If you had to choose one name that you would say is synonymous in Australian Sim Racing, who would it be?? For those of us that have been around for a few years there is no doubt the undisputed answer would be Stephen “Sandman” Clarke.

For years Sandman was the king of the airwaves with his outstanding commentary in the V8SCOPS series. A true racer himself, Sandman brings years of his experience from on and off the track.

His enthusiasm behind the mic has no equal and his passion for the Australian Sim Racing scene is there for all to hear.

For the last few years, we have all missed his work and have often asked what it would take to get the golden voice back to doing what he excels at.

So that’s what we did... we asked him!!!

We have already started to introduce the stars that will appear on the track, but now, it is our great pleasure to announce that one of our two main commentators is none other than Sandman.

We have got some of the best drivers, but now, we also have the best commentators.

With the series starting May the 11th, the hype continues to build.

And when we say hype… wait until you hear how the commentary team sound when the racing gets under way!

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The Logitech G Pro Invitational series 2023 season is well and truly in full swing. The debut of the series in 2022 saw the inclusion of a 10 round calendar spanning across multiple circuits from around the world. Sebring hosted the season opener followed by an array of European events before returning to the likes of the USA and Australian circuits to conclude the season.

With the 2023 calendar recently coming to light it’s shaping up to be another stellar season for the Logitech G Pro Invitational series.

Sebring will remain and take its rightful place as the season opener, After an incredible race between series champion Jarrad Filsell & Jake Burton In 2022 there’s no doubt Sebring is the perfect place to kick off 2023.

Other tracks that are set to make a re appearance are the likes of Spa, Red Bull Ring, Belle Isle, Sandown, Bathurst and Phillip Island. Both Sandown & Bathurst will remain in their rightful place as Endurance cup rounds.

After being part of the Debut season of the Logitech G Pro Invitational series it is confirmed we won’t see Hockenheim and Monza return to the calendar along with the Iconic Australian staple Winton Raceway for 2023.

With the news we won’t see the inclusion of these circuits it’s left 3 rounds wide open for 2023.

Speculation turned to confirmation late yesterday afternoon, Road Atlanta being unveiled as the new season finale in place of the Phillip Island round which has been moved to round 2. appearing alongside Road Atlanta in 2023 will be Watkins Glen & Road America.

With the series calendar now confirmed, we move into a interesting period for the Logitech G Pro Invitational Series as plans are finalised before what is set to be another fantastic season.

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Think you have what it takes to be amongst the very best drivers that Australia/New Zealand have to offer?

Think you can get amongst the best racing that is on offer?

For the many that have been Asking “How do I get involved?” then this is for you.

Starting February 1st, 2023, the Logitech G Pro Invitational hosts its first qualifying series to set the 2023 grid.

Four races in four weeks with the top 25 getting through to compete in the leading Supercar Sim action.
With an expanded grid, the racing in 2023 promises to be even better than this year’s drama we have already had.

Four exciting tracks that promise tight racing with plenty of passing opportunities.

We start at Phillip Island on the first of February, 44 laps of Australia’s best permanent track and home of the MotoGP.

A week later, on the 8th we head to the Brickyard, Indianapolis Road course for 35 laps of high-speed action at this iconic venue.

The home of speed, Sandown, gives us 54 laps of tight racing with round 3 on the 15th of February.

And finally, Bathurst, the most iconic circuit in Australia and the breeding ground for the V8 beats. 28 laps will decide who are the lucky ones that will compete in the 2023 Logitech G Pro Invitational Series.

How do you get involved? Keep an eye out here for all your information.

Reckon you’re good enough? The time for talking has stopped, time to start testing.

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With the 2022 Logitech G Supercar Pro Invitational in the record books attention has turned towards the much anticipated Qualifying Series that will take place in February.

With the top 20 from the 2022 Series automatically awarded invitations to return in 2023, the scramble is set to begin to earn one of the highly sought after remaining spots on the grid. After great success in the inaugural running of the championship it was expected that the Qualifying Series which is set to take place in early 2023 would be hotly contested.  

When registrations opened earlier this week there was a rapid influx of nominations to the league and with registrations remaining open until January 15th the number is still expected to grow. Below is a complete list of those drivers who have already signaled their intentions race when things kick off in February: 
 

With registration numbers already exceeding maximum grid allocations for most tracks, a pre qualifying process will take place to reduce the field down before Round 1 of the actual qualifying series gets under way on February 1st at Phillip Island.

Drivers will then compete the following week at Hockenheim on February 8th, followed by Sandown on February 15th and Bathurst to finish off the Qualifying Series of the 22nd February.

This will seed drivers based on overall points from the 4 Races where the top 20 will be considered for the first round of invitations to complete the grid for the 2023 Logitech G Pro Invitational series.

Registrations for the Qualifying Series remain open until January 15th and can be completed at the link below:

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With the 2023 Logitech G Supercar Pro Invitational in the record books attention has turned towards the much anticipated Qualifying Series that will get under way in Late January.

With the top 20 from the 2023 Series automatically awarded invitations to return in 2024, the scramble is set to begin to earn one of the highly sought after remaining spots on the grid. With the series continuing to go from strength to strength, it is expected that the Qualifying Series which is set to take place in early 2024 will be hotly contested.  

When registrations opened recently there was a rapid influx of nominations to the league and with registrations remaining open until 7pm AEDT January 12th the number is still expected to grow. Below is a complete list of those drivers who have already signaled their intentions race when things kick off for Round 1. 

With the field capped at 45 entries, a pre qualifying process will take place to reduce the field down before Round 1 of the actual qualifying series gets under way on January 31st at Road Atlanta.

Drivers will then compete the following week at Magny Cours on February 7th, followed by Hockenheim on February 14th with Fuji set to host the final round on February 28th.

This will seed drivers based on overall points from the 4 Races where the top 20 will be considered for the first round of invitations to complete the grid for the 2024 Logitech G Pro Invitational series.

Registrations for the Qualifying Series remain open until January 12th at 7pm AEDT and can be completed at the link below:

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Entries to the 2023 Logitech G Pro Invitational Qualifying Series close in little over 24hrs time.

Already, over 90 drivers have entered to try and earn themselves an invite to compete in the 2023 championship alongside the best 20 from the 2022 season.

2023 is shaping up to be the most competitive field ever assembled in iRacing Supercar competition with some huge names and illustrious teams looking to lock themselves into a spot on the grid.

Some of the big names include the likes of James Scott, Corey Shepherd, Andrew Dyson, Jobe Stewart, Ric Kuznetsov, Kurt Stenberg, Adam Briggs, Josh Muggleton, Dylan Rudd and Coby Jones.

Those ten drivers alone wouldn’t look out of place in any top ten results sheet. Throw into the mix the likes of Hayden Veld, Brian Borg, Shaun McNamare, Robert Gibbs, Dylan OShea and you start to get the picture of just how stacked the 2023 field is shaping up to be.

