CoRe To Only Finish 7th & 10th Overall In DSRC Endurance Series
After a successful campaign in the 2023 DSRC Endurance Series, CoRe SimRacing aimed to replicate its triumph in the 2024 edition hosted by the ADAC & DMSB’s DSRC Endurance Series on the iRacing platform. Carl Winkler and Maik Paluch planned and returned to defend their championship title in the #24 Mercedes AMG GT3. Joining them, the sister team comprising Ronald Großmann, Dominik Engel, and Markus Gunzelmann entered the round with their #25 Mercedes AMG GT3 as well, marking the second CoRe entry in the 17-size GT3 class category for the 2024 season.
The season kicked off at Daytona International Speedway’s road course – despite fierce competition, Maik and Carl were able to secure a respectable P5 as maximum, while the sister team finished in P11. The second round took place at Mugello, marking CoRe’s debut at the one of the newly scanned venues by iRacing. Carl showcased remarkable pace during the final stint, clinching another solid P5 finish. Meanwhile, the sister car concluded the race in P9 after a tough race around the tricky circuit. Round 3 was held at Sebring – and despite last year’s victory and overall experience at the Florida track it didn’t yield similar results for Carl and Maik, settling for a maximum of P8. The sister car faced issues as well, managing only a P12 finish.
The penultimate round at Road America, chosen by the series participants, proved fruitful for both CoRe cars. With the balance of performance favoring the Mercedes AMG GT3 this time by, Carl and Maik delivered a great performance, securing a 4th place, while the #25 CoRe car claimed a commendable P7. The final round at the Nürburgring Nordschleife saw both teams employing their strategic joker rule, with Carl and Ronald each completing the race solo for their respective teams. Ronald secured P8, while Carl finished in P10 in his maiden outing at iRacing’s scanned Nürburgring Nordschleife.
It was a challenging season for CoRe SimRacing, marred by balance of performance issues in several races, which dampened morale. Despite some strong finishes, the additional performance ballast and power restrictions imposed on the Mercedes AMG GT3 took a toll on the team’s performance. The overall series standings sees the #24 car to finish their journey in 7th with the #25 entry in 10th. The focus now shifts to the upcoming 2024 DSRC Sprint Series hosted by the DMSB, where Carl Winkler aims to replicate his 2023 success, this time piloting the Audi R8 GT3.