GT Academy 2015 starts – Drivers wanted… Racing drivers!

GT Academy 2015 starts – Drivers wanted… Racing drivers!

For the seventh year, Nissan in partnership with Gran Turismo developer Polyphony Digital and Sony Computer Entertainment have announced that the popular NISMO PlayStation GT Academy 2015 will start with its online qualifying sessions using Gran Turismo 6 on the 21th of April.

Once more the GT Academy will be turning the virtual into a reality and take the fastest PS4 racers and see who has what it takes to live the dream as a professional racing driver.

While in the first year of the GT Academy a lot of skeptics did not believe it was possible to create a successful racing driver by selecting and training the best Sim and Game racers, Nissan and Gran Turismo have proven them wrong. From Gamer to professional Racing Driver… the previous winners of the GT Academy have more then demonstrated that the racing dream can come alive.

2008 winner, Lucas Ordoñez, competed successfully in the Le Mans 24 Hours, Japanese Super GT, FIA GT3, FIA GT4 and many more.  This year Lucas will drive the in the top class Nissan GT-R LM NISMO LMP1 at the Le Mans 24, competing for the overall win.

2011 winner, Jann Mardenborough competed in the GP3 Series and the FIA World Endurance championship.  Jan also competed in the famed Le Mans 24 and will be participating in the Nürburgring 24 Hours race.

Wolfgang Reip, who won the GT Academy in 2012 achieved an overall victory in Australia’s famous Bathurst 12 Hours race and will be returning to the Blancpain Endurance Series in a Nissan NISMO GT3 competing in the Pro class. He will also enter the Nürburgring 24 Hours race in May as part of the Team GT Academy.

The list goes on. Drivers such as Gaëtan Paletou, Ricardo Sánchez, Florian Strauss, Bryan Heitkotter, and Nick McMillen will all have seats in some of the European and north American racing series.

If you have what it takes, and you want to live the dream…. Here is your chance!

 

Nissan Press Release:

• ‘Dream job’ on offer for winner of seventh Nissan PlayStation® GT Academy competition
• Entry opens on 21 April through Gran Turismo®6
• Mass participation ‘Live Events’ offer alternative route to qualify
• European Race Camp moves to Abu Dhabi

Nissan and PlayStation® have joined forces for a seventh year to offer a ‘dream job’ to one lucky Gran Turismo® gamer. The Nissan PlayStation GT Academy defies convention and opens up the possibility of a career in motor sport to anybody, male or female, that has ever harboured a desire to race. The 2015 iteration begins tomorrow (21 April) with a qualifying competition featuring in-game challenges on Gran Turismo®6 for PlayStation®3 running until 16 June. Further opportunities to qualify are available at a series of mass-participation GT Academy live events taking place in participating countries.

GT Academy is aiming to broaden its appeal in 2015. Anyone over the age of 18 who has ever thought ‘what if…?’ is invited by Nissan and PlayStation to ‘take another road’ and pursue their dream job through the competition (terms & conditions apply).

The European version of GT Academy is made even more attractive with the news that Race Camp, the final selection process for the winner, will move from Silverstone to the incredible Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates. If the trip to Abu Dhabi to drive Nissan sports cars on a leading F1 circuit is not prize enough, the winner will enjoy a life-changing new career with extensive international travel, top-level on-the-job-training, a great team surrounding them and a stunning company car.

As ever, the drama and action at Race Camp will be captured by the cameras with the GT Academy TV show set to air later in the year. All the action can also be followed on GT Academy’s Facebook page, Twitter and Nismo.tv.

The GT Academy competition has a proven track record. After a series of challenges at Race Camp to unearth the winner, he or she will be put through one of the most advanced Driver Development Programmes in the world. The intense and comprehensive training will ready them for the ultimate prize – a season’s racing in the competitive Blancpain Endurance Series driving a 550bhp Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 race car.

Since its inception in 2008, the success of GT Academy has continued to grow, underpinned by the stunning results produced by its graduates, who have had their lives transformed, becoming ‘NISMO Athlete’ racing drivers. In 2015 alone, GT Academy graduates will compete in the top-level of the Le Mans 24 Hour race as well as in Formula 1 feeder series GP3, the FIA World Endurance Championship, the Blancpain GT3 series and the top class of the Japanese Super GT series.

“Whenever I explain GT Academy to people I meet, no matter who, they are blown away by the concept,” explains Olivier Pierini, Sponsorship and Partnership Manager for Nissan Europe. “Either they want to enter themselves or they know someone who would love it. So this year we simply want to make GT Academy bigger and more accessible than ever. GT Academy delivers ‘innovation that excites’ and we want to shout about it and put it firmly on the radar of those that are tempted to take another road in their lives and follow a dream.”

“This is another exciting milestone year for GT Academy and a source of great pride for us,” explained Kazunori Yamauchi, President of Polyphony Digital Inc., the creators of Gran Turismo. “We have two GT Academy graduates racing in the top class at Le Mans and an ambitious programme that will introduce new fans to Gran Turismo, as they test themselves to see if they have what it takes to follow in the footsteps of Jann [Mardenborough], Lucas [Ordoñez] and the other NISMO Athletes. It is truly an incredible competition and I would highly recommend that people have a go, whatever their level on the game.”

