CoRe Fall Short By Finest Margins In ARL GT Trophy Season 11
Season 11 of the Apex Racing League GT Trophy proved to be one of the emotionally charged campaigns for CoRe SimRacing. Entering the season with solid line-ups across both Pro and Pro-Am categories, expectations were high, and the pace was good from the very beginning. With Maik Paluch and Carl Winkler leading the Pro effort in the Ford Mustang GT3, supported by Bennett Parsons in his ARL debut and Jan Vollmers, the raw ingredients for another exciting season were present. The Pro-Am squad of Marcus Fox, Dominik Engel, Sven Lottmann, and Ronald Großmann added further depth, but from the opening round it became clear that this season would be shaped by fine margins and missed opportunities.
The early part of the season was anything but smooth. Mexico City delivered immediate frustration as a strong weekend unraveled for Maik before the lights even went out, while Carl and Marcus salvaged valuable results to keep CoRe in the mix from the start. Sebring and Monza showed flashes of what could be achieved when things aligned, with solid team points and competitive heat-race performances, yet inconsistency and incidents continued to haunt the overall picture. Suzuka marked a first turning point in the season for CoRe, as Maik began his charge with another Top-5 finish. Bennett delivered a standout second place in his lonely Lamborghini Huracan GT3, proving his potential despite a challenging rookie season. Nürburgring reinforced that momentum, with Maik finishing second behind title rival Nicolay Aagaard and Dominik and Ronald producing their strongest Pro-Am result so far.
As the championship reached its decisive phase, CoRe SimRacing found its rhythm but could never fully escape the consequences of earlier setbacks. Mugello and Bathurst highlighted both resilience and heartbreak, with Maik consistently fighting back into podium contention and keeping his championship hopes alive. However Mount Panorama was covered with crashes, a penalty for Sven, and chaotic race starts across the field. Carl’s absence in several rounds proved costly, as his pace suggested he could have been a consistent title contender had circumstances allowed. In Pro-Am, Marcus stood out with strong late-season performances, while Dominik, Sven and Ronald endured a season defined by contact, bad luck, and races slipping away just as points were within reach.
Everything came down to the Imola finale, where CoRe threw everything into one last push. Maik delivered a maximum drive to finish second again behind Eric Roseth, Carl followed closely in third, Marcus was close to a Top-5, the team executed exactly what was required – almost. With Nicolay Aagaard securing just enough points finishing eighth at the final race, the Pro title slipped away by a heartbreaking two-point margin. CoRe SimRacing One also fell short in the team championship, finishing second behind Grøftekanten Auto despite a valiant effort. Ending the season as runners-up in both championships is a bitter outcome, yet the performance level, the second-half resurgence, and the lessons learned leave no doubt. Congratulations to Nicolay Aagaard for a deserved championship and Eric Roseth for his amazing support drive for Grøftekanten Auto!