Days out from the beginning of the 2023 Logitech G Pro invitational Series 9ine 5ive SimSports have bolstered their driver lineup with the inclusion of Dylan O’Shea & Griffin Gardiner.

Griffin Gardiner’s Move to the 9ine 5ive SimSports team has come off the back of a roller coaster 2022 season with the now defunct Vendaval Sim Racing outfit.

Although a difficult debut season, Gardiner managed to notch a number of notable performances together across the 10 round season, securing his promotion in the final round with a scintillating drive from the rear of the grid. With 2023 prospects looking bright for the talented driver, linking with 9ine 5ive SimSports will prove to be an exciting partnership that may prove to be a winning combination.

Dylan O’Shea’s addition to the growing outfit is a result of strong performances throughout the Logitech G Pro Invitational Qualifying Series with DPR, having raised eyebrows with stunning speed across the 4 round championship. 2 pole positions highlighted the pace O’Shea possesses, although strategy selections proved to hinder Dylan towards the back end of the championship. Moving to 9ine 5ive Simsports in 2023 may provide O’Shea with the stability and influence needed to further improve his skills. With the talent he is surrounded by the opportunity’s are limitless in 2023 and beyond.

The addition of both drivers to the 9ine 5ive SimSports stable further highlights the level they are beginning achieve, now firmly cementing themselves as one of the top flight teams in the 2023 Logitech G Pro Invitational Series.

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Round two of the Mortorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational cup has provided one of the feel good moments in the championship, with 9ine 5ive SimSports duo Dylan Rudd & Ric Kuznetsov delivering their maiden podiums in the series at the Watercraft Performance Centre Phillip Island super sprint on Wednesday night.

Results of 6th & 7th in race 1 set the pair up nicely, charging through in race two crossing the line in a remarkable 2nd & 3rd positions.

This marks a massive milestone for the 9ine 5ive SimSports team, who have firmly shown they are one of the top flight teams in the business.

We took the time to sit and speak with both Ric Kuznetsov & Dylan Rudd during the week to get their thoughts and opinions after their breakout round at Phillip Island.

R: A wonderful moment at Phillip Island for the both of you and the whole 9ine 5ive SimSports team, it must be a great feeling to be able to collect your first podiums. What where your thoughts as you crossed the line?

DR: “I was relieved once I saw the checkered flag as it was very intense and a lot of pressure being up the front, but at the same time I was stoked for Ric and myself to come home for our first podiums”.

R: And for Yourself Ric? I’d imagine you would be feeling quite proud?

RK: “It Was an unreal feeling seeing two 9ine5ive cars on the podium together. Super proud of the 9ine5ive team for how far we come”.

R: And what about the display of car speed you where able to show Dylan. Where you surprised by the pace you had around Phillip Island?

DR: “I was not surprised by my pace around the island as it’s always been one of my better tracks. I knew If I could execute a couple of clean races that a good result was possible”.

R: Ric, I’d imagine you’d very much echo the comments of Dylan, but for you how was the race car? You definitely looked fast and comfortable. Did you expect to be fighting up the pointy end this early in the championship?

RK: I knew we had a fast car after winning SCOPS but didn’t expect to be fighting for the top step of the podium in the Logitech G Pro invitational Cup. The boys at 9ine5ive have been working super hard and it shows with the recent results we have achieved together, so massive thank you to them!

R: So Dylan, After a dominant display of pace which saw you challenge the likes of Jarrad Filsell, what are your expectations moving forward heading to Spa?

DR: Although I’m coming off a good result my expectations will remain the same looking for top 10 results. I missed spa round last season so unsure of how my pace will stack up against others. The team and myself will continue to put in the hard work to hopefully keep the momentum going into the next round.

R: Lastly, Ric, track on track you and the 9ine 5ive team keep getting stronger. What is the expectation now? What do you focus on?

RK: The expectations will be to keep trying to improve and be able to fight the likes of Jarrad Filsell at every track we race at. To be fast on one track is great, to be fast at every track will be the goal.