Teams such as Altus and DPR are looking to break into the series, whilst championship contenders Synergy Sim Racing, Trans Tasman Racing, Pursuit Racing Team and Evolution Racing Team are all looking to bolster their teams presence in the series by entering more drivers in the qualifying series.

The most encouraging and positive thing to see for the entire Supercar community is new drivers and emerging teams entering the qualifying series and pitting themselves against the mainstays.We can’t wait to see those entries on track and we will be right behind them finding success!

Bring on 2023, it’s all about to heat up with official practice on Sunday night, before pre qualifying commences on the 17th of January. Have you got what it takes?

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As the echoes of the thrilling 2023 season fade into the rearview mirror, Motorsport Australia proudly convened its annual awards night on Sunday Night in the vibrant city of Melbourne. The glittering event served as a fitting tribute to the unparalleled talent showcased throughout the year.

Distinguished by a galaxy of National Champions across various categories, the evening shimmered with the brilliance of motorsport excellence. Among the stars that lit up the evening was none other than Madison Down, seizing the crown as the Logitech G Pro Invitational series champion. Madison's prowess on the track was matched only by his cool demeanor and professionalism, setting the stage for an unforgettable season.

Sharing the spotlight were icons like Paul Morris and Frank Lowndes, inducted as life members, adding another layer of prestige to the event. The esteemed Peter Brock Medal found a deserving recipient in reigning Supercars champion and former Pro Invitational Series driver Brodie Kostecki, while the Young Driver of the Year accolade was bestowed upon the promising talent of Aaron Love.

In an industry steeped in tradition and history, the inclusion of Sim Racing at such a prestigious event underscores its rising prominence. Madison Down's presence among such elite company serves as a testament to the growing significance of virtual motorsport on the global stage.

We took a minute to talk to Madison about the night:

R: First of all, how was the night, was it everything you expected?

MD: The night was amazing. The night itself was what I expected; however it was fantastic to see and experience a Motorsport Australia Gala Awards. Having so many high achieving, deserving winners and national champions in one room was awesome.

Down on stage giving his speech and a look at the trophy he recieved

R: What was it like rubbing shoulders with Australias best drivers and legends of the sport?

MD: It was surreal to be sharing a room and the stage with legends of the sport that I’ve looked up to for many years. There were plenty of legends and plenty of new upcoming stars that had achieved huge results and you could definitely sense the feeling of achievement and proudness in the room.

R: Did you ever think that this opportunity would be available to you in Sim Racing?

MD: No, when I look back over the last 15 years I never expected that Motorsport Australia would recognise Sim Racing as a National category officially affiliated. I hope that the relationship between Motorsport Australia and Sim Racing continues to grow moving forward and opportunities for the two to align and work together in the future.

R: Were you nervous giving your speech?

MD: Absolutely! As much as I wanted to get the trophy and was proud of the achievement, I certainly haven’t felt nerves like that in a while. I don’t think anyone enjoys public speaking but I could certainly feel and hear my voice shaking but overall I’ve tried not to focus too much on that part of the night. I enjoyed it for what it was, did the best I could and I guess approached it all in a similar way to my racing.

R: It’s a great-looking trophy, where is that being put at your place?

MD: The trophy looks amazing, it’ll be on display in a trophy cabinet next to my sim rig at home next to the 2023 Logitech G Pro invitational Trophies!

R: And finally, how keen are you to head back to the awards night again next year, and how will you make this happen?

MD: Super keen to head back to the awards next year! I had a lot of fun down in Melbourne for the weekend, it was an amazing experience and I loved every second. For me, the approach will be similar to how I’ve always approached going for titles, focus on speed and focus even more on always maximising the result. We will be working hard in 2024 to defend that title proudly sporting the #1 on the windows but I know that every other car in the field will want to make that as difficult as possible!

Cheers Madison, we look forward top seeing the car #1 back on the grid for Round 1 in March.

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Jarrad Filsell has claimed the inaugural Logitech G Pro Invitational Series after sealing his title with a capitalising win around the streets of Belle Isle. 

The title having been decided, attention now turns to the automatic promotion positions as we head into the final showdown at Phillip island on the 7th of December.

Mathematically 12 drivers are in contention for the highly publicised automatic promotion positions, 4 of which are trying retain their top 20 positions in the final round.

Richard Hamstead, Blake Worboys, Ethan Grigg-Gault & Brett Loxton currently fill positions 17-20. while Chris Coxhead, Griffin Gardiner, Jamie Dike, Kurt Stenberg, Adam Hayne, Sebastian Flock, Luke Mitchinson & Dylan Rudd hold 21-28, All wanting to advance up the championship ladder and into a promotion place.

Who to watch? Everyone will have their opinion. We selected 3 drivers from the list above who we feel can make a last minute plunge in the standings.

A season that started with much promise netting 4 top 10 finishes in the opening 5 races saw Gardiner sitting comfortably inside the top 10 in points. A tough run including 3 straight DNF finishes after returning from the mid season break at spa hindered Griffin’s championship now finding himself 22nd overall 42 points off Brett Loxton who is currently 20th and holding the final automatic promotion place.

Returning to the Griffin Gardiner we all know with a top 10 at the most recent round (Belle Isle) he will surely be looking to continue his form in the final round at Phillip Island with the hope of collecting his place on the 2023 grid. Can he do it?

Jamie has built a solid campaign from the get go. Consistency has been his game, continually netting results as the season has progressed. A personal best result in 16th during the penultimate round of the championship has come at the perfect time for the Fishy Motorsport Veteran giving him plenty of confidence he can get the job done in the final round.

Currently 23rd & 64 points outside the cutoff line there is no doubt Jamie Dike will be fighting to secure his place on the 2023 grid. Regardless of the outcome at Phillip Island, Jamie has driven extremely well in the Logitech G Pro Invitational Series and can walk away proud of his accomplishments.

A driver who on his day is one of the best and most consistent top 10 runners, Kurt has been plagued by drama throughout his 2022 campaign. Currently 24th on 812 points, Kurt will look to return to his true form and secure his place on next years grid.

A best of 14th this year at Winton being the highlight we hope to see one of the best points racers return to the front. With one round to go all eyes will be on Stenberg with his eyes firmly placed on promotion. Can he get the job done? We sure hope so.

Tune in on the 7th of December to see who will reign supreme and punch their ticket to the 2023 Logitech G Pro Invitational Series. Will it be the in form hot shoe Griffin? Can Jamie deliver again? Or can the evergreen Stenny step up to the plate?

Let’s find out!

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Whilst it has been a great start to the championship for Vendavals Griffin Gardiner, he remains not content with his performance to date.

Sitting seventh in the points heading into Red Bull Ring, and showing amazing consistency to qualify and finish in the top 10, Gardiner was bitterly disappointed not to be battling for a podium at Winton.

“Winton was disappointing for me, I had the potential to start at the front of the field and fight for a podium, it just didn’t work out for me on the night”.

