With that in mind, let's focus on the driver currently sitting right on the bubble: Trans Tasman Racing's Jake Burton. Despite a season marked by ups and downs, including a victory at Phillip Island in round two, Jake finds himself precariously perched just inside the cutoff for promotion. This surprising position adds extra pressure as the competition intensifies.

We took a few minutes to chat to Jake about his season so far:

How do you feel about your performance so far this season, especially being on the cusp of the top 20?

Not great, at this point of the season for the last two years I’ve either been leading the championship or deep in the Top 5, so it’s without a doubt my worst start to a season to date and 20th doesn’t feel like where I belong. Winning again at Phillip Island was obviously a huge moment, but my preparation for the other rounds really hasn’t been good enough, and it shows in the results.

What have been the biggest challenges for you in the first four races?

Honestly, time and motivation. My life outside of sim racing has been extremely busy this year, from work to real life racing commitments. That combined with some of the stewarding decisions in the opening two rounds really made it difficult to get excited about racing.
Effort equals results, this series is extremely competitive, and you can see that the likes of LOBS and others are just doing a better job at the moment. If I don’t put the time in, I’m not going to get the outcome, so I need to step that up to have any chance of taking it to LOBS (or staying in the Top 20 for that matter) this year.

What are your goals for the remainder of the season, beyond just maintaining your current position?

My championship hopes are over this year, so I’d really like to try and perform well in the enduros. It’s been a weakness of mine for the last two years, and to finally get a good result at Bathurst would be nice. In addition to that, it’d be nice to win more races. Phillip Island was great, but if I could make the most of my other strong tracks and steal another win or two that would be awesome.

Is there a particular race so far this season that you would approach differently if given the chance, and why?

Jerez for sure. That wasn’t a track I had ever seen before prior to the official practice session, and it surprised me how technical and challenging it was, especially with the hot track conditions. It’s a track that demanded really accurate and consistent driving, which I just didn’t have on the night. I think if we visit there again I need to really explore different setup options and do a lot more laps to work the place out, at least if we want to challenge LOBS.

What are you most looking forward to in the upcoming races, and which track do you think will be your strongest?

I think not being in championship contention actually takes some pressure off. I’m excited to just try and enjoy my racing and perform well when I’ve got the time. The next round at Watkins Glen has always been a happy hunting ground for me, I won there last year and it’d be great if I can repeat that in 2024.

With that we say thanks to Jake for his time and wish him the best of luck for the reminder of the season. We look forward to seeing if he can back up for 2023 Watkins Glen form next week when we head back to North America.