best Supercar team in iRacing will be just as intense to watch.

The Trans Tasman Racing (TTR) juggernaut continues to roll on, relentlessly pushing forward and gobbling up all that stands in their way. TTR has every trophy in their trophy cabinet, and they will have circled the very first Logitech G Pro Invitational series as one they want to win. TTR withstands attacks from all comers, and has outlasted them all to remain at the top of Supercar competition, it’s commitment to remaining the team to beat has been un-wavering.

Seeing off challenges from other teams over the years, TTR boast its strongest driver line-up ever. It is with that depth and experience that this ‘well-oiled machine’ continues to produce the goods week in and week out. So far in 2022, TTR have produced 11 out of a possible 18 V8SCOPS podiums, a huge indicator of just how consistently we see TTR right at the front. Fielding eight quality drivers this year, TTR still remain the team to beat.

Talking about beating TTR, the last team to take a V8SCOPS drivers title away from TTR was the Evolution Racing Team (ERT). In 2019, and with a huge effort from within the team, ERT was able to win the 2019 V8SCOPS drivers title with Jarrad Filsell. Not only did they win, but they also got second with Ethan Grigg-Gault and that years Bathurst 1000 win. ERT then, has the last bragging rights on TTR, a long time ago now but ERT has been rebuilding, recruiting and is re energised to make its way back.

ERT fields a very experienced and fast driver line-up. The class and resolve of those at ERT show as they begin to challenge at the very front once again, after a couple of lean years, a champion team always finds its way back.

A long time staple of the Supercar community, Synergy Sim Racing (SSR) has always been there, and has always been a competitive team. SSR has been a big part of the Supercar community since 2014, but interestingly has never achieved the results of the likes of TTR, ERT or even Pursuit Sim Racing on a consistent basis. Don’t get us wrong, SSR has won in V8SCOPS and been competitive, but they were never really considered a championship threat.

That has all changed this year! SSR merged with United Sim Sports late last year, which brought all time V8SCOPS champion Jarrad Filsell to the team. Jarrads recent form undoubtedly makes him the man to beat, but bolstering the line-up will be Jackson Souslin-Harlow (JSH). SSR emerge as the new challengers to TTR, a team on the rise and possibly the team to beat.

It’s going to be an exciting and enthralling battle between the three super teams, one we think may even spill over at times.

You can’t look past TTR’s depth. Even though SSR has more drivers, they need those drivers to be consistently pushing up deep inside the top 10 to assist their stars, Filsell, JSH and team affiliate Brodie Kosteki.

We have no doubt TTR will regularly infiltrate the top 10 and podium spots with their long list of top quality drivers, so it will be up to SSR to lift and compete. ERT will be competitive but were not sure they will have enough backup at the front of the field to consistently challenge for race wins.

Of course, we expect to see other teams produce some stunning results, most notably probably Pursuit Sim Racing’s Andrew Gilliam, but the sheer concentration of top quality drivers in top teams will make it hard.

The endurance driver announcements will be interesting to watch in the coming weeks and months as the endurance races may just decide the 2022 Logitech G Pro Invitational championship.

One thing is for sure, it will be one hell of a season watching the heavy hitters of Supercars go head to head. Bring it on!

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The Austrian hills come alive to the sound of music… the music of V8 engines, that is.

For the first time this season, drivers are getting their Pro Series preparations underway at a venue they’ve tackled already in the recent past.

Week 10 of the Inaugural iRacing Supercars Series saw the first racing in the Gen3 Chassis at the Red Bull Ring. On that occasion, Brodie Kostecki took pole position with Jarrad Filsell starting alongside. Look out for the Lobs Esports crew to fire back after a weaker qualifying session from Race 1.

Its prolonged flowing corners combined with the track width create a unique opportunity to not just overtake, but bang doors all the way to the edge of the track! While there may be an array of opportunities to throw switchbacks, there are equally as many chances to cover them off mid corner. Mix in the never-ending straights that span nigh-on two thirds of the lap, and you have a recipe for one of the most exciting nights of the season.