Ominous words from Griffin as his pace already has been exceptional and scarily consistent, but it shows the drive he has to win, which is what the pro series is all about.

Griffin went on to say that he thought Vendaval Sim Racing definitely took a step forward at Winton, as himself and Jake Burton are working hard every round to go out and attack. Tune in on june 29th to see Griffin in full attack mode at Red Bull Ring.

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Madison Down has taken a vital victory at the Motorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup Road America Sprint on Wednesday night, further extending his championship lead over James Scott, heading into the season finale at Road Atlanta in little over a fortnight’s time.

A 15 minute qualifying session set the tone for proceedings on Wednesday night, with the returning Jarrad Filsell snatching a commanding pole position over Trans Tasman Racing’s Brady Meyers, along with championship contenders Madison Down & James Scott lining up 3rd & 4th on the grid. Dylan O’Shea would round out the top 5, followed by Dylan Rudd, Jake Burton, Josh Anderson, Rehan Liyanage & Andrew Gilliam round out the top ten.

As the green flag waved, it would be Brady Meyers winning the start over pole sitter Jarrad Filsell on the run into turn 1. Brady would play on the defence through the opening sequence of corners, keeping the fast pairing of Filsell & Scott at bay for the time being.

Action came thick and fast throughout the field on the opening lap, contact between Synergy Sim Racing’s Tom Freer & Evolution Racing Team’s Ethan Grigg Gault causing chaos for the field behind. With a number of cars involved in the incident, this was just a preview to the action that was set to follow.

Contact on lap 1 causes chaos in the mid field

For Meyers, his staunch defence of the race lead came under attack at the conclusion of lap 1. Filsell with a run, pounced on an opening as they approached the turn 12 complex. Making his way past, an opening also appeared for James Scott, who also advanced him position, moving into 2nd place. Team tactics were evident early on from the SSR pairing, Filsell sidestepping turn 1 to allow Scott through to the lead at the beginning of lap 2.

As the field found their rhythm, it was evident the pace of the lead train was like no other, for Filsell and Scott, they continued to open up their gap to the TTR duo of Meyers & Down, who were putting in solid strings in 3rd & 4th respectively.

Further down the order, drivers who where putting in strong opening stints included the likes of Marcello Rivera, Brenton Hobson & Richard Hamstead, who all found a way to make progress up the grid in the opening stages of the race.

Lap 18 proved to be a crucial point of the race for the championship. A blown motor for Evolution Racing Team’s Matthew Bowler Brought out the only safety car period of the evening, throwing more chaos into the works.

Drivers took the opportunity to transit the pit lane for the first of 2 compulsory pit stops, taking on fuel and a fresh set of tyres to boot. As drivers exited the lane, it became apparent that the strategy could be blown wide open, with a number of drivers opting to transit the lane for a second consecutive time, taking on more fuel and clearing their final compulsory pit stop. Although those who chose to pit again would be short on fuel, it provided them with the opportunity to fuel save their way to the flag, without the added stress of having to complete their another pit stop.

Trans Tasman Racing cars head to the lane from the lead under safety car

TTR made a clear decision as a team, coming down the lane again to clear their pit stops for the evening. This strategy soon turned into the clear winning strategy, with more than half the field making the same decision to take their final pit stops.

For the SSR duo of Scott & Filsell, this would prove to be yet another critical strategic error in their 2023 championship campaign, putting themselves out of the equation to win the race, and more importantly swinging the odds back in Madison Down’s favour. Although maintaining track position at the front of the field, they had a mountain to climb from here.

Racing resumed on lap 22 with Scott leading the field back to green.

Lap 27 would see a spike in the action, with Brady Meyers & Dylan O’Shea getting tangled up down at turn 12. Meyers, putting a move on O’Shea, would find contact with the rear of the #19 9ine 5ive SimSports mustang, sending it into a spin on the exit of the turn 12 complex. Meyers was unfortunate to pick up a 5 second penalty for the contact, which would play into the finishing result massively at the end of the race.

While Scott was continuing to set the pace at the front of the field, the championship fight between SSR & TTR became incredibly ugly on lap 28. Synergy Sim Racing’s Jarrad Filsell fell back and quickly started making life difficult for the following pack in an effort to help James Scott build a gap at the front. This ultimately backfired, with a hard nosed Jake Moloney putting a end to Filsell’s defensive attempts, slamming into the back of the Synergy Sim Racing commodore, taking both drivers out of the race. Contact between both parties were deemed deliberate, resulting in a disqualification for both drivers, followed up with post race bans being applied.

Contact between Moloney and Filsell resulted in disqualification for both drivers

Tensions grew again only laps later on lap 32 in the battle between Luke Rosella & Jake Burton a through turn 9. Burton managing to pass Rosella into turn 8, checked up on the run into turn 9, forcing Rosella to take avoiding action, placing himself in a 3 wide situation. Championship leader Madison Down was on the outside, an innocent victim in the carnage that was happening before him. Somehow, Down was able to keep control of his car, staying on the road after major contact with the 55 of Rosella, which saw the Synergy Sim Racing Commodore in the sand and out of contention.

The final pit stops were made by those that didn’t double pit under safety car on laps 35 & 36, Gilliam bringing his Altus Esports Mustang down the lane from 2nd, soon followed by James Scott a lap later pitting from the lead before re joining back onto the circuit in a lowly 18th position wondering what could of been.

Back at the front, Meyers lead, followed by Jake Burton, Madison Down, Josh Anderson & Adam Briggs who rounded out the top 5 in his Synergy Sim Racing Mustang.

This train remained line astern until the Chequered flag, with Meyers crossing the line in first but with a 5 second time penalty which would drop him to 8th place post race.

Down inherited the race win when Meyers served a post race 5 second penalty

Jake burton would step aside for Madison Down, promoting the TTR driver and championship leader to another race win in the 2023 season, extending Down’s championship lead over James Scott to 67 points heading into the final round of the championship in little under a fortnight’s time.

Burton would take second, followed by Joshua Anderson rounding out all TTR podium. Adam Briggs would continue his redemption after a tough endurance campaign in 4th, a career best result for the SSR stalwart. Richard Hamstead continued the TTR dominance in a solid 5th place. The remaining of the top ten saw Dylan O’Shea, Brenton Hobson, Brady Meyers, Tom Freer & Jack Boyd rounding out the top ten.

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At the very start, our simple thesis was to deliver a new way of showcasing, promoting and marketing Supercars competition in order to substantiate the level of professionalism at the top tier in the AUS/NZ Supercars community.

We believe the teams and drivers in AUS/NZ sim racing are at a level now where we can take that leap forward into the mainstream and shed that arcade/gamer ‘tag’, and showcase the talent, preparation, intense competition and professionalism already in our community.

To deliver a platform that springboards us all into the mainstream, we decided we needed to build a structured and future-proof organisation with specific roles and responsibilities.