R: well thanks to the both of you for your time. It’s been great to see what the both of you achieved at Phillip Island, I wish you nothing but the best for the upcoming rounds.

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With the qualifying series underway for the Logitech G Pro Invitational series Fishy Motorsport have sure made an impact in the lead up during testing.

2022 saw the emergence of Fishy Motorsports as a true contender with Jamie Dike leading the charge in the Logitech G Pro Invitational Series on his way to a 25th place finish in the 2022 championship. Although Jamie didn’t secure automatic promotion, it has been the foundation for their 2023 campaign.

We are now witnessing a fresh looking team who are more than motivated to move towards the top of the grid in 2023.

With Fishy Motorsports acquiring the services of Thomas Freeman to add to the bolstering lineup which includes the likes of Blake Delaney, Michael Whiting and last years sole competitor Jamie Dike there surely are questions to be asked about what can be achieved.

Thomas Freeman is a great inclusion for the Fishy Motorsport team, a driver who has been on the rise over the last 12 months, he has the knowledge and ambition to help further Fishy Motorsport in 2023. We reached out to Thomas after pre season testing and asked about his ambitions for 2023 along with what he plans to bring to the table to help further the cause at Fishy Motorsports.

“Since making the move official to the Fishy Motorsport Team in early December and going through a very short trial period it was clear to Michael Whiting and myself that I would fit in with all the boys and be a solid addition to the team, Having the same aspirations and goals moving forward as a whole. I wouldn’t say I joined Fishy to fill any sort of role, I’m here to gain more experience from the older guys and improve in every and anyway I possibly can. Moving forward I feel being apart of a great team and the way we gel, I honestly can say we will take it to the front runners and get the Fishy car up and in amongst the heavy hitters this year in the Logitech series“ - Thomas Freeman

Speaking with Thomas made it clear that Fishy Motorsports have taken steps in the right direction to step up and challenge the best in the business. With this team working hard alongside one another there are no limits to what they can achieve in 2023.

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Brett Loxton & Chris Coxhead sat in 20th and 22nd going into the season finale at Phillip Island both with the hopes of securing automatic promotion to the 2023 Logitech G pro Invitational Series.

Consistent seasons from both HJR drivers put them in good stead entering the finale, Griffin Gardiner on the other hand had other plans, cruelly denying the HJR duo with his scintillating drive from the rear of the grid to finish 6th at Phillip island, securing his place on next years grid. As for HJR, attention will turn to the qualifying series.

Both drivers are yet to confirm their entry’s into the 2023 Logitech G Pro Invitational series qualification rounds but with the turn of speed they’ve seen recently they will sure be in contention.

Although the cutoff alluded Chris Coxhead & Brett Loxton in 2022 their season has still been a confidence booster, 21st & 22nd is no mean feat in a field of quality drivers.

Will HRJ earn a place on the grid for the Logitech G Pro Invitational series in 2023? Tune in on the 1st of February as we commence qualifying for 2023!

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We're a few rounds into the Logitech G Supercar Pro Invitational so we took the chance to chat with Taipan Esports team boss Benn Anthony about how the season has progressed so far for his driver Greg Favelle.

You lost a couple of drivers prior to the pro series kicking off to a rival team, and you signed Greg Favelle, a relatively unknown driver, it must be satisfying seeing his potential so far in the first two rounds?

Yes, whilst we originally had 3 entries in the Pro Series and seeing those 3 go to another team was very difficult to deal with at the beginning, however, if people do not want to be here and part of our team, as a team, we don’t want them here. Moving on we are very happy having Greg representing Taipan E-Sports in 2022. Greg is a very good sim racer, having shown his dominance in the latest V8 Veterans season winning the championship. I think everyone can see the potential Greg has, being the oldest driver on track racing against all these seasoned young guys he is definitely holding his own.

Although his results haven’t been great, with a best finish of 34th, and best qualifying of 28th, it is probably fair to say that this doesn’t represent what we have seen from Greg in terms of speed, what are you guys working towards to unlock that potential and get results?