What went down last year?

Well, the Red Bull Ring marked the quarter way mark of that season, and was also the point where the title race started to become a lot clearer. Robbie Gibbs was still leading the pack after 2024’s ‘big one’ at Sebring, but we had an excellent fight already brewing.

Here in 2025, Filsell continues to be a force to be reckoned with as he stands at the top of the championship order. Lobs’ race pace looked dangerously strong at Sebring, and with their recent history at the Red Bull Ring, they are tough to look past.

Filsell comes off the back of a dominating race win at Sebring

The big question mark for me thus far is that James Scott had the weakest race pace of the front runners toward the back end of the stint. Being on pole and out front early gave him a safety blanket with free air. He took pole and the race win last year, but that was with Filsell’s worst Qualifying of the season; I don’t expect lightning to strike twice there.

So what am I expecting come the end of Qualifying and the drop of the Green Flag? 

As one of the shorter laps of the season and large portions of the track spent under full throttle, the margin between the cars and teams tends to close up. Add in the fact the Gen3 has a fixed wing angle, and everyone will be on the same downforce with similar drag profiles. 

All this adds up to what I would expect to be the closest qualifying and race pace of the year. Sandown is the only other track to provide this sort of ‘closeness’, but with the added bumps and focus on traction the cars can spread themselves out a touch.

This venue tends to see drivers like Ric Kuznetsov (9INE5IVE), Jake Moloney (TTR), Andrew Gilliam (Lobs) pop their names up the running order and look to bank their largest points totals of the season. 

2025

Race strategy is going to be of utmost importance in Austria, most notably fuel burn. Once again, it's going to be a split strategy race. With the critical lap number also marking the halfway point of the race on lap 26, we’re going to see a lot of drivers trimming the car out and running lean to have some ‘punch’ in the middle stint.

No one will fill the car at the first stop; if you do, you will be sitting still waiting on tyres for too long. That is unless we get a Safety Car after lap 20…

On that note, the chances of a Safety Car are minimal. Enormous track widths, large run-offs and the ability to get away from the action generally lead to the BMW M4 sitting in pit lane all night. Maybe the Safety Car driver will wander off for a famous Austrian feed!

The likelihood of a Safety Car at Red Bull Ring is low

If you’re down the order and looking for a slice of luck, I would absolutely goal hang or dive in around lap 5 to open up the strategy calls that come with getting a touch lucky.

Tow and fuel saving are going to be big as well. Last year, the top two broke away whilst nobody wanted to lead the remainder of the field. This year, it's going to be more divebombs and momentum-breaking as everyone wants to sit about 3rd in the queue. Close enough to the front to go for it when you need to, but not at the front in the brunt of the air!

Predictions

Did I miss someone? Do you think someone else deserves to be further up the pecking order?

Is chaos and calamity finally going to strike?

Be there on Wednesday @ 7.45pm AEDT for the 2nd race of the 2025 Logitech G V8PRO Invitational.

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by Scott Rankin

Round 7 of the Logitech G Pro Invitational Series took place at Monza on Wednesday night. It was a critical night for the championship contenders to consolidate their position in the title fight heading into the upcoming endurance cup.

Round 7 of the Logitech G Pro Invitational Series took place at Monza on Wednesday night. It was a critical night for the championship contenders to consolidate their position in the title fight heading into the upcoming endurance cup.

As predicted, the high-speed layout with a large draft dependency played a pivotal role in qualifying, where drivers had to position themselves with the right gap to the car in front to maximise straight-line speed whilst also not impeding their lap at the final couple of corners. Dylan Rudd stood up at the end of qualifying, showing everyone he will fight for this championship by taking pole position, ahead of his Lobs eSports teammates, Scott and Filsell. 