We think the evidence is there over the past to validate our decision to run all supporting content such as website, marketing, podcast and broadcasting ourselves and also fund it all as part of a comprehensive package to achieve our vision.

A rising tide lifts all boats and our vision is to achieve strong growth and develop a wider reaching audience for Australian Sim Racing.

There is already a passionate and dedicated community that is invested in Sim Racing and the goal is to harness that energy and provide a platform and series that can vault that community into the spotlight it deserves.

The team behind the Logitech G Supercars Pro Invitational at our core are passionate Sim Racers ourselves. We have acumulated a team of the best suited personnel for the job and have full faith in our ability to asseble a platform worthy of the cause.

- End Release

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It’s round 1. The very first race of the Logitech G Pro Invitational Series. Everyone is sitting on the grid gathering their thoughts and thinking about getting a good start. A clean get away and a nice run through turn 1. You want to settle into the race and start the series on the front foot with a good bag of points...

Imagine with 30 seconds to go before the green light, and you go to start your engine on the grid. NO SOUND! Disaster!

No time to figure out what has gone wrong, straight into panic stations and as the starting lights begin to illuminate you just have to try and gather yourself together and attempt to make the best of this situation.

That is exactly what happened to TTR pilot Leigh Ellis at Sebring.

Leigh’s experience immediately kicked in as he calmed himself to make a clean getaway, relying purely on muscle memory to make his way around the track. A few excursions off track and incidents during the race is really a remarkable outcome considering the hurdle he had to overcome.

We challenge anyone out there to turn their sound off on their sim, and see how well they can rely on their own muscle memory to not only complete a lap, but to complete an entire race in a field of Australia’s best supercar drivers and come home 33rd, only just over a minute and a half off the lead.

During the race, Leigh’s spotter could hear Leigh, but in order to communicate, his spotter relied on text correspondence with Leigh over messenger. So not only was Leigh in the thick of it, racing amongst other drivers and battling to keep his TTR machine on track, he was also checking his messenger regularly.

It’s a remarkable testament to Leigh’s talent and experience to deal with this level of interruption just moments before the race started.

Help us wish Leigh a better race at round 2 next Wednesday. Go Leigh!

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Defending Motorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup champion Jarrad Filsell will find himself sat on the sidelines for the 2023 endurance cup set to begin on September 1 at Sandown Raceway.

For Filsell, this marks a new low in an already difficult championship campaign, all but wiping him from automatic promotion for the 2024 season.

Filsell’s Benching comes a result of a 2 race suspended sentence handed down to the Synergy Sim Racing Driver after the Red Bull Ring event in which he was put under fire for actions which took place in the preceding practice session before qualifying.

Originally, Filsell was handed a one race ban recommendation, later downgraded to a 2 race suspended sentence which would carry through the remainder of the season.

Carrying the 2 race suspended sentence into Belle Isle, Filsell would trigger his 2 race ban on lap 16, colliding with the #12 Evolution Racing Team Commodore of Matthew Bowler, spinning the proceeding car. Filsell found himself penalised for the incident, forced to serve a drive through penalty for what was described as careless driving from race control.

This decision, ultimately triggered Filsell’s 2 race suspension.

Filsell coming together with Matthew Bowler at Belle Isle

Jarrad Filsell opted to appeal his penalty & Suspension the following Monday, attending an appeal hearing on the 14th of August. Driving standards observer Thomas Randle & team consultants were all in attendance.

After being discussed at length, Filsell’s penalty was upheld on the 14th of August, with the careless driving decision remaining.

With the decision now firmly standing, Filsell will not take part in the upcoming endurance championship, serving his two race ban.

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We’re only 1 round into the 10 round Championship and already we’ve seen our first shake-up of team driver lineups with Evolution Racing Team this week announcing the recruitment of former Pursuit Sim Racing Driver Sebastian Flock.

Sebastian has been a hot property coming into the series with high anticipation surrounding the results that he is capable of producing as an up-and-coming driver. That said, his performance at Sebring would have been considered lackluster only managing a lowly P35 in qualifying and a P31 in the race. 

Clearly the potential is there and ERT believe that with the change in team they can use their depth of experience to guide Seb’s performances forward and have him contending for positions well inside the top 20 going forward. The team stated “With Round 2 at Winton now just a week away, he has already been seen testing and has shown that he will be working his way up through the field.”

Many would consider the departure from PSR a surprise as that is also a team deep with talent. We’re looking forward to keeping a close eye on his performances going forward from here to see what his results look like under the new team environment. 

The move is the first of what we anticipate to be a hectic year of driver signings and movements surrounding the highly anticipated Enduro Cup that will be happening later in the year. With drivers not eligible to race together it creates a truly interesting puzzle for teams to solve when it comes to filling Co-Driver seats. 

For more informationa about this years calendar check out the link below:

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252 Kilometres of racing action was ended with a mad two lap dash to the end in dramatical circumstances for the season opener of the Logitech Pro Invitational Supercars Series hosted on iRacing this Wednesday night.

Qualifying saw James Scott’s Speedcafe Lobs Esports #088 Holden Commodore would take pole position in the dying stages of the 15 minute session with a 1:59.991, besting Madison Down’s #1 Trans Tasman Racing Commodore by 22 Thousandths of a second.

The top 20 from Qualifying would be covered by just over five tenths of a second as well, setting the stage for an intense race.

Of note was a penalty to the #94 of Jarrad Filsell, who would start from 43rd after several penalties in 2023. Jarrad was quickly on the front foot and looking to make a dent into the field by overtaking 11 cars to 32nd at the end of lap 1.

James Scott narrowly took Pole position in the final moments of Qualifying

Evolution Racing Team’s Ethan Grigg-Gault would take advantage of squabbling ahead of him to launch down the inside at T7 and into 3rd place from 6th on the starting grid.

The front end of the field went fairly quiet until the first round of pit stops from here, with most drivers looking to save fuel and gain the advantage with less time stopped than their nearest competition.

Lap 5 would see the first major incident of the night when the #19 9ine5ive Simsport entry of Dylan O’Shea would run off line at Turn 15. Andrew Gilliam would attempt to sneak down the inside but pinch a front brake and run wide into O’Shea creating a major check up that would see Beau Albert put into the inside barriers at the exit of 16 and end any chance of a strong finish for Beau’s debut night in the series.

James Scott would lead the race from Madison Down and Brady Meyers, with Meyers getting by Grigg-Gault on Lap 12. Scott would pit from the lead on Lap 17 and opt to cover off any benefit of fresh tires and an undercut.

Meyers would dive to the lane on lap 19 as he clawed his way to the rear bumper of Madison Down. Down would opt to run long and give up track position before pitting at the end of Lap 21.

A wild run into turn 1 on the opening lap

Fawzan El-Nabi would make a strong showing for the Synergy Sim Racing outfit and would take on less fuel at this round of stops to jump Griffin Gardiner and move inside the top 5.