The Nissan PlayStation GT Academy qualifying phase gets under way as a ‘seasonal event’ in Gran Turismo 6 for PlayStation 3 running from 21 April until 16 June. The competition is open to players over 18 years old who are resident in 12 European countries split into the following groups: France, Italy, Germany, UK, Iberia (Spain, Portugal), Benelux (Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg) and CEE (Poland, Hungary, Czech Rep.). Terms and conditions and eligibility criteria can be found on www.facebook.com/GTAcademy or www.gran-turismo.com.

The progress of the GT Academy Champions can be followed on www.facebook.com/GTAcademy and www.twitter.com/GTAcademy.

ENDS
For more information, please contact your local PR manager.

Additional notes:

About GT Academy 2015
GT Academy is a collaboration between PlayStation® and Nissan that uses the virtual world of the Gran Turismo®6 game to unearth real-world racing talent. Now in its seventh year, GT Academy includes separate competitions for Europe (France, Italy, Germany, UK, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Poland , Hungary, Czech Republic), Asia (Japan, India, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia) and ‘International’ (USA, Australia, Mexico, Egypt, Algeria, Turkey).

The GT Academy qualification round will be part of a free Gran Turismo®6 update on PlayStation®3 (terms and conditions apply). The fastest gamers in each participating territory will qualify for their place at their territory’s Race Camp. A number of competitors will also gain access via a series of Live Gran Turismo® events organised locally.

At Race Camp competitors are put through their paces on track and in a series of challenges in Nissan sports cars under the watchful eyes of high profile judges and mentors. One winner from each competition will be invited to take part in the intensive Driver Development Programme. They could qualify for an international race license and race for Nissan in 2016, before potentially joining Nissan’s elite NISMO Athlete group of racers.

Previous winners of GT Academy are now regular racing drivers. In 2015, Jann Mardenborough (UK, winner in 2011) and Lucas Ordoñez (Spain, winner in 2008) will represent Nissan in its new LMP1 factory assault on the Le Mans 24 Hours. Jann will also be racing single-seaters in GP3, a feeder series to Formula One, while Lucas is racing in the Super GT500 Championship in Japan. GT Academy winners will also be present in the World Endurance Championship and Blancpain Endurance Series.

Since its inception, GT Academy has attracted well over 5 million entrants worldwide. GT Academy winners have recorded two Le Mans 24 Hour podiums as well as 90 further podiums in international racing and over 22 race wins.

News and views on GT Academy 2015 and the progress of all the GT Academy drivers can be followed on various platforms including: www.facebook.com/GTAcademy | www.twitter.com/GTAcademy | www.nismo.tv | www.flickr.com/photos/gtacademyeurope.

About the Gran Turismo® Franchise
Gran Turismo® celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2013, having first appeared internationally in 1998. The multi-award-winning franchise has been the most successful ever for PlayStation®, and in 2013 it also surpassed worldwide sales of 70 million units. Various iterations of Gran Turismo® have been created for PlayStation® , PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PlayStation®3 and PSP (PlayStation® Portable), and have always been regarded as the best and most authentic driving simulators ever created due to true-to-life graphics, authentic physics technology and design. Since the inception of Gran Turismo®, famed creator Kazunori Yamauchi and Polyphony Digital Inc. in Japan have revolutionized the racing category as we know it today. His offerings provide the most realistic driving simulation in the industry and a unique medium for automotive manufacturers to showcase their products. Gran Turismo®6, the latest iteration of the game, was released on 6 December, 2013.

About Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), based in London, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and sales of PlayStation®4 (PS4®) computer entertainment system, PlayStation®Vita (PS Vita) portable entertainment system, PlayStation®3 (PS3®) computer entertainment system, PSP^TM(PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system and PSN software and hardware in 109 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. SCEE has revolutionised home entertainment since they launched PlayStation® in 1994. PlayStation®4 redefines rich and immersive gameplay with powerful graphics and speed, intelligent personalisation and deeply integrated social capabilities. PS Vita is an ultimate portable entertainment system that offers a revolutionary combination of rich gaming and social connectivity within a real world context. PS3® is an advanced computer system, incorporating the powerful Cell Broadband Engine and RSX processors. PSP® is a handheld entertainment system that allows users to enjoy 3D games with high-quality full-motion video and high-fidelity stereo audio. SCEE also delivers the PlayStation® experience to open operating systems through PlayStation®Mobile, a cross device platform. SCEE also develops, publishes, markets and distributes entertainment software for these formats, and manages the third party licensing programs for the formats in these territories.

More information about PlayStation® products can be found at www.playstation.com.
PlayStation®, PS4, PS3, PS2 and PSP are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

About Nissan in Europe
Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 17,600 staff across locally-based design, research & development, manufacturing, logistics and sales & marketing operations. Last financial year Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced more than 675,000 vehicles including award-winning crossovers, small cars, SUVs, commercial vehicles and electric vehicles, including the Nissan LEAF, the world’s most popular electric vehicle with 96% of customers willing to recommend the car to friends. Nissan now offers a strong line-up of 23 diverse and innovative models in Europe under the Nissan and Datsun brands.

 

Official Webpage – http://www.gran-turismo.com/gb/academy/news/