Ric Kuznetsov put his 9ine 5ive Simsports Commodore on the second row, ahead of Gardiner (Lobs eSports) and Ethan Grigg-Gault of ERT who earned a 10 second in-race penalty for impeding SSR’s Jobe Stewart at the end of qualifying. Dylan O’Shea, Andrew Gilliam, Luke Rosella and the first TTR car of Madison Down rounded out the top 10. Meyers (16th) and Burton (19th) confirmed TTR’s struggles in qualifying, a long way from where we expect to see TTR cars. Another notable qualifying result was P30 for Blake Worboys, the seventh placed man in the championship looked uncomfortable all night. 

A spin in Qualifying and a 10 second penalty for Ethan Grigg-Gault

As the race kicked off, it was shockingly clean at turn 1, no notable drama as everyone was able to navigate the first lap without major incident. At the front, Rudd took control, followed by teammates, Scott and Filsell who all looked to be ticking off the laps, with no driver at the pointy end in a mood to fight too early. Kuznetsov dropped to 5th, whilst ERT’s Ethan Grigg-Gault was in the mix just ahead. Further back, Meyers was making moves, as was Jobe Stewart, making their way to the back of the top 10. As the race settled into a rhythm, the top 20 cars all ran nose to tail, in a giant train for the entirety of the first stint. 

At around lap 15, Scott and Filsell took the lead in a coordinated change with Rudd to enable all team cars to benefit from a bit of fuel saving prior to the first round of stops. As the first stops played out, it was SSR duo of Wayne Bourke and Jobe Stewart who assumed the race lead from ERT’s Grigg-Gault. The front three drivers electing to short fill and attempt to split off into their own pack ahead of the main group. Filsell, the first of the Lobs cars ran down the front three cars as the front pack began to fight. As the race settled down at lap 30, the order in the front pack was Bourke, Stewart, Filsell,  Grigg-Gault, Scott, Kuznetsov, Ross, Meyers and then a gap back to Gilliam, Rudd, Down, O’Shea and Rosella. 

A remarkably clean start to the race

As the final round of pit stops took place, it was Scott who assumed the lead, ahead of Ethan Grigg-Gault and Filsell who had a small margin to Gardiner, Rudd, Down and Rosella. The action began to kick off with 10 to go, Grigg-Gault signalled his intent to win the race. The ERT driver still had a 10-second in-race penalty hanging over his head, which he did not take in either stop, and it is unclear whether James Scott was aware of this as Scott, who was tight on fuel fought hard to retain the lead. 

Further back in the top 10, Rivera tagged the back of Jobe Stewart at the second chicane, sending Jobe into the wall, whilst Bourke and Gilliam got together on the exit of the first chicane, sending Bourke into the wall, both incidents ruining SSR’s chances of a great result, whilst both Gilliam and Marcello Rivera copping penalties. Rivera now earning enough licence points to be suspended from the first endurance race at Interlagos on August 9th, a huge blow for ERT. 

Contact from the ERT #21 saw Jobe Stewart in the fence

Meanwhile, at the front the battle for line honours was heating up, Ethan fighting against two Lobs cars, and sometimes three as Gardiner joined the battle briefly. Ethan was able to get up the inside of Scott at Ascari, James had not left the inside open at all until now, but the two made side to side contact in the middle of Ascari, bringing Filsell back into the battle and able to push the #088 of Scott down the next straight back into the lead, Lobs were showing how much of an advantage it is to have two cars in the battle.  

Coming down to the Parabolica on the penultimate lap, Scott would make a small mistake by running slightly wide, enough to let Ethan Grigg-Gault get to the inside for the run down to the first chicane on the final lap. This is where it all went wrong, on the entry to the first chicane, neither driver was willing to give any space which resulted in Scott clipping the ERT car on the switchback in the chicane, spinning Grigg-Gault and taking him out of contention. 

