CoRe SimRacing Takes The IVRA Clubsport 2024-2025 Season LMP3 Championship!
The IVRA Clubsport Series stands as one of the most prestigious sim racing championships today, second only to the IVRA Endurance Series. Known for its competitive spirit and thrilling multi-class racing, the Clubsport Series features a spectacular lineup of car classes including the Ligier JS P320 LMP3 prototype, Porsche 992 Cup, GT4, and TCR. For the 2024–2025 season, CoRe SimRacing was entering the series journey with Pascal Stix, Maik Paluch, and Carl Winkler. After finishing an impressive second place in the 2023–2024 season’s LMP3 class — just behind Hydrorace Geodesic Racing a year ago — CoRe was eager to achieve a similar good result. This year’s main rivals in LMP3 were once again the trio of Hydrorace Geodesic Racing teams with #64 Geodesic as well as Deletraz Automotive leading the charge.
The season opener which was held at Road America started on a tricky note. Although CoRe SimRacing’s qualifying performance didn’t shine, it quickly became clear that one-lap pace wasn’t the key to success in this series. A chaotic start featuring two safety cars within the first hour allowed Carl, who took the green flag, to climb into the Top-5. Maik held steady during the middle stint, keeping CoRe firmly in the fight. With an hour to go and a final safety car bunching up the field, Pascal jumped in for the final push. Despite a fierce restart and some brilliant defending on worn tires, a dramatic incident involving the Geodesic cars and Pascal dropped CoRe to P5 — a solid opening result given the circumstances.
Another moderate qualifying placed CoRe mid-pack for round two at Barber Motorsports Park, with Maik kicking off the race. Early on, an unfortunate traffic incident handed him a time penalty, but the first safety car gave CoRe a chance to reset. A bold strategic call to stay out during the caution saw them restart in P4. The race became a survival contest as multiple LMP3 teams faltered. Maik maintained position inside the Top-5 before handing over to Pascal. Another daring call to stay out under caution vaulted CoRe to P2, and after a brilliant restart, Pascal even grabbed the race lead against Deletraz Automotive. Late-race chaos struck again – after another safety car, Pascal restarted P2 but slipped back to P5. However, in a stunning twist, Team Heusinkveld — who looked set for a back to back win — imploded with major penalties. Thanks to smart racing and nerves of steel, CoRe finished P4, gaining valuable points through strategy and resilience.
At round three which took place at Sebring International Raceway, CoRe’s consistency again paid dividends. Maik started inside the Top-10 and calmly avoided carnage, climbing to P4 after the first hour. After several safety car periods, Pascal took over and continued the charge. Though unable to match the leaders’ outright pace at the restart, a massive crash among the several LMP3 frontrunners Geodesic & Deletraz after Turn 1, handed Pascal the race lead with minutes to go. Under heavy pressure, Pascal fought valiantly, briefly losing the lead to TREQ’s Nils van Haandel, but in a dramatic final twist, TREQ brushed the wall exiting Sunset Bend with just two minutes left. Pascal retook the lead and crossed the line victorious, sealing a stunning first win of the season for CoRe SimRacing.
Carrying momentum and the championship lead into Imola as round four after the great success in Sebring, Maik once again took the start under heavy fog weather conditions this time by. With stronger pace and tactical awareness, he avoided a major early crash involving Heusinkveld, Geodesic, and Soelpec, positioning CoRe inside the Top-5 early. Following a clean first stop, Carl’s sharp strategy moved Maik up to P3. At the halfway point, CoRe made another smart strategic call during a safety car, allowing them to grab maximum halfway points by running at the front. Pascal then took over in the second half, holding the lead with solid pace. Though Heusinkveld eventually overtook him, Pascal fought back fiercely and secured P2, giving CoRe the best points haul of the day and solidifying their grip on the championship.
With Pascal unavailable, Carl stepped in to join Maik for the penultimate round at Jerez. Although overall pace was moderate in the beginning stages of the race, CoRe’s signature clean execution kept them in the Top-5 once again. Carl’s another brilliant halfway-points strategy saw them snatch P2 behind Deletraz, banking in more crucial championship points. Maik led for a significant portion of the race before Carl brought the car home safely. Although a late splash-and-dash was needed due to no safety car interruptions which took a toll on a somewhat hopeful strategy call, a fifth-place finish concluded CoRe’s championship lead to 25 points over the #64 Geodesic LMP3 squad heading into the season finale at Portimao.
For the grand finale, Pascal and Maik teamed up to bring it home. Despite a tough qualifying and early pace challenges for Maik, CoRe focused on what they did best the whole season by playing the long game. Maik battled from P9 up to P5 during his double stint, and with only one safety car all race, strategy became key. Carl determined another on-point plan, putting CoRe slightly off-sequence and saving just enough fuel to avoid a splash-and-dash later — a lesson learned from Jerez. Pascal kept up a strong final stint with excellent pace, and with no one able to counter Carl’s strategy, CoRe SimRacing with Pascal behind the wheel, stormed to a sensational race win at Portimao — sealing the championship in perfect fashion.
An incredible season from start to finish : “The blend of consistency, clever strategy, and racecraft by Pascal and Maik ultimately secured the IVRA Clubsport LMP3 championship title. It was an up and down all season but keeping it on track while others faded made the difference.” – Carl concluded. Despite strong competition from Hydrorace Geodesic Racing, Team Heusinkveld, Deletraz Automotive, and the Moradness M Squad — all of whom showed flashes of great speed — mistakes and penalties opened the door to the championship trophy. And the cherry on top — this result has marked to be the 50th team championship in 20 years CoRe SimRacing results history. But nevertheless, last but not least, a big thanks to the IVRA organization for another great season. CoRe is looking forward to tackle the next IVRA Clubsport events and maybe even venture into the IVRA Endurance Series as well.
