When we made the trip to America’s home of the road course last year, the words on everyone’s lips were “New Damage Model” as iRacing made sweeping changes to the contact points of the cars.

While this particular trip doesn’t include the word “new” in the title, it does still have that shiny feeling to it.

Whilst there’s no giant bronze bull in the middle of the circuit, this one has received the moniker “Bull Ring” from the drivers for its notorious elbows-out racing - a concept that has become synonymous with the Gen 3 era.

Wide run-off areas that are usable without penalty, high kerbing that you have to climb all over to extract lap time … Oh! And don’t forget that Armco barrier that pokes out right next to the entry of the bus stop chicane that claimed Ethan Grigg-Gault late in the race last year.

This could have anything go on, and given what's been on show this year from Supercars itself, I would expect elbows to be commonplace.

With a short and punchy lap of just 3.93km, this layout of Watkins is only topped by Sandown for the shortest lap of this season. However, Watkins’ incredibly high average speed figures make for near identical lap times despite the extra distance. Laps absolutely fly by around here, with speeds that make you feel dizzy!

When looking at past results, one stat jumps to mind over the rest; pole position is yet to be converted to a race win. 

Remember that short lap we talked about? That means qualifying will be broken up into two sessions with 45th to 23rd in the championship in Group 1, and 22nd to the lead in Group 2.

Tracks with fine margins like this always plant seeds of drama, with anyone who is a touch out of position in the championship getting an opportunity to set the time sheets alight and grab a solid starting position.

The emerging story between races has been the switch of Zach Rattray-White from Vermillion to Eclipse. Now a lot has been made of what Rattray-White can gain, but also consider the flip side of that coin. Eclipse have talent to burn, but lack experience in the strategy nuance of Supercars racing. 

Zach Rattray-White will make his first appearance in Eclipse colours this week

The easy pick for the race win would, once again, belong to Jarrad Filsell. But with the season progressing and patience being tested, we may finally start seeing a few people shake up that order. Lobs Esports fired out of the box strong, but the others are starting to catch back up again.

Looking through the supplementary regulations for the round is always important from a driver's perspective, and even offers some insight into how stewarding decisions are reached. When NASCAR runs at this layout, track limits become a suggestion; but for our series, the line denoting the edge of the track reigns supreme at the exit of the carousel - drivers outside of this line will have to rejoin safely and compromise their runs.

Predictions

1. Safety Car, Safety Car, Safety Car - The BMW GT4 Safety Car has sat on the sidelines to this point, but it's finally time for it to make an appearance. Safety Cars have appeared in both Watkins Glen races to date and I expect this to be no different.
2. Rattray-White has been desperate for a podium, he’s been there and thereabouts and confidence is high. I predict it won't be this race, but rather next time out. Changing scenery typically leads to a small downtrend, look for it to follow with an immediate resurgence.
3. ERT have been quick, particularly in qualifying trim. Grigg-Gault took pole last season, but I think Robbie Gibbs might just nick pole! Dark horse, but he’s been driving well and I think there’s a definite chance.
4. Undercuts are huge, someone is going to roll the dice aggressively, probably at the back end of the top 10.
5. The big one! NASCAR track leads to a NASCAR accident!

That’s all from me, folks! I hope to see you Wednesday as we kick into high gear at Watkins Glen!

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by Scott Rankin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A remarkably clean start to the race

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What to look for:

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

Formguide:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lobs Esports enter the enduro cup with good momentum

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

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

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

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

Freer and Stovold will pair up for the third straight year

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trueforce Endurance Cup Schedule:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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After a somewhat shorter vacation than years gone by the quiet of Logitech V8 Pro Championship are polished, prepped and ready to roar to life. 12 months ago we were in this weird place where no one really know how the dice would land as Gen 3 Supercars came online for the first time, but in 2026 we come prepared with a form guide.

Oh and don’t forget the wild four weeks of racing covering the Qualifying series! On track stoushes, elbows out and some of the wildest racing that doesn’t actually count for the overall points leads to the most unique section of the calendar each year. Literally a voice destroyer for anyone in the commentating business.

To everyone who actually runs the gauntlet of Qualifying each and every year, I honestly salute you as it is a serious effort requiring planning, effort, forethought, patience, aggression and rigorous practice. Making the series each and every year through Qualifying (including Pre-Qualifying) is a mammoth task and takes a toll.

2026

A stat line that popped out at me when looking at the data for Sebring was the absence of a repeat winner across the four years of the Logitech G V8 Pro Invitational, and the only repeat Pole sitter is James Scott. A lack of track dominance has been rare to come by, due to the overwhelming dominance of individual teams in the series.

Remembering back to our trip here last year, tire wear was a major factor, as well as the marble build up. This means overtaking later on in the race requires a more decisive tire offset, and a lot more of getting to someone’s inside and forcing them to the dirty side of the road. Keep your eyes on turn one and the hairpin for examples of this.

Long run pace and not frying the tires will be critical, as will being decisive on getting the move done and then getting out of dodge. We had one of the best laps of the season last time around, but fighting too hard too early just brings the entire pack into play.

Fuel windows are going to be in the 19-20 lap range. This is bang on the halfway mark of the race. With the race distance being 38 laps an even stint length is 12/13/13. Undercutting on the first stint hasn’t tended to be the best move without a light fill at the first stop, but this makes you vulnerable to any safety cars prior to the final stops. You get all your bites of the cherry up front, and will have to pay back that penalty against lighter cars.

This one never fails to impress. Don’t know what it is about the heat, the bumps and the narrow surface, but the last two years we have had an incredible fight for the finish with drama all over it.

Sebring. One word, so many implications. Who will light the fire on the season and whose flame will sputter early?

One way to find out, see you all Wednesday night to kick it all off! 7.45pm AEDT.

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by Scott Rankin