Both Scott and Filsell saved fuel heavily on the last lap to make it to the line for a form finish. However, shortly after the finish, the stewards handed down a penalty to Scott, handing the win to Filsell. After the 10 second penalty was also applied to Grigg-Gault who crossed the line in 4th, it was a Lobs eSports 1 (Filsell), 2 (Gardiner), 3 (Rudd), 4 (Scott) and 5 (Rosella). A huge result for the team and Filsell had taken the championship lead off Rudd, but Dylan continues to collect healthy points and is a favourite alongside Filsell, Scott and Kuznetsov to battle it out for championship glory.  

Filsell lead home a dominating 1-5 finish for Lobs Esports

Was it a race where Scott should have let Ethan Grigg-Gault lead him home, knowing he had a post-race penalty still to be applied, or did James not know? Either way, Scott will be ruing this result as one that got away as he looked to be the strongest on the night. Further back from the top five, Meyers (TTR), O’Shea (9ine 5ive), Anderson (TTR) and Burton (TTR) rounded out the top 10. 
 
Other notable results include a storming drive from Tom Freer, 29th to 13th in the race, Whilst Rattray-White started from the very back after a last round penalty and came home in 18th without incident, a mature drive from the vermillion star. Adam Briggs also did a great job to recover from a late race tangle with Gilliam, spinning the SSR driver and then brining it home in 12th. Madison Down also had a late race tangle and came home in 19th, a night he’d like to forget, whilst Worboys also struggled to make an impact all night, slipping from 7th to 10th in the points. 
 
As we look towards the endurance races now, where another 45 drivers will be introduced into the mix, anything can happen. Some big names such as Joshua Anderson, Luke Rosella and Jobe Stewart all sit on the outside of the top 20 in the championship and will be looking to the double point races to propel themselves back up the table. 
 
Tune in on August 9th for round 8 of the Logitech G Pro Invitational series for the first Endurance race of 2024. It will be action packed. 

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As teams and drivers prepare for this Wednesday night's Round 7 of the Logitech G Pro Invitational Series, the championship picture is starting to take shape. Attention turns to endurance racing at the commencement of the Monza round, so it is vital for the championship contenders to have a solid bag of points to keep them in the fight!

Lobs eSports driver Dylan Rudd continues to lead the way, still with his nose in front at the midway point of the season, however it is the charge from teammates Jarrad Filsell and James Scott where Dylan’s challenge is likely to come from. Only four points separates the two contenders, whilst returning 9ine 5ive star, Ric Kuznetsov has maintained a steady approach, always featuring towards the front and collecting points.

Trans Tasman Racing has had a tumultuous first half of the season, scoring a win at Phillip Island for Round 2, and showing race-winning pace at Watkins Glen and Road America, but also having lacklustre and inconsistent results scattered amongst the team as a whole. So whilst defending champion Madison Down still sits within striking distance of the championship lead, TTR will be wanting to show they are back to their best at Monza before we begin endurance season.

Can Dylan Rudd fight off the charge from his teammates Filsell and Scott

The last time we visited Monza in Italy, it was round four of the inaugural series in 2022, and it was Jarrad Filsell who dominated proceedings. At the time, Jarrad who was driving for SSR led a team 1-2 and Synergy was very strong, featuring heavily in the top 15. Back in 2022, it was also the start of the “low wing” era of the current supercar.

Prior to this round back in 2022, most teams were stuck with the traditional mindset amongst the paddock that full wing had too much of an edge at every track, but it was this round over two years ago that kicked off the development path for the entire field to experiment with low downforce setups.

It will be incredibly interesting to see which team has evolved their “low downforce car” into the class of the field this time around. Will SSR still have the edge? Will TTR get back to their lofty standards and show the way? Have 9ine 5ive or ERT nailed their preparation this time around? Or will Lobs eSport maintain their advantage on the field?

48 laps is a long way at Monza, with the dependency on draft and pack racing to play a large part in the outcome, many strategies will converge at the end of a compulsory two stop race to reveal who has played their cards right.

