Los Angeles, U.S.A— Round 3 of the Gran Turismo World Series (GTWS) unfolded on 8 November (local time) in the glittering heart of Los Angeles, captivating a sold-out audience inside the historic Orpheum Theatre—a jewel of Hollywood’s golden age that once hosted silver-screen premieres and vaudeville legends. Beneath its gilded ceiling and marquee lights, the roar of virtual engines provided the music and drama as world-class sim racing took the stage.

After a breathtaking finish in the Manufacturers Cup, the spotlight shifted to the Nations Cup, where pride, passion, and precision collided. Representing their homelands, 12 of the planet’s fastest drivers battled for the ultimate title: Nations Cup Champion. They are composed of the top three finishers from the 2024 season and the highest-ranked qualifiers from each global Region, who assembled in the City of Angels to decide who would stand as the world’s fastest GTWS driver. After two rounds, Jose Serrano of Spain had a commanding lead with 12 points, followed by Italy’s Valerio Gallo (nine points) and another Spaniard, Pol Urra (six points). First up was the Sprint Race.

Sprint Race: Watkins Glen Long Course, 13 Laps

Although no championship points were at stake, this race carried immense weight—it would determine the all-important starting grid for the Nations Cup Round 3 Grand Final. The stage was the legendary Watkins Glen, a circuit steeped in racing history, and every driver was strapped into the iconic Chaparral 2J—the fabled 'Fan Car,' named for its revolutionary fan system that literally sucked the car to the tarmac through corners, defying physics and thrilling purists with its audacious design.

The Netherlands’ Kaj de Bruin (R8G_Kajracer) delivered an inspired lap in qualifying to claim pole position. Just a heartbeat behind sat France’s Kylian Drumont (R8G_Kylian19) in P2, while series leader Jose Serrano (JoseSerrano_16) of Spain lined up 3rd. With one required pit stop—and the soft-compound Dunlops destined to give up their grip before the chequered flag—the strategy game began early. Would the drivers risk staying on worn rubber or switch to fresh tyres? The softs were expected to last just shy of the race’s 13-lap distance.

After a clean start, the field settled into formation, cautiously navigating the high-speed sweepers of Watkins Glen through the opening laps. But by Lap 3, the calm gave way to a typhoon of action. Drumont and Serrano launched their attack down the back straight, muscling past early leader de Bruin. Moments later, one of the favourites and former Nations Cup champion, Italy’s Valerio Gallo (OP_Bracer), ran wide through the chicane, tumbling to the back of the pack.

Strategy soon came into play. During the pit cycle, Chile’s Angel Inostroza (Veloce_Loyrot)—fresh off his win in the Manufacturers Cup—vaulted from P3 to the lead after choosing not to change tyres, shaving precious seconds off his pit stop. Serrano and Drumont emerged right behind him on fresh Dunlops, the chase now fully on. But as Inostroza’s tyres began to surrender their grip, the relentless pace of Serrano and Drumont’s soft-compound tyres proved too much. On Lap 10, the pair swept past the fading Chilean to reclaim control of the race.

When the chequered flag waved, it was Serrano who crossed first, securing pole position for the all-important Grand Final and in optimum position to keep his perfect championship record alive. Drumont finished a strong 2nd, while Japan’s Takuma Miyazono (Kerokkuma_ej20) delivered a standout performance, storming from P8 to a 3rd-place finish. France’s Thomas Labouteley (BSCOMP_Aphe) also impressed, clawing his way from the back of the grid to a gritty 6th place.

Next up was the Grand Final, and the question on everyone’s mind was, “Could anyone stop El Rayo de Granada (The Lightning of Granada), Jose Serrano?”

Grand Final: Daytona Road Course, 30 Laps

The stage for the day’s main event was none other than the legendary Daytona Speedway road course—home to the iconic 24 Hours of Daytona. There, 12 of the world’s finest drivers climbed into the ferocious Red Bull X2019 Competition, a car so extreme that the only limits were the driver’s own skill and nerve. Thirty laps stood between them and glory. Strategy would be everything, with tyre selection—soft, medium, and hard compounds—set to dictate the flow of battle. And with the high-banked oval sections promising breathtaking drafting duels at speeds exceeding 320 km/h (nearly 200 mph), one thing was certain: drama was guaranteed.

