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I was just reading over the article from this time last season and reminiscing. That was my first time putting pen to paper for previews of the series. Nobody had an idea what was about to play out for Round 1. 

Sebring last year kicked off in a big way. If you’re new here, or for some other reason haven’t seen the ending to last year’s championship opener, I would list it as prescribed viewing. Yes! I’m assigning you homework, it's the kind of homework I’ve rewatched multiple times across the year. I even made it easy, you only need to watch the final 10 laps!

The tiniest of touches at the end of an amazing race blew up into the biggest accident the series has ever seen, rewriting the entire narrative that had built up for the 2024 championship. Robbie Gibbs would win his first ever Pro Invitational race, with Tom Freer and Hayden Veld rounding out the podium.

If this year’s race can go anywhere near that, we are in for a banger of a year. The best part is, the Qualifying series has told us it's very much going to be the case!

The 2025 V8PRO Qualifying Series delivered remarkable racing

Lessons from the Qualifying Series

It was a wild four-round series to get us underway in new hardware, and something Brenton Hobson said at one stage has actually stuck with me.

“I think the drivers who get to race the qualifying series are going to be in a better spot for racing laps”.

With racing at times mirroring what we’ve seen from the real world Supercars at the Melbourne GP, this could be a frantic affair with more Safety Cars than we’re used to. The biggest win for the new iRacing Gen 3’s is the amount of contact the cars can now take without being affected; it is going to have an ongoing impact on what the racing looks like.

Strategy has changed up as well, with extra fuel available in the tank and tyres that seem to fall off before plateauing. Keep an eye on teams looking to create an advantage as drivers skill sets evolve with new management techniques.

Race Info

It's normally about now that I go and grab last year’s pole lap, race winner and some more key insights. I’m going to do that again this year, but I’d take this with a pinch of salt. Remember, these new cars have less downforce and therefore are going to be slower.

2025

What to expect

Well the word from the drivers I have spoken to thus far is that tyre wear and ‘fall off’ are going to be huge factors! For the last few years, Sebring has traditionally been a hot race with track temperatures soaring into the mid to high 40’s.

Peak lap times are going to fall off to the tune of two seconds across just the first three laps of the run. Will they stabilise out from there? Most likely, but do expect some tyre fall off at the back end of the run once again. If you split the race into three even segments, this is set to occur at around lap 12-13 of the run; expect overcuts and undercuts to throw a spanner in the works at this stage of the stints.

On track, this race has been absolutely cracking in the past! From the very first race with a pack of five cars squabbling over victory on the final lap, to the drama of last year’s ‘big one’ - Sebring has not yet failed to deliver as an action packed spectacle!

Fuel saving strategy plays, crossover moves and ailing rubber will all be on my bingo card for this one, but the thing to watch in Sebring will be the pack flying into Turn 1 for the first time! That first corner is infamous for narrowing on exit and could lead to chaos.

I’m banking on 1-2 Safety Cars, and Stephen “Sandman” Clarke has not been quiet over the course of the Qualifying Series about how much impact the Safety Car can have!

Rookies? Well if you thought five in Formula 1 over the weekend was a lot, we’ve got 11 - making up a quarter of the field! Most of them do have experience running in Supercars from the Gen 2 era, but will be making their debut as a full time driver here in Gen 3 hardware! The race for Rookie of the Year will be a hot one as the year progresses.

New drivers and new teams are expected to shake up the series this year

Pre Race Predictions

I actually feel my predictions are on the conservative side this year. These are new cars with drastically new feel, and I’m going into Wednesday night expecting to see something out of the ordinary to suit. We’ve got such big potential to see a first timer on the podium, but also a big field shakeup.

Do you think we’re going to get a race that cascades into disaster as the 2024 race did? Or do we go green the entire way and I get proven wrong?

Join us for our first race of the Logitech G Pro Invitational Championship live on Wednesday 19th March from 7.45pm AEDT (GMT +11)

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by Scott Rankin

A major driver bombshell has stunned the 2025 Logitech G V8PRO Invitational Series just weeks ahead of the season opener at Sebring.

One of the series’ top 20 drivers has made the stunning decision to walk away from a full-time seat, opting instead for a co-driver role in the Enduro Cup rounds for another team. The move not only reshapes the grid but also creates an endurance pairing that will be fascinating to watch in the back half of the season.