Jarrad Filsell lead the way for a SSR 1-2 at the last visit to Monza

What to look for:

• Look for smart operators sitting at the back of a large group of cars saving a lot of fuel to vault them up the field at the final pit stop
• Look for teammates trying to run “line a stern” to prevent other drivers racing them and breaking up the draft train
• Look for gaps in the train early in the race and if that pack can catch back up to the train in front
• Look for the over-cut strategy to work well, easy passing opportunities and the ability to save fuel and tyres will mean drivers want to be on better tyres at the end of the race
• Look for the corner cut penalties at three critical areas around the track - Look for carnage at turn 1

Formguide:

It’s hard to look past Lobs eSports at the moment, but our interest will be to see if Blake Worboys can continue his incredible start to the season, driving the single WK&P Mustang, Blake currently sits 7th on the points, showing up much larger and more fancied teams and drivers.

Brady Meyers has been quiet lately, but we are expecting Meyers and Burton to lead a TTR resurgence. TTR don’t stay quiet for long!

Griffin Gardiner scored pole position in his first outing for Lobs eSports, showing up his bigger name teammates, he will be eager to finish what he started at Road America.

Ethan Grigg-Gault is knocking on the door of his first victory, if he can get his pitstops right, he should be in the mix, whilst Marcello Rivera is pushing forward for ERT.

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It’s become clear that the 2023 Motorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup will be a season for the ages. A championship battle like no other, the top 5 are only separated by 86 points after the conclusion of the Red Bull Ring Sprint round.

Returning to Belle Isle for the second time in series history, it will provide a interesting challenge for our championship protagonists.

Belle Isle has the ability to flip the championship on its head in 2023, It’s fast natured, bumpy layout could make or break a championship campaign.

We took the time to look at the current top 5 in the standings after Red Bull Ring, breaking down the state of play as we approach round 7 of the championship.

The state of play heading into Belle Isle is intriguing, 5 drivers well within arms reach of the championship lead. With 200 points up for grabs across the 2 race Super Sprint format there is plenty of opportunities for yet another shake up in the championship order.

Who do you think will reign supreme at Belle Isle? Be sure to tune in on the 9th of August to catch all the action as we go racing at Belle Isle for round 7 of the 2023 Motorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup!

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As the Trueforce Endurance Cup roars to life at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, better known as Interlagos, excitement builds for a thrilling season opener. The first round, a 500km race over 117 laps, features two drivers per car, setting the stage for intense endurance racing.

As driver pairings continue to be announced, the grid already sees a blend of returning co-drivers and fresh faces. Notably, some drivers are on loan from other teams, adding unpredictability. Rumours of a wildcard entry are circulating, but details remain unconfirmed.

Among the standout teams, Lobs Esports fields a formidable lineup for the 94 car with Jarrad Filsell and defending Supercars champion Brodie Kostecki. This duo's combined prowess is highly anticipated.

Lobs Esports also fields James Scott and Ryan Wood. Wood, who competes in the real-life Supercars series, joins Scott, the defending Bathurst 1000 winner and 2023 season runner-up, forming a powerhouse team.

Lobs Esports enter the enduro cup with good momentum

Trans Tasman Racing pairs reigning champion Madison Down with young talent Rehan Liyanage. Down’s track record and Liyanage’s emerging skill create an intriguing dynamic with huge amounts of pressure on the rising star who holds the fate of the defending champ in his hands.

Also notably for TTR Jake Moloney will line up alongside Corey Shepherd who has an impeccable track record in the series while young gun Ethan Warren will be alongside Brady Meyers.

Synergy Sim Racing’s 097 entry features Fawzan El-Nabi and Harley Haber. Despite recent clashes that have affected Fawzan’s true potential on the track, El-Nabi’s partnership with Haber, last year’s Sandown 500 co-winner, promises a strong performance.

Another Synergy Sim Racing pair, Tom Freer and Jamie Stovold, have raced together in every series enduro race since 2022. Their consistent and good results make them a dark horse in the overall for the Trueforce Enduro Cup.