Having a strong but quiet night at the office as well was the #28 Mustang of Richard Hamstead. Resurfacing after the first stops in 7th place right on the gearbox of Gardiner, but with a hard charging Jarrad Filsell only a couple of seconds further back in 8th place. Filsell had gained 35 spots by the end of lap 21.

The run to the 2nd round of stops would be largely sedate with the top 8 being largely spread out until Meyers would catch Scott with his slightly fresher rubber, and Down catching them just before the last stops would begin.

Scott would lock front brakes on the run to the Hairpin at T7 on Lap 28, creating enough of a gap for Meyers to get by on the inside.

Luke Rosella from the Speedcafe Lobs Esports outfit would trigger the first Safety Car of the night after blowing his engine on a downshift into Sunset Bend (T17) on Lap 30 and failing to get back to pit lane. This would be the catalyst for the last round of pit stops for anyone who was yet to come to the lane.

As the train of cars would be normalised the running order would be Meyers, Scott, Down, El-Nabi, Grigg-Gault, Gardiner and Filsell to round out the top 7. Filsell would sense an opportunity in the water as the Safety Car would negate a 15s margin to the leaders.

The race would be restarted on lap 34 with Filsell getting great drive off T7 to end up down the inside of Gardiner at T10 and move into P6.

From this point forwards all drivers would sense the urgency to grab spots where they could and at nearly every corner there would be a 2 wide situation somewhere in the field.

James Scott would crawl all over the rear bumper of rival Brady Meyers, with Madison Down looking to take advantage on the pair of them. This would start with front to rear contact from Down into Scott, with Scott then bumping into Meyers as well at the hairpin on Lap 36. Meyers would struggle mid corner and Scott would take the opportunity with Down following suit.

From here a stoush for the ages would kick off between race leader James Scott and Madison Down whilst Meyers would attempt to recover and pressure them both.

Contact at the final turn between Down and Scott on lap 38, would see them connect and run into the outside barriers before ricocheting back into the horde of traffic. Meyers would be too close to respond and unable to find a way out.

All counted, 16 of the 44 entries would be damaged in some manner, meaning more than a third of the field would be injured as the Stewards would scramble to attempt to get the race back underway with 4 laps left in the event.

The lap 38 crash claimed ended many of the front runners races

Unable to continue would be James Scott, Brady Meyers, Jarrad Filsell, Wayne Bourke, Jake Burton, Joshua Anderson, Marcello Rivera and Andre Yousseff. Griffin Gardiner would survive the melee only for his internet connection to give out whilst he had the lead of the race under Safety Car.

Down and Grigg-Gault would both survive, but would have significant damage.

Richard Hamstead would assume the lead of the race, with Grigg-Gault immediately behind, followed by Madison Down, Robert Gibbs, Tom Freer, Hayden Veld, Dylan Rudd, Jacob O’Reilly, Jobe Steward and Matthew Bowler rounding out the top 10.

With Sim Racing not requiring the use of Tow Trucks and other course vehicles to rescue all of the stricken cars, the race was able to be restarted with two to go.

Richard Hamstead would cross the line first, before suffering from a 30s Post Race Penalty, which would hand Robert Gibbs his first win in the series as well as his first ever podium. Tom Freer would manage to collect 2nd and Hayden Veld 3rd.

Madison Down would fall to 6th at the line, but also receive a 30s Post Race Penalty which would drop him to 31st in the standings.

The bulk of the top 10 would record their best ever finishes in one of the craziest ends to a race I’ve ever witnessed.

There are outstanding protests related to the outcome of this race so results are not final right now. To keep up to date with final results click the link below:

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by Scott Rankin

You didn’t see much of the Pursuit Racing Mustang of Andrew Gilliam all race at Sebring. As the race at the front stole the spotlight, he and Vendaval Sim Racings Griffin Gardiner were locked in a 44 lap high pressure, high quality and high speed battle.

For Gilliam, it wasn’t the start he was after when he was half turned on the opening lap by Ethan Grigg Gault. After setting off on the wrong foot he settled into his rhythm and and what ensued was a race long battle with Gardiner and the duo were inseparable all race from that point on.

Swapping places during the pit stop cycles, the two raced it out for the back of the top 10 all night. As the laps started to wind down, the Vendaval and Pursuit machines were lapping up to 0.5 seconds faster of the cars in front and were both in the ‘zone’.

With one lap to go, Wayne Bourke in front would have a lunge at Jake Moloney, causing Moloney to leave the track and Bourke to redress. It was a reward for Gilliam and Gardiner, as they crossed the line in seventh and eight respectively.

Most drivers draw more satisfaction from a race long pressure battle than a scrap, as purists know what this racing is all about. Being locked in an intense battle for laps on end where no one can blink.

If you’re the lead driver, the smallest mistake by way of a missed apex, brake lockup or corner exit wheel spin will see your rival slide past. Conversely, if you’re the trailing driver, any of these small errors will see your rival skip away.

Its why these battles are so high quality, and its why at the end of these races, the drivers involved are usually satisfied with their performance.

We can’t wait to see more of these battles at round 2 on June 1st when the series heads to Winton.

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Back from a 7 week hiatus, drivers returned to the grid at Watkins Glen for the 5th round of the Motorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup on Wednesday night.

Qualifying report:

The Watkins Glen Cup layout provided yet another close qualifying session with Synergy Sim Racing’s Jarrad Filsell setting the benchmark late in qualifying with a 1:07.250 snatching pole position from his teammate James Scott by .087 of a second.

Dylan Rudd put on a impressive display in qualifying, slotting his 9ine 5ive SimSports Commodore into third, followed by Trans Tasman Racing’s Madison Down in 4th & Dylan O’Shea rounding out the top 5. Ethan Grigg-Gault would line up in 6th, followed by Jake Burton, Meyers, Freer & Anderson rounding out the top ten for the 77 lap encounter.

Race Report

As the green flag waved it would be Dylan Rudd leading the field into turn 1, closely followed by the SSR duo of Scott & Filsell as they prepared to charge up the hill & through the esses for the first time. Madison Down was lucky to escape early chaos, slight contact between himself and Dylan O’Shea on the opening lap saw the driver of the #77 in trouble through the first stage of the esses complex. Wrestling the car back into control, Down would escape with only a few positions lost.

Dylan Rudd would continue to lead the way through the opening laps as drivers settled into a rhythm throughout the early stages, still being trailed by the SSR duo of Scott & Filsell who chose to sit back and let Rudd dictate the pace of the race.

It didn’t take too long for trouble to brew in the train though, with lap ten holding the key to one of the major incidents of the night. An attempted move from Andrew Gilliam at the beginning of lap ten on Madison Down would set off a chain reaction behind, causing a bottleneck through the Esses on the run to the Bus Stop. Entering the Bus Stop Pursuit Sim Racing’s Jobe Stewart would collide with Jordan Ross’s Synergy Sim Racing Mustang who in turn would take Tom Freer & Jake Moloney out in the same incident. Stewart would find himself penalised for the infringement, while all 4 drivers involved would go on to have a difficult night as a result.

