CoRe Finishes All 3 Lineups In Top-10 At iRacing Daytona 24h 2026!
The 2026 iRacing Daytona 24h by VCO has proven once again why it is the most participated endurance event on the service. Thousands of drivers and teams took on the legendary Florida circuit, with the 1PM main slot alone featuring 43 overall splits across all classes. CoRe SimRacing returned for the 2026 edition with three full-team efforts across Split 3, 5 and 6, fielding one LMP2 and two GT3 entries. The Prototype line-up of Pascal Stix, Jan Vollmers, Tom Kunath and Maik Paluch took on the challenge in the Dallara P217 LMP2, while both GT3 squads relied on the Porsche 992 GT3 R. In GT3 the Split 6 entry, Sven Neumann, Carl Winkler, Bennett Parsons and Dominik Engel represented CoRe, while the GT3 Split 5 team featured Florian Safarowsky, Thomas Arends, Marcus Fox and Ronald GroĂŸmann. For Florian, the Daytona 24h marked the conclusion of his recruiting phase after completing the full distance with the team, he officially joins CoRe SimRacing as a full-time member.
Against massive grids and relentless attrition, all three CoRe cars reached the chequered flag, each securing a Top-10 class result and once again proving that endurance racing is as much about survival and teamwork as it is about outright pace. Starting P11 out of 12 in class, the Prototype team knew patience would be key. Tom Kunath took the start, safely navigating the chaos and delivering a clean triple stint that brought the car up to P8. Maik Paluch followed but encountered the first major setback of the race. A three-wide situation involving an LMDH and a GT3 ended with contact on the start-finish straight, spinning the LMP2 into the pit lane. A penalty and repairs followed, costing valuable time. Both GT3 teams began strongly. The Split 5 effort quickly established itself inside the Top-15, settling into a clean and consistent rotation. The Split 6 team ran as high as P9, but an early pit entry incident caused damage and dropped the team back. A key moment came when Dominik narrowly avoided a massive accident as two contenders crashed heavily while exiting onto the oval, a moment that could easily have ended the race. Their Porsche survived and their journey towards the night continued. But as always, the darkness brought Daytona’s most punishing moments.
During the first night stint, Tom running the LMP2 entry clipped the exit curb at the Le Mans chicane a little too aggressively. The Dallara was launched into the tyre barrier, resulting in heavy damage and a long repair stop. The Prototype effort dropped back again to P9, losing ground to the leaders, but crucially, the car was still running. Meanwhile both GT3 teams focused on survival. The Split 5 effort steadily climbed, with Marcus pushing the car up to P8 towards the night. The Split 6 team held P9, running about a minute behind the class leader, but staying clear of trouble. As expected, the second half of the race saw a high number of DNFs across all splits. The LMP2 Split 3 car enjoyed a clean second day, with all drivers executing solid stints. As rivals crashed or retired, the Prototype climbed from P9 to P6, finishing well inside the top half after starting near the back. The GT3 Split 6 team briefly dropped to P11, but benefited from varying pit strategies at sunrise to return to the Top 10, ultimately finishing the race in P9, just falling short after a late splash-and-dash. The GT3 Split 5 squad delivered a strong and controlled run to the end, securing an impressive P6 finish from a P22 class start.
The iRacing Daytona 24h is known for testing patience, teamwork and nerves, and 2026 was no exception. Despite crashes, penalties and long repairs, the overall team is happy to finish all entries. With Daytona complete and Florian officially joining the roster after his fantastic effort, focus now shifts to the next challenge on the special event calendar, which is the iRacing Bathurst 12h.