Blake Worboys has shocked the Logitech G V8PRO Invitational Series by stepping away from his full-time seat in 2025. Instead, he’ll be co-driving with Jordan Ross for the Enduro Cup rounds in the Synergy Sim Racing #143 Mustang.

Worboys had locked in a full-time spot by finishing in the Top 20 last season for the second consecutive year, but he’s decided to shift focus, teaming up with Ross for endurance races.  In a deal that reportedly will also see Ross aboard a WK&P car during various other events in the year, the pairing offers a potent combination of speed and experience during the 2025 V8PRO Endurance Cup.

the #63 WK&P Mustang will not be on the grid in 2025

“I’m pumped to be teaming up with Jordan,” said Worboys. “Stepping back from full-time V8PRO was a tough call, but this is a great chance to chase big results in the endurance races.”

When asked about the motivations behind the decision Blake stated; "I've loved my time racing at the top level, but in 2025 an Enduro drive suits me better. I'm focusing on being a Dad for the first time and spending more time on my Karting commitments which is more than enough to keep me busy".

Ross sees big potential. “Blake’s quick, and I know we’ll be competitive. It’s a strong move for both teams.”

Ross has been vocal about the performance of Worboys on the Paddock Podcast over the last 12 months and more than once proclaimed that his effort in 2024 was exceptional.

The move to work with SSR will be a big learning opportunity for Worboys who was the only WK&P car on the grid in 2024. Working alongside a team of competitive drivers will be a unique experience and will also offer a glimpse into the setup direction for the Gen 3 Supercars which are debuting in the 2025 V8PRO Championship.

The shock withdrawal of Worboys from the 2025 full-time driver roster will also open the door for SSR recruit Dylan Perera to step into the series as the first reserve driver from the 2025 Qualifying Series. 

After a string of bad luck hampered his points chase, Dylan confirmed his potential at the finale at Winton by taking Pole Position and a Podium finish.

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On Wednesday night, the Logitech G Pro Invitational Qualifying Series turned to its last page; this was the last chance for drivers to claim their entry to the main game.

In true blue Australian fashion, the drivers would return down under to lap the infamously challenging Winton Motor Raceway to cap out four incredible rounds of racing action.

With many names anxiously dancing above and below the cutoff line, nerves were high for drivers and spotters alike as the session opened and cars took to the asphalt. Would it be your final time amongst the best? Or would you make it to the most competitive series in the Oceanic Region?

Let’s dive into the final race review of the Qualifying Series!

Big gaps spell out interesting qualifying session

While it’s not the shortest lap of the season when looking at the stopwatch, Winton easily takes the cake for the slowest lap of the season when you look at average speed. That makes for a large skill gap in traction management in the seemingly endless kinks of this distinctly Australian speedway.

At the halfway mark, there was just over half a second separating the top 10, with Synergy Sim Racing's Dylan Perera topping the table on a 1:22.322. While just 0.029s separated Perera from Evolution Racing Team’s Jobe Stewart at the time, there would be a two-tenth gap down to third.

Dylan Perera set the early benchmark in Qualifying for everyone to chase

Andrew Dyson caused a calamity at the pit entry with 10 minutes to go, running deep onto the grass at the penultimate corner. When Dyson rejoined, he would spin across the nose of Dylan O’Shea’s 9INE5IVE Mustang, trapping himself between the tyre barrier and the pit entry lane.

When Dyson attempted to spin his Camaro back in the right direction, he would bring Lachlan Caple to a stop. Caple’s teammate, Hayden Veld, would not notice the checkup in time and slammed into Caple’s rear bumper at speed. The incident would leave both of the ERT Mustang’s with significant damage.

As drivers got in their groove, times would tighten by the time qualifying drew to a close - with the top 10 separated by just 0.291s.

Perera would hold pole position from his time set earlier in the session, while Eclipse’s Damon Woods pipped Jobe Stewart by just 0.001 for that second front row spot. Brenton Hobson would line up in fourth, followed by Kurt Stenberg, Glen Postlethwaite, Matthew Bowler, Denis Gataric, Tao Soerono and Corey Preston.

The field races down into Turn 1 off the start

Woods robs Perera off the line in lap 1 scramble of the ages!