It was still smooth sailing at the front of the field for the time being, Dylan Rudd continuing to lead the way from James Scott & Jarrad Filsell.

Dylan O’Shea came out on top for the time being in his battle with Madison Down on lap 12 for 6th, shutting the door on Down through the Esses as he set his sights on moving forward. O’Shea received a return of serve from Madison Down no little than a lap later, Down placing a perfectly calculated move into turn 1 leaving O’Shea little to no reply. O’Shea tried his best to crowd the apex making Down’s exit difficult, but found himself dropping slightly down the order as a result.

Jake Burton also made a move on lap 13 over Ethan Grigg-Gault into turn one, promoting himself to the tail of the podium, a position from which he could battle for the race win.

James Scott made his move for the lead on lap 14, Filsell following suit into the bus stop shuffling Dylan Rudd onto the back of the podium. The two SSR teammates Scott & Filsell re taking control of the race for the point in time.

Cars continued to follow one another line astern before the first round of pit stops triggered by Ethan Grigg-Gault on lap 35. Rudd would be the next to follow on lap 37, with the remainder of the lead pack consisting of Filsell, Burton, Scott & Down transiting the lane at the completion of lap 38. Down & Burton lead the race off pit lane, with both Scott & Filsell opting for a unusual strategy call taking all their required fuel in the first stop, placing them down the order as they resumed the race.

Lap 40 provided plenty of carnage, Jordan Ross finding the rear of Richard Hamstead’s Trans Tasman Racing Mustang on the run up the hill to the Esses, sending both drivers for a wild ride into the barriers. Ross would revive a penalty for the incident which saw both the #29 & #143 mustang’s in the pits and out of the remainder of the race.

Jake Burton & Madison Down continued to control the field from the front in the middle portion of the race, while James Scott & Jarrad Filsell were making easy work of the midfield, slicing & dicing their way back through the field.

O’Shea pitted from inside the top 10 on lap 57, which would prove to be the catalyst for the remainder of the field to start taking their final compulsory pit stops for the night.

Down, Burton & Brady Meyers pitted from the front of the field on lap 59, rejoining the field in 10th, 11th & 12th a mere 30.5 seconds away from the race lead as they waited for the pit cycle to be completed in the coming laps.

Dylan O’Shea suffered a scary moment on lap 62, being turned around at high speed into the Esses at the hands of Josh Anderson, luckily, O’Shea didn’t find the fence, somehow missing both guard rails in one of the great saves of the 2023 season.

Filsell entered the pit lane on lap 64 to complete his pit stop cycle, rejoining the race out of contention. It soon became clear there had been a strategy blunder within the Synergy Sim Racing stable when James Scott completed his final stop laps later. A pit stop glitch for Scott only compounded the issue at hand, finding himself rejoining the race in a lowly 21st position and well out of contention for the race win.

Down made his move for the lead on stablemate Jake Burton on lap 71, making his move into the bus stop taking control of the race with only a handful of laps to go. Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup commentator Steven “Sandman” Clarke summed this moment up by stating -“ Well, no team orders here, Madison Down has gone and pinched it”. This move was short lived, Burton firing straight back at Down the following lap, in a replica move to the one Madison produced a lap prior.

This battle would continue all the way to the chequered flag, Down applying the blow torch to the back of the #8 TTR driver Burton, in what is one of the great battles of the 2023 season so far. Burton withstood the pressure, denying Down of victory.

Jake Burton crossed the line taking his second race victory of the season along with reinstating himself as the championship leader heading into round 6 of the championship at Red Bull Ring, Austria.

Madison Down continues to collect points with another podium finish in second place, along with Ethan Grigg-Gault finalising the podium places. Andrew Gilliam drove another impressive race to claim 4th, Dylan Rudd rounded out the top 5. The remainder of the top ten consisted of Brady Meyers in 6th, Robert Gibbs 7th, Scott 8th, Rattew 9th & Mathew Bowler Rounding out the top 10.

The championship battle remains tight at the top with Burton in control followed by James Scott in 2nd only 24 points behind.

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James Scott & Shane Van Gisbergen have won the Motorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup Bathurst 1000 for 2023 holding off the hard charging TTR duo of Madison Down & Brady Meyers in the dying stages.

Racing got underway at Mount Panorama Bathurst at 9am AEST with pole sitter James Scott leading the field to turn one followed by Andrew Gilliam & Ethan Warren. The field managed to file through the opening sequence of corners without issue, as drivers focused on finding their rhythm early, settling into the opening stint of the race.

Alexander Bird found himself under pressure early, tasked with starting Josh Anderson’s Trans Tasman Racing #51 entry. Bird found himself amongst the thick of the action, sliding to 7th before the beginning of lap 4, then re gaining his composure, before putting up an excellent fight against some highly rated primary drivers.

James Scott would continue to set the pace at the front of the pack, with Andrew Gilliam well and truely in tow, just 1 second from the lead. Ethan Warren continued to bring up the tail of the podium, putting in some solid times in Brady Meyers #22 Trans Tasman Racing commodore.

Down the field, Ric Kuznetsov was making headway early, charging his 9ine 5ive SimSports Commodore through the pack after missing the grid set procedure earlier in the morning. Kuznetsov would go on to make up a staggering 17 positions in the opening 11 laps, in what undoubtedly was one of the great opening Bathurst stints in series history.

Ric Kuznetsov was making headway early

Calm would only remain for a further few laps, with the first Safety Car intervention coming on lap 16 for the stranded car of Michael Healey. Partnering with Richard Hamstead, Healy found himself in trouble at the exit of the dipper, loosing control and firing into the fence as a result. Although still operational, the #28 was wedged in the fence, unable to get out. Drivers would take this first Safety Car period to make the first of their pit stops, many taking this opportunity to complete their first driver swaps of the day also. Winning the race off pit road, James Golding would strap into the #201 Altus Esports entry for the first time, with Brady Meyers & Shane Van Gisbergen both also taking the reins of their respective vehicles.

Green flag racing would resume on lap 20, with Golding leading the field into turn 1. Brady Meyers didn’t waste any time making his dash for the lead, quickly offloading Golding into turn 2, followed by Van Gisbergen who made his way past into 2nd before the completion of the 20th lap of the race.

Drivers again were tasked with finding their rhythm’s as teams headed closer to the middle portion of the race. Meyers lead Van Gisbergen followed by Madison Down, Dylan Rudd, Dylan O’Shea, Ethan Grigg-Gault, Wayne Bourke, Harley Haber, Tom Freer & Josh Anderson who rounded out the top ten after the completion of the 35th lap.

Michael Healey made heavy contact resulting in an early safety car

It wouldn’t take long for the Safety Car to be called upon again, Coby Jones detonating an engine in the chase on lap 40, putting an end to both his & Jordan Ross’ day. Many again took this as an opportunity for a driver change, as team’s began funnelling into the lane for their second unscheduled pit stop of the day. Ethan Warren would jump back into the #22, winning the race out of pit lane ahead of James Scott & Corey Shepherd.