The results Greg has achieved this season in the races no-where near reflects his speed and capabilities. Damage in Round 1, bad call on pit stop and first lap shenanigans in Round 2 have unfortunately resulted in bottom of the order results. However, we are reviewing each round, learning from our mistakes and apply those findings to the next race to move Greg up the order.

Having a single entry in the pro series is obviously a great achievement, but also a bit hard to fight with a single entry, what is the team doing behind the scenes and before rounds to help Prepare Greg?

Having a single car entry is exceptionally difficult when you compare it to SSR with 10 cars, TTR with 8 who can all work together for a common goal. We are slowing working behind the scenes trying to build our resources, including particulars in fine tuning setups, perfecting race craft and strategy calls. It is a big undertaking for a 1 car team, however, when presented with the opportunity to participate in the inaugural series, you can’t say no due to limitations in the team.

Tune in for Round 4 of the Logitech G Pro Invitational Supercars Series on July 13th to watch Greg Favelle in action and taking it up to the big team!

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As a part of the regulations for the series this year, the larger teams have been encouraged to try and keep their cars looking fresh and dynamic in an attempt to keep the grids looking more diverse. Trans Tasman Racing have taken the opportunity to take their usually all white cars and make a splash with some very striking liveries.

Not only will the powerhouse team field both Commodores and Mustangs but they will also mix things up with cars that feature predominantly Red and Black base colours to complement the existing white cars that we all have been so used to seeing in recent years.

The new look cars first broke their covers at closed testing last week where the new look was greeted by many with a lot of praise. It's not the first time we've seen coloured TTR cars on the track and there was even some speculation the red commodores of Leigh Ellis and Kurt Stenberg were somewhat of a throwback to cars that were last raced by the team several seasons ago. 

For sure these cars will stand out on the track and there should be no shortage of air-time for them. The team as a whole will be looking to bank results straight off the bat at Sebring when Round 1 gets under way. We're excited to see which colour car takes first blood for the team when it all gets under way.

Want to see exactly what livery each driver will have? Head to the Trans Tasman Racing team profile page linked below for a full wrapup.

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Is Freeman’s Sebring drive a sign of what’s to come at Phillip Island for Fishy Motorsports?

For Thomas Freeman, Disappointment in qualifying turned to delight at Sebring after a charging drive through the field on his way to a 21st place finish. With quality race pace shown from Freeman & the Fishy Motorsports outfit, it begs the question, is there more to come from this up and coming team?

As we draw closer to round two at Phillip Island, Fishy Motorsport will look to continue their strong racing form. Although qualifying proved to be difficult at Sebring, the confidence within the team will definitely be at a high heading into round two at Phillip Island.

If the team at Fishy Motorsports can get a handle on qualifying, there is no reason why they can’t be consistent contenders for top ten placings in the near future.

Thomas Freeman most notably has lead the team forward in recent times, a win in the East Coast V8 Series at Winton proving to be a real highlight, leading the likes of Synergy Sim Racing’s James Scott home by a mere six seconds.

Heading into Phillip Island Thomas Freeman along with Fishy Motorsports teammates Jamie Dike & Michael Angus will be working to unlock the qualifying pace they are capable of. In a round that will be highly dependent on qualifying, can Fishy Motorsports lift to new heights?

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Send It Sim Sports manager, Joe Daley has affirmed they are looking for a more aggressive approach to the Logitech G Pro Invitational Supercar Series. Lamenting a slow start to the series for all four SISS entries, the team is looking to improve on the one main area they have identified as a major weakness, Qualifying.

With a best grid position of 26th across all team cars for both rounds, the brains trust at Send It Sim Sports have been analysing where they can get their gains from.

Speaking with Joe Daley, he says “the series is highly competitive and whilst it wasn’t underestimated, and we aren’t surprised at where we are currently, we know there is more out there for us”.