Once the cars settled into a window of tyre temperature, there would not be many overtaking opportunities around the tight and technical lap of Winton. So, when the green flag dropped, what would be seen was more symbolic of the start of a hunger games film than a race start.

The first to take aim was Damon Woods, who stormed off the line to claim the race lead from Dylan Perera before the pair got to Turn 1.

Jobe Stewart arrived at the scene next, pushing Perera into third as the qualifying series tussled through the tight first chicane. There would be one more position loss in Perera’s nightmare start, with his teammate Brenton Hobson pinching third place on the downhill run into Turn 3.

Jacob O’Reilly found himself in the gravel on the exit of Turn 4, plunging from his starting position of 18th down to 36th.

What’s worse than going off into the gravel? Not getting off the line.

Daniel Benefield would stall his 9INE5IVE Mustang when the lights went green, with everyone behind reacting quickly enough to avoid a monumental accident. Benefield would also have engine trouble later on, pulling off into an escape road to avoid bringing out a safety car.

Cars jostle for position on the opening lap

Podium runner spins in heartbreaking unforced error

Brenton Hobson would be chasing the leading pair of Woods and Stewart at the start of lap 3, but it would be tragically short lived.

On the exit of the first chicane, Hobson’s Camaro would bounce strangely and bottom out on the exit curb of Turn 2. His car would carry enough speed to find itself in the wall on the right side of the track, leaving him with damage on the front end as well as dropping all the way to the back of the order.

Thankfully for Hobson, his consistent results in the previous three rounds would mean his place in the main game was not under threat.

Bottleneck sparks heated scrap in the midfield

While the running order had mostly settled as the race moved into the 13th lap, the timing board quickly revealed a ticking time bomb on the fringe of the top 10.

DPR’s Ryan Jones was four seconds behind the car in front. In the meantime, he had five cars stacked behind him within a second.

Vermillion eSports’ Tao Soerono was quick to give Jones a hurry-on, bumping the DPR driver wide on the exit of Turn 9. Two laps later, Soerono would pass Jones down the inside of Turn 7.

That same move opened the door for Eclipse’s Kobi Williams, who found his way into the top 10 after the scrap concluded.

An uncharacteristic mistake sent Hobson into the barriers on Lap 3

Pit lane comes to life in first round of stops

The first round of stops began as the race progressed past lap 20. Damon Woods would box from the lead on lap 23, while Jobe Stewart interestingly stayed out an extra lap despite anticipation of an undercut.

While short-fuelling saw Dylan Perera take the race lead - followed by Kurt Stenberg in second - Jobe Stewart would drop all the way down to 6th after the first stops.

The top 10 order on lap 27 after the first batch of stops concluded was: Perera, Stenberg, Woods, Postlethwaite, Stewart, Gataric, Veld, Bowler, Williams and Borg.

Main game glory clouds driver vision at halfway mark

With the first pit stops completed, drivers and their spotters began to crunch numbers on where they would need to finish to continue their V8 Pro campaigns into 2025.

Jacob O’Reilly would throw a spanner in the works on lap 30, throwing his Vermillion Mustang down the inside of Andrew Dyson into Turn 3.

Shawn McNamara would pile on the pressure to Dyson for the remainder of the lap, but would get the spot for free when Dyson peeled his DPR Camaro into the lane having crossed the critical lap marker.

A tough night ended behind the wall early for Daniel Benefield

Fears rise for Synergy and Baldwin in late accident

With 29 to go, Brady Baldwin was spun around by Vermillion’s Tyce Hodge at Turn 9. This piled on significant pressure to the Synergy driver, who was 19th in the championship standings coming into the final round.

Baldwin would keep his cool to finish 24th on the road, securing himself enough points to maintain his place in the standings and secure a main game drive in 2025.

The beneficiary of the debacle was Orbit Drop Bear’s Tyson Broad, who slipped by with half his car on the grass to move up four positions.

Final stops line up the run home to pro

With 25 laps remaining, the lead pack began to peel into the lane for the final stops of the night. It would be a mixed bag of varying stop lengths that shook up the initial order.

Dylan Perera would pit from the race lead, and while he would hold onto 3rd place all the way to the chequered flag, he would still not secure enough points to make it over the cutoff line in the standings. With that, Perera’s Pro series aspirations would grind to a tragic halt.