The race wasted no time delivering fireworks. On the very first lap, Kylian Drumont tucked into Jose Serrano’s slipstream through the banking and blasted past to seize the lead. It was a sign of things to come—these two would trade places several times before the day was done.

Behind them, Thomas Labouteley of France was on a charge, muscling past Spain’s Pol Urra (PolUrra) on Lap 2 before climbing into 5th place. Just ahead, Kaj de Bruin looked solid in 3rd—until Lap 4, when disaster struck. The Flying Dutchman had his momentum cut short after an unintentional tap from Japan’s Takuma Miyazono sent him spinning through the hairpin. De Bruin tumbled to P8, while Miyazono was handed a one-second penalty, costing him a spot in the order.

The field then settled into rhythm, each driver managing pace and fuel, biding time before the strategy battles began in earnest. By Lap 12, only four cars had dived into the pits, among them Valerio Gallo—who started he race from 11th on grid on the hard-compound tyres. He switched to mediums in hopes of clawing through the pack.

The leaders made their move on Lap 13, all opting for the hard-compound rubber. When the dust settled from the pit cycle, it was Serrano back in command, followed closely by Labouteley, Drumont, Miyazono, and Urra—a tightly bunched pack ready to unleash another round of high-speed warfare.

By the halfway point, it was clear—the gloves were coming off. Every driver shifted into attack mode, and the intensity reached a fever pitch. Labouteley muscled his way past Serrano to grab the lead, while Urra slipped by Miyazono for 4th. A few corners later, both positions swapped back again in a flurry of bold moves and razor-thin margins. The racing was fierce and frantic, with less than two seconds separating the top five cars.

As the laps ticked away, one driver was quietly rewriting the script. Gallo, a former Nations Cup champion, was carving through the field with surgical precision. By Lap 20, his medium-compound tyres were singing, and he stormed past early race leaders Drumont and Serrano. The Italian Stallion was galloping like the wind—unstoppable, relentless, and very much back in the hunt.

The stage was set for the final pit stop, with everything on the line. Barely a second separated the top seven, and Australia’s Guy Barbara (OP_Twitchy) was also now in the thick of the fight. On Lap 23, the frontrunners dove into the pits together, each bolting on the grippy soft-compound tyres and taking on just enough fuel to reach the finish.

Urra emerged first, having taken the least fuel, followed by Labouteley, Miyazono, Gallo, Serrano, Drumont, and Barbara, setting up a seven-car sprint to the finish. The closing laps were nothing short of madness—cars running three-wide at more than 300 km/h, trading paint and positions with breathtaking precision. None of these drivers were willing to yield so much as a millimetre. Amid the furious wheel-to-wheel combat, Urra used the bedlam to his advantage, methodically stretching his lead.

When the dust finally settled, it was once again a Spaniard who claimed victory, but perhaps not the one the crowd expected. Pol Urra crossed the line first, sealing a sensational win and a crucial haul of championship points. His compatriot, Jose Serrano, followed close behind in 2nd, with the French Falcon (Le Faucon Français), Kylian Drumont, rounding out the podium after yet another edge-of-your-seat Nations Cup showdown.

Although victory eluded him this time, Serrano still held a commanding grip on the championship with 17 points. Urra’s triumph vaulted him into 2nd place with 12, while Italy’s Valerio Gallo—after a gritty, hard-fought drive—rose to 3rd overall with 11 points. Lurking just behind was the ever-dangerous Takuma Miyazono of Japan, now sitting 4th with seven points and well within striking distance.

Urra said after the race: "A win is always very good, especially after what happened in Berlin (where I made a tactical error). I feel like I’ve been redeemed. At the beginning of the race, it was difficult to follow the leaders because I couldn’t find pace at all. With the hard-compound tyres, I felt really comfortable, and the same with the softs. Once I managed to build a gap, I could focus on my rhythm, and the battles going on behind me definitely helped me hold onto the lead."

The stage is now set for the World Finals in Fukuoka, Japan, where six drivers still have a chance at the 2025 Nations Cup crown. Who will emerge victorious is anyone’s guess, but if momentum is any guide, the smart money may be on one of the two Spanish sensations. Still, counting out the likes of former champions Takuma Miyazono and Valerio Gallo—or Olympic gold medalist Kylian Drumont—would be a mistake. And then there’s the dark horse, Takuma Sasaki (SZ_TakuAn22), waiting to stun the world if the stars align. In racing, after all, anything can happen.