Starting each race buried in the field makes a good result unlikely, if not impossible. “The boys are working really hard and banking plenty of laps as well as data collection and telemetry work in order to fine tune” Joe explained.

SISS will be pressing forward with a more aggressive setup on their cars to extract the extra pace to vault them up the grid. On top of finding more pace from its cars, Joe is also looking for the team and drivers to execute in the important moments, and finish it off by being more clinical. “Being able to pull the big laps out of the bag will go a long way to helping the team”.

A strong aspect Send It Sim Sports have identified in their car has being tyre life, which makes them extremely confident they can feature in the results. The team is likely to recruit from within the team for their endure drives, as they have plenty of depth and quality within the organisation. However, we keep hearing rumours there may be one seat in that stable up for grabs, it’s going to be super interesting to see who ends up in that seat!

Tune in on June 29th to see if Send It Sim Sports have found some of that qualifying pace they are looking for!

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Pursuit Sim Racing are in full force for pre qualifying in the Logitech G Pro Invitational series in 2023. A team that on its day are one of the best in the business Pursuit will definitely be looking to deliver strong results throughout the qualifying series.

Team Owner Mike Talijancich will be looking to make a return to form during the qualifying series although his efforts are being plagued by recent injury. A driver who has the ability to deliver big results when it counts, there’s no doubt Talijancich will perform when it matters most. A recent sit down chat with Mike gave us great insight into his personal and team goal’s for the year ahead, also revealing the news young gun Rehan Liyanage with join Pursuit to take on the Pro Series while also maintaining driving duties for Phoenix sim racing throughout the year.

When asked about his personal aspirations, Mike was open and forthcoming about what he would hope to achieve in both the qualifying series and Logitech G Pro Invitational series providing he gets promoted.

“Personally I hope to make it through qualifying until I get 2 hands back and can compete at a acceptable level. If I make it into the series on a full time basis I would like to try and aim for a top 10 championship result, I think that would be a great outcome”

When referring to the team it’s clear it will be a big year for Pursuit Sim Racing, multiple new drivers and a reset of motivation looks like it will be key for the Pursuit outfit.

“Team wise I hope to have multiple drivers regularly competing for top 10 results each round. I have high expectations for Andrew Gilliam(Qualified) & Jobe Stewart. I feel like they could really be contenders to race for podiums and would love to see them both achieve great results over the season.

I think the younger guys will really step up this season during the qualifying series, Sebastian Varndell & Rehan Liyanage could be ones to watch for improvement along with Rob Carmichael and Tao Soerono“

Striving for success is nothing short of what Pursuit Sim Racing is all about, there’s no doubt we will see them towards the front of the Logitech G Pro Invitational series. Will Pursuit Sim Racing reign supreme in 2023?

Keep up to date with the Logitech G Pro Invitational Series to find out!
 

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As we build up to the Watkins Glen Sprint, we’re taking a look at some of the teammate battles that are starting to develop amongst the 2023 Motorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup Grid.

Pursuit Sim Racing’s Jobe Stewart & Andrew Gilliam have both experienced varied starts to their 2023 Motorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup campaigns.

Andrew’s consistent start sees him sit comfortably in 8th position, leading the way for the Pursuit Sim Racing duo. A podium a Phillip Island so far has been the highlight of his 2023 campaign along with an excellent run in the season opening Turn In Race Apparel Sebring sprint which saw the driver of the #201 PSR Mustang charge from 11th position to 4th place at the chequered flag.

Jobe Stewart’s season is continuing to build after his most recent results. A difficult start to his 2023 Motorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup at Sebring being the only real blip in his season to date. Since Sebring, Stewart has been able put on a driving clinic. Excluding his opening round DNF, Stewart has since produced 2 top ten results from the last 3 races, at an impressive average finish of 8.33. This form alone firmly stamps Jobe Stewart as one of the most in form drivers currently on the Motorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup grid. Currently 19th in the championship, many will watching closely with interest as the series heads to Watkins Glen on the 28th of June.