Jobe Stewart and Denis Gataric had a similar fate, running home inside the top 10 in Winton but failing to make the cutoff line with attendance issues plaguing their respective seasons.

Tyson Broad would spin Andrew Dyson at Turn 9 with 20 to go, leaving Broad with a penalty that would drop him down the order significantly. The points loss from the penalty meant Broad would finish in a tied 20th place in the standings, but would lose out on the cutoff line on countback to Vermillion’s Ben Faulkner.

Broad sneaks down the inside of a spinning Brady Baldwin

Woods takes the chequered flag to claim third consecutive Eclipse win

Damon Woods took home the chocolates in Winton, crossing the line two seconds ahead of Jobe Stewart to claim his Pro Series entry.

Woods follows in the footsteps of his teammates, Kody Deith and Dylan Birse, in his guaranteed entry to the main game - despite having his seat pretty well secured in the regular points standings anyway.

The remainder of the top 10 would hold steadfast from the order after the second stops.

As always … honourable mentions!

Shawn McNamara and Andre Yousiff were the biggest movers of the afternoon, both moving up 17 positions respectively. The pair would also secure themselves main game seats.

Reyn Campbell moved up an impressive 16 positions from 35th to 19th, but did not make the cutoff line.

Kobi Williams made his way from 20th to 9th, which bagged him enough points to finish 9th in the overall standings.

Brenton Hobson was the biggest loser in this round, dropping from 4th to 30th. As previously mentioned, his season-long results were enough for him to finish 7th in the points race anyway.

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by Harrison Lillas

As the qualifying series draws to a close the field is slowly bringing itself into a more consistent lineup. Funny that. The law of averages eventually has the cream rising to the top, whilst those that snatched a result will continue their slide downwards.

With Emily Jones, Kody Deith and Dylan Birse all locked in via their wins, we also have 2 drivers that are locked in on points and don’t even require points from the final race. Jacob O’Reilly and Brenton Hobson are more than 190 points ahead of 21st place Tao Soerono. Now a win is normally worth 200 points, but with a win guaranteeing your spot you can only make up 2nd place worth of points, or 190.

So now we move to the analysis of the battle for the bubble. Who is in, who is out?

This is where the focus is going to be tomorrow night. The margins on the bubble itself are actually fairly large for 3 rounds, and that reflects the up and down nature of the series thus far.

Once you get over the bubble the points actually close up. 24 points covers 6 drivers from 22nd to 27th. So should Ben Faulkner and Tao Soerono both have bad nights, that 20th Points spot becomes exceptionally spicy! Anyone from the top 20 gets the final win, and that pushes the pressure point from being on Faulkner to Soerono. Expect the win to be a critical factor to this battle for the bubble!

Drivers that have the pace to be in and aren’t are plenty. Richie Stanaway sits 26th after missing a round, Michael Talijancich was a recipient of a Golden Ticket for 2024’s pro series and he’s on the outside looking in. Add to these names Dylan Perera (retirement in Race 1), Jobe Stewart (only made 1 race thus far), and Tom Freer (pedal failure at Hockenheim) and there’s actually a lot of drivers not going to make the series.

The win and in changes that script though. Realistically its only going to be the top 25 who are a feasible chance of pointing their way in, and anyone else is a mathematical and race result oddity. Can you imagine a world where Stanaway is able to make the final race and wins it? Who else can take that win from nowhere?

Well its Winton that plays host to the final round. If you had said to me this was the case in Gen2 chassis, I’d say we’re in for a snooze fest. Marbles, low aero and a car that moves around a lot more changes that significantly.

Chatting to Tyson Broad (18th in points) from Orbit Drop Bear and he’s been on struggle street this week with prep work for Winton. Early work on setups was a struggle for front end bite and he generally struggles at Winton in general. Could this be a driver that moves from inside the bubble to out?

Tyson Broad will be amongst the drivers desperate to stay inside the top 20 in points

Strategy and undercuts are going to be supremely important to this track where the tires never get a break. Clear air on that undercut will also be critical. With so much run off (albeit grass run off) and we might finally get our first race without a Safety Car… Then again, the tight nature is absolutely going to trend towards more paint traded.

The big key for the guys in the top 15 will be “get a clean result on the board and we’re good to go” whilst everyone else is going to scrap for their lives.

See it all play out tomorrow night from 7.45pm AEDT.

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by Scott Rankin