Freer and Stovold will pair up for the third straight year

Other teams in the field will also have some noteworthy combinations. 9INE5IVE Simsports will see Bradley Rattew pairing up with Ric Kuznetsov who currently sits 3rd in the championship standings. 

Evolution Racing Team will also have high expectations. They have Ethan Grigg-Gault paired up with veteran Brad Ryan while Rayner Costello will bring his pace and experience to drive with Matthew Bowler.

Vermillion Esports will also be hoping that their first enduro campaign will be strong for young stars Zach Rattray-White and Jacob O'Reilly with Seth Brown and Ben Faulkner alongside them respectively.

Strategy will be crucial, particularly in deciding whether to start with the co-driver or the main driver. This choice can impact the race outcome, especially when racing against main game drivers. Timing of driver changes, pit stops, and managing tire wear and fuel consumption will be critical.

Safety car strategies will also play a pivotal role. Teams must be prepared to capitalize on safety car interventions to secure a safer run to the finish, especially concerning fuel management.

The Trueforce Endurance Cup promises a season full of high-octane action and dramatic twists. Interlagos is just the beginning, with many thrilling chapters yet to unfold.

Thune in this Friday Night when all the action kicks off at Interlagos where qualifying is set to take place from 7:00pm AEST.

Trueforce Endurance Cup Schedule:

• Interlagos 500: Friday, August 9
• Sandown 500: Friday, August 30
• Bathurst 1000: Sunday, September 22

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The Logitech G Pro Series is due to swing back into action this Wednesday night after a long break due to the postponement of round four at Road America due to iRacing maintenance. It will end a seven week drought between events, with round four postponed until August 23rd, this Wednesday night, all the action will be coming to you live from Watkins Glen International.

“The Glen” as it is famously known is located just on the outskirts of New York and hosted the Formula One Grand Prix for 20 years (1961-1980). The Pro Series will be running on the “CUP’ layout, a high speed, high intensity lap which will provide close quarter racing. Fuel strategy will play a big part in the results for round five, with drafting and fuel saving a tactic many in the field will be looking to execute. Passing opportunities are few which will promote intense battling through the field.

Tensions between Synergy Sim Racing and Trans Tasman Racing have been simmering away in the early part of this season, with some controversial clashes in recent rounds highlighted by a penalty to Jarrad Filsell for contact with Brady Meyers at round three. The penalty increases the difficulty for our 2022 Series champion to back it up again in 2023, currently languishing back in 28th on the points table whilst his team mate James Scott leads for SSR, closely followed by TTR’s Jake Burton and Madison Down.

Evolution Racing Team and 9ine 5ive Sim Sports drivers have been closing the gap to the heavy hitters and are ready to pounce at any moment. The layout and propensity for a boil over at Watkins Glen might just be opportunity the likes of Ethan Grigg-Gault and Dylan Rudd are looking for to breakthrough for their first win.

As we approach the halfway mark, there are some big name drivers sitting outside the safe transfer spot of 20th position to earn an invitation for the 2024 series, these drivers will need to start delivering results if they don’t want to risk it in the qualifying series next year. Some big names include Jake Moloney (21st), Shawn McNamara (23rd), Joshua Anderson (25th), Jarrad Filsell (28th), Rehan Liyanage (37th) and Josh Muggleton (38th).

Equally, there are some standout performances early in the season which have set guys like Brenton Hobson (7th), Kurt Stenberg (12th) and Brian Borg (15th) up for a great season. But all eyes will be on the battle at the front this Wednesday, with Jarrad Filsell, Jake Burton, Madison Down, James Scott, Andrew Gilliam and Ethan Grigg-Gault all looking to stamp their authority on the championship.

Going out live across all of our platforms, The Logitech G Pro Invitational Series will also be live on the Motorsport Australia Socials for the first time! Action kicks off at 7:30pm, see you there!

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