Warren would resume in the lead on lap 42, with Scott & Shepherd behind.

It didn’t take long for Chaos to ensue behind in the mid pack, Joshua Thomas finding himself rotated on the exit of the chase on lap 45, involved in an untimely incident with Alexander Bird in the #51 entry. Bird would be penalised for the infringement, later serving his penalty.

Ethan Warren continued to impress at the front, leading the train of cars as teams started to approach the half way point of the 2023 Motorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup Bathurst 1000. James Scott continued to sit 2nd with Corey Shepherd in a comfortable 3rd, onboard the championship leading car he was sharing with Madison Down.

Coby Jones blows an engine and the day is over for #143

Corey Macfarlane was also a driver showing signs of form, similar to the form he displayed at Sandown onboard the #19, keeping himself in touch with the lead along with Stablemate Dylan Rudd, both putting on an excellent display for 9ine 5ive SimSports.

Again drivers would see the return of the Logitech G Safety Car on lap 57. This time though, many opted to keep their non primary drivers in the car, with the hope of clearing the 54 lap minimum required. Fuel and tyres for most, it would be Corey Shepherd cycling to the front with an excellent pit stop, jumping from third position. Warren would drop into second followed by Shane Van Gisbergen in 3rd, taking over from James Scott.

Leading the field to green on lap 60, Corey Shepherd would set about maintaining the lead for Madison Down, working well with Ethan Warren behind to stay in front of Van Gisbergen.

Andrew Gilliam meanwhile was back on the move onboard the #201 Altus Australia entry, lifting himself back up through the order, reaching the top 10 by lap 73. Although back on the march, Gilliam would find himself hit with a 15 second penalty moments later, for contact on lap 69 with the Moloney/Mugford entry entering the chase. With work still to do, Gilliam kept his eyes forward, picking off as many cars as he could before having to serve his penalty.

Contact from Andrew Gilliam sees the #29 have a huge moment at the chase

Lap 78 would prove to be critical, with the #269 Synergy Sim Racing Machine of Jamie McKnight bringing out caution number 4 of the day. Many took the chance to dive in for fresh fuel & tyres, with teams forced to keep their drivers in for another stint due to drive time requirements.

Out of sync Glen Postlethwaite would lead the field back to green on lap 80, quickly being swallowed up by both Ethan Warren & Shane Van Gisbergen. The restart wasn’t without drama, Richie Stanaway finding contact with the rear of the #201 Altus Esports entry of James Golding, causing damage to multiple cars in the process. Uncharacteristic for Stanaway, he’d be forced to serve a drive through penalty for the infringement.

Pressure was boiling at the front of the field, with a slight mistake for Ethan Warren opening the door for Van Gisbergen to attack on lap 90. With the gap down to less than a second, spectators were settling in for the epic showdown to come. The move for the lead would come on lap 102, with Van Gisbergen completing the pass on Warren into Griffins Bend. Taking the lead of the race with 59 laps remaining.

Warren responded to this move laps later, filing into the lane to hand his car over to Brady Meyers. Van Gisbergen followed suit on lap 105, followed by Corey Shepherd. A blistering Outlap from Brady Meyers saw the #22 Trans Tasman Racing driver re take the effective lead, with James Scott re joining the circuit in second. Dylan Rudd would sit third after pit lane transitions, followed by Madison Down & Marcello Rivera rounding out the top 5.

Racing intensified at the front on lap 109, James Scott surprising Brady Meyers with a lunge at Griffins Bend, bringing Dylan Rudd back into the fight heading towards the cutting. Brady would hang strong, re establishing track position behind James Scott, setting about continuing the fight for the race lead. Madison Down managed to make a move on Rudd stick a lap later, moving himself into third position behind Meyers.

Meyers again would bid for the lead on lap 112, replicating James Scott’s move from earlier, plunging his #22 Commodore down the inside at Griffins, also allowing Down to slip through into second, displacing Scott on the run to the cutting. Meyers set about building the gap behind, with Down on the other hand choosing to return the favour to Scott, backing the #088 up, saving some fuel in front. This strategy working perfectly, Meyers was able to focus on maintaining his lead, eventually building a gap up to four seconds total.

The lead though wouldn’t eventuate for Meyers, with a late race caution being called on lap 124 with Drivers opting to pit for fuel and tyres. Meyers would win the race off pit road, followed by Trans Tasman Racing stablemate Down, with Scott filing into 3rd position for the restart. Rudd & Grigg-Gault made up the top 5.

James Scott on a charge late in the race

Pushing towards the closing stages, it was clear it would be a shootout between the front 3 cars. Scott chipped away at Meyers, all while dragging Down along for the ride. Closing to the bar of Meyers on lap 144, Scott would throw a high risk move heading into Murray’s corner, diving down the inside of Meyers. Contact was made between the pair, Brady finding himself dislodged at the apex and fed out wide. This allowed Madison Down through to second, beginning his pursuit of the #088 Synergy Sim Racing Commodore.

With final pit stops being made in the closing segments of the race, all three leaders found themselves within a second of one another heading into the final laps of the race, Scott would lead, with Meyers jumping to second after the final stop, followed by Madison Down. It was clear, nobody was willing to back down in their pursuits of Australia’s greatest Sim Race.

Lap 150 provided heart stopping entertainment, Meyers throwing it all on the line in the chase, going for a chance move on race leader James Scott, contact between the pair was made in the chase, Scott finding himself out of control on entry to the braking Zone. Amazingly, Scott was able to re gain control, only to shoot off the circuit and through the grass. Somehow avoiding a massive incident, He was able to rejoin the circuit ahead of Meyers, maintaining the race lead. Down managed to get past Meyers on lap 155, now setting his sights on chasing down a Bathurst 1000 crown.

Heart stopping contact between Meyers and Scott at the chase

James Scott first to the flag after 161 laps

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Synergy Sim Racing’s James Scott has walked away as a provisionalfirst time winner in the Motorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup after apost race penalty was handed out, shuffling JarradFilsell down the order. 

Qualifying again would be a tightly contested affair, Spa-Francorchamps living up to expectations, proving draft would be the key to a successful qualifying position. Defending champion JarradFilsell would be the driver coming out on top in the15 minute qualifying session, setting a 2:16.593 for pole position with Synergy Sim Racing stablemate James Scott alongside him on the front row, just .043 of a second behind. Brady Meyers continues to impress in qualifying, ending up third alongside Ethan Grigg-Gault. 2022 Spa-Francorchamps pole sitter Marcello Rivera would complete the top five. 