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As we build up to the Watkins Glen Sprint, we’re taking a look at some of the teammate battles that are starting to develop amongst the 2023 Motorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup Grid.

As far as teammate battles go, this one between 9ine 5ive SimSport drivers Dylan Rudd & Ric Kuznetsov will be one to watch as it unfolds over the remainder of the season.

Dylan Rudd leads the charge after Spa-Francorchamps sitting a comfortable 4th position in the championship with Ric Kuznetsov only 46 points behind in 9th position.

Of the duo, Rudd leads the way in the qualifying 2-1 over Kuznetsov, out qualifying his 9ine 5ive stablemate at both Sebring & Spa-Francorchamps. Of the 4 races completed in 2023, Rudd also leads the way with a 3-1 aggregate over Kuznetsov.

Both drivers have tasted success so far in the 2023 Motorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup, most notably locking out 2nd & 3rd on the podium in race 2 of the Watercraft Phillip Island Super Sprint.

This inter team battle will be one to keep a close eye on as the season progresses with both drivers aiming to to come out on top of their respective teammate.

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RaceOnOz field a solo entry in the 2022 Logitech G Pro Invitational Supercar Series, and it is proving a difficult task for their star driver, Luke Mitchinson. Whilst it is a fore gone conclusion Mitchinson is a very fast up and comer, it has being hard to get traction and breakthrough for that result they deserve so far.

Looking likely on many occasions and performing arguably best of any single car team, Mitchinson has just fallen short of that breakthrough. But we think its coming. And we think this because we know the team at RaceOnOz are putting their full support and resources behind Luke, they are doing everything possible internally to prepare Luke for battle.

Luke is enjoying the challenge of working with his team engineers to fine tune his car each round, “It’s a steep learning curve to figure out how to make the setups that work for me but I’ve also enjoyed the process”

Race On Oz have also identified qualifying pace as a major focus with Luke posting 26th at Sebring and 31st at Winton. A better starting position will obviously take more pressure off in the races and unlock more strategy options, something that Mitchinson is looking forward to at Red Bull Ring, a track he has had success at before.

Tune in on the 29th of June, Red Bull Ring will be a cracker!

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Race 1 of the Motorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup at Phillip Island looked like it went to plan for Trans Tasman Racing with a dominant 1-2 finish which saw Jake Burton collect the win ahead of hard charging teammate Jake Moloney. 

In Race 2 luck would dry up for the TTR stablemates, most notably, contact between Jake Moloney & Brady Meyers which would set the tone for a difficult end to the Watercraft Performance Centre Phillip Island Super Sprint for TTR.

Jarrad Filsell would win the launch for race 2, splitting the front row of Moloney & Burton on the run into turn 1. Brady Meyers also managed a solid getaway from his 5th position grid slot. But unfortunately Contact would ensue on the entrance of turn 1 between Meyers & Moloney, catapulting Moloney down the order to the rear of the field, left wondering about what could of been.

The incident between Meyers & Moloney ultimately would go without investigation until post race, later being reviewed and correct penalties being applied.

The incident between Meyers & Moloney sparked debate amongst the paddock, some questioning why penalties weren’t delivered during live racing action, saving the post race debacle. Although the incident wasn’t reported, it was known to have taken place, leaving some surprised to see the result changed under post race review.

We speculate Nobody would be more frustrated than team Owner Madison Down though. Having a difficult night himself, this would only inflict more pain on Trans Tasman Racing’s championship charge, leaving Filsell to ultimately cruise to victory in race 3 of the Motorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup relativity unchallenged.

It’s not all bad news for the Trans Tasman Racing outfit though, with post race penalties now confirmed, Jake Burton has taken over the lead of the championship, making an impressive statement early on in the series.

With a difficult round 2 of the championship now in the books for TTR, attention will now move towards the upcoming round at Spa, set to be held on Wednesday the 10th of May.

With the talent within the Trans Tasman Racing lineup, there is no doubt they will rebound in a timely fashion ahead of Spa, as they look to return to showing they are the best team in the 2023 Motorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup.

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