JarradFilsell would make use of pole position, converting it to a perfect launch on the run down to La Source. Brady Meyers would also make a solid start from 3rd, Jumping Synergy Sim Racing’s James Scott, quickly making his presence known, launching his attack on the race lead. Lap 2 would prove to be critical for Brady Meyers & the race result, contact between the pair being made at the end ofKemmel Straight entering Les Combes sending Meyers off the Circuit & well outside the top 20.Filsell would be handed a 15 second penalty for the infringement, failure to serve during racing conditions resulted in the unserved penalty being applied to the post race results, droppingFilsell down towards the back of the top ten.Failing to complete the penalty during racing conditions,Filsell would go in to lodge an appeal against his 15 second infringementpost race, results from the official hearing will be heard on Monday the 15th of May. Until then, the race results from Spa-Francorchamps on the 10th of May will remain provisional. 

Filsell would continue to lead the pack for the time being over Evolution Racing Team’s Ethan Grigg-Gault & James Scott over the opening laps with Josh Anderson & Marcello Rivera continuing to hold places inside the top five. 

Itdidn’t take long for more incidents to unfold further down the field, with a battle between Jamie Dike, Brad Rattew & Tom Freer starting to unfold. All came unstuck on lap 4, Freer careering into the back of Jamie Dike on entryto the final chicane, taking Brad Rattew with him. A 15 second penalty would follow, inflicting more pain on what wasa already difficult night. 

Richard Hamstead also found himself ina difficult situation early, being caught out in an incident at La Source with teammate Madison Down and Pursuit Sim Racing’s Andrew Gilliam. An opportunistic move fromDown, forced Gilliam to open the wheel, pushing the #201 Mustang wide into Hamstead resulting in a spin for the #28 on the exit of turn one. Hamstead would rejoin the race, although with a lot of ground to make up. 

A hot lead pack would continue to be the story of the race,Filsell holding the lead over James Scott who made his way back into 2nd position ahead of Ethan Grigg-Gault. Brady Meyers was continuing to impress, climbing back through the field from outside the top 20 to sit in 15th position after the opening 10 laps, showing he was capable of still producing front running pace although being bottled up in the pack of cars racing for the top ten. 

Drama would strike again on lap 11 in the battle for the top 5, Dylan O’Shea being off loaded on the exit of La Source by Marcello Rivera. Dylan Rudd would also find himself the innocent victim in this incident, finding himself with nowhere to go, collecting his 9ine 5iveSimSports teammate in the process. For Rivera, his night would only get worse from this moment on, with an internet dropoutultimately putting an end to his night. 

Brady Meyers would be the first of the heavy hitters to enter the pit lane on lap 12, hoping to make up ground on the cars still choosing to circulate. Jake Burton would be the next contender to hit the lane on lap 20, producing a solid pit stop which would throw him into contention in the middleportion of the race. 

Leaders JarradFilsell, James Scott & Ethan Grigg-Gault would follow suit on lap 21, all choosing to pit with one another. Burton would split the trio, the undercut along with a lighter fuel load allowing theTrans Tasman Racing driver to place himself perfectly behind SSR cars of Scott &Filsell. 

Grigg-Gaultwouldn’t waste any time though, making the move on Burton on lap 23 for third position, as he set out to chase after James Scott & JarradFilsell before the second Compulsory pit stop. 

The race would remain rather quiet throughout the middleportion of the race, many drivers settling into a rhythm counting down the laps until their final pit stops. 

Moloney’s recovery drive took a hit as he completed his final stop of the night, a mistake on coldtyres in pit exit saw the driver of the #29 TTR Mustang facing the wrong way in pit exit. He would resume the race, slotting himself down in the mid to low teens. 

Ethan Grigg-Gault would make a critical pit stop on lap 31, rejoining the race in prime position to take control of the race. Scott &Filsell would pit one laplater on lap 32 to complete the final of two compulsory pit stops, resuming the race behind Ethan Grigg-Gault, who masterminded an excellent strategy call to promote himself into the lead in the dying laps. 

Filsell still with the impending 15 second time penalty hovering over him, would make light work of catching Grigg-Gault, providing a challenge for the race lead with only a handful of laps to go. The move would eventuate on lap 34, with a bold pass around the outside of the final chicane,re taking control of the race lead. Grigg-Gault put up a strong fight with James Scott only moments later, unfortunately unable to fend off Scott, who made hiswas past entering Les Combes on lap 36. 

Filsell would cross the finish line on lap 39 in the lead, but would drop to 8th position with post race penalty’s applied, leaving James Scott to cross the line for his first victory in the Motorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup, followed by Ethan Grigg-Gault & Josh Anderson, who put on a clinic of strategy and driving to complete the podium in 3rd position. Jake Burton & Madison Down would complete the provisional top 5, making it 3 Trans Tasman Racing cars inside the top 5.

With provisional results now recorded, freshly of a race win, James Scott also takes command of the Motorsport Australia Logitech G Pro Invitational Cup championship standings on 540 points, ahead of Jake Burton on 524 points.

3 rounds, 4 races, 4 different winners. It’s fair to say 2023 is creating an excellent spectacle. The championship is tight at the top heading into round 5 set to be held at Road America on the 7th of June. Who will reign supreme? Join us for round 5 to find out!

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As the closing stages of the 2022 Logitech G pro invitational series Bathurst 1000 heated up, Two drivers in particular took the battle to new heights.

Lap 158 was one of the talking points of the race with contact between Brady Meyers & Brodie Kostecki bringing many opinions post race. The final restart commenced on lap 153, leaving 9 laps to get the job done. From the moment green flag racing resumed the battle between Kostecki & Meyers was on!

Everything came unstuck for the SSR and TTR spearheads on the exit of the chase on lap 158, Brady on the offence managed to obtain overlap on the exit of turn 21 which lead to both drivers being side by side for turn 22. Brady on the inside ran door to door with Brodie, slight contact on exit saw Brodie find himself with 2 wheels in the grass.

With this intense battle coming to a head, contact continued to follow with both drivers not willing to give a inch. This allowed TTR’s Madison down to capitalise on the situation along with Ethan Grig-Gault. Madison charged through to take control of second followed by Brady.

What the TTR duo couldn’t see was the out of control Brodie Kostecki who was clashing with ERT’s Grigg-Gault. As both cars neared the braking zone battling to maintain their positions contact was made, firing the #99 SSR/Boost Mobile Racing Commodore through the grass on approach to the final corner. Brodie became a complete passenger spearing directly into the door of Meyers narrowly missing the second placed car of Maddison down.Both cars made the tyre barrier on the  outside of the final corner resulting in severe damage but we’re able to complete all of the 161 laps.

Brady and Brodie will both definitely be ruing the missed opportunity to take a step on the Bathurst podium finding themselves finishing 7th (Brady) and 11th (Brodie) respectively.

With only 2 rounds remaining in the inaugural 2022 Logitech G pro Invitational Series which driver will conquer their rival? Will Brodie strike back with race winning form? Or will Brady show his grit and determination to come out on top? Tune in on the 16th of November for the penultimate round of the championship to see Brady Meyers and Brodie Kostecki resume their battle!

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