- Simmons to move to Europe to undertake Nissan Driver Development Program
- In 2016 will race as a NISMO Athlete, beginning at 2016 Dubai 24 Hour in 15-16 January
- Matt Simmons (2015 GT Academy International winner) Q&A interview
- Rick Kelly (Australian GT Academy judge and mentor) Q&A interview
- ICYMI: Media Release and Final Day report
- MORE IMAGES: https://www.flickr.com/photos/gtacademyeurope/albums
SILVERSTONE, UK – "It's been a crazy week," said Matt Simmons, today crowned 2015 GT Academy International Champion. He will now spend the rest of 2015 completing the intensive Nissan Driver Development Program and race as a NISMO Athlete in 2016, starting with the Dubai 24 Hours sportscar race on 15-16 January 2016.
"What we have all learned this week has been amazing. I definitely feel like I've grown and improved and I'm glad I was able to get Australia over the line on the last day."
PERSONAL DETAILS:
Name: Matthew Simmons
Lives: Wavell Heights, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Age: 26 years old
Occupation To Date: Australia Post courier van driver
Twitter: @mattsimmons08
NOTES:
- Matt qualified for the 2015 GT Academy Australian Final via online play
- Matt also qualified for the 2014 GT Academy Australian Final, but narrowly missed progressing to the GT Academy International Race Camp
- Matt is the first Australian to win GT Academy
- Other regions competing in GT Academy International were Mexico (defending winners), Turkey, Northern Africa and the United States
MATT SIMMONS INTERVIEW:
Matt on his job as Australia Post courier van driver …
"They were well aware that this could possibly happen. The competition is so tough that it's a dream to be able to win the whole thing. So I wasn't so sure I'd win, but they were pretty confident that I wouldn't be coming back to be a 'postie'. Now that it has happened, it's crazy.
"I don't think the guys at work will believe me when I tell them I'm resigning to move to Europe to become a professional racing driver. They just saw me as a guy that could drive a van pretty quickly and get in and out of the van pretty quickly to deliver parcels and just do the job.
"To think I was delivering parcels a week ago, and now I'm going to be racing cars in Europe, I don't think any of my work mates or family or friends really believe it.
"It's amazing, because they have been my biggest supporters and they know how much I wanted this. I turned my whole life around looking towards this competition. They supported me so that I could give this 110 per cent and their support has been amazing. I know they will continue to support me the whole way through this journey."
Matt on his older brother introducing him to Gran Turismo …
"My older brother introduced me to car games. A week after I started, I started beating him, so he never played again. That was the moment where he stopped. I progressed from there and now he's my number one supporter. My older brother has always believed in me from the moment he first introduced me to car games.
Matt on the Final Race (where engine overheating saw Matt drop from first to third) …
"Before the car started overheating, I thought I was in a strong position and I could actually bring the fight to Turkey.
"When the car started breaking down, Turkey got past and I thought my dreams had disappeared and he basically drove away as my car slowed.
"At that point, all I wanted to do was try to bring the car home in the best possible position. I was really proud that I could still bring it home in third. At that point, I didn't think I was going to win. I knew it was going to be tough. I knew they hadn't made the decision straight away. When we pulled into the pits they stopped us away from the podium and had us waiting, sitting in the cars for a fair while.
"Coming in, I talked to the other Team Australia contestants and they were all proud of what I had done. They were giving me encouragement, saying I was still a shot of winning because they do base it of the whole week of results.
"On the podium with (head judge) Rob Barff, he announced that it was between myself and Turkey. When he announced it, I couldn't believe it with everything that has happened this week. Everything I've learned, I was able to apply it to the race. To be crowned the winner, it's just crazy.
"This whole week has been an unbelievable experience. It's definitely what they say, its money can't buy. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. We have access to the best mentors and instructors so that we can develop our skills so quickly and apply them straight away, which most people don't get access to. They know what they want to get out of us and really understand where we are as gamers and how quickly they want us to transition to be real race car drivers.
"This week was unbelievable. The opportunities they gave us, to drive vehicles that no one else gets to drive. Our job was to learn as quickly as we could and improve as much as we could and just try to get the best out of ourselves."
Matt on missing 2014 GT Academy International Race Camp
"The last 12 months have been a long time for me. In 2014, not making the International stage, I was aware that I wasn't good enough. The competition demands only the best, so I knew that I had to go back to the drawing board, look at every aspect of this competition and what being a racing driver demands. I put all my life into it. I was determined and I sacrificed my whole life to staying focussed and believe in my abilities and build on every aspect to make sure I was 100 per cent ready for this year's competition.
"Coming into the competition I was really confident that my preparation had served me well and that I could be mentally stronger for the competition. As much as it's about ability, it is a high pressure situation and you have to deliver all the time. You are against the best competition in the world and you have to make sure that you give it your all. That's what they want from us – they want us to give 110 per cent – and that what I felt I did for the whole week."
Matt on becoming a NISMO Athlete …
"My whole life, I could only dream about what could happen. I woke up this morning dreaming about what could happen, because I knew we had a chance to win this thing
"I am aware that this is just the beginning for me. The Development program is exactly that – it's to develop my skills. I need to become a NISMO Athlete and represent Australia and NISMO on a global scale. I need to perform at that level and make sure that I can perform at the best of my abilities. I know that is what they will train me for.
"I'm so excited to have the opportunity to drive at the Dubai 24 hour with the other graduates and as a professional racing driver and learn so much from that. Then I'll try to mould my new career as a racing driver and make my dream come true.
Matt on already taking advice from other NISMO Athletes …
"Since the win I've had a lot of time to spend with past graduates. I've had Ricardo (Sanchez, 2014 GT Academy International winner) share a lot with me. They have all been very encouraging and been very happy for me. They have definitely told me to embrace the next couple of months, make sure that this week is only Week One. I have three months of this ahead, it gets a lot harder and I need to be prepared for it and give it absolutely everything.
"That means a lot coming from people who have gone through it and you can see how far they've come. For me, they are my professional idols in this program, so I am privileged to be able to join them and represent Australia and the whole GT Academy program."
Matt on moving to Europe away from family and friends …
"In the very short time I've had, I've had a chance to call my girlfriend. She's been my number one supporter. I had a chance to talk to my brother, who was my supporter at the National Final. He flew up to be by my side through the early stages of the (National Final) competition. And I just got off the phone to my mum, who is immensely proud and so happy I've been able to get this far.
"The support is what really gets you though these high pressure moments, because you are doing it for them as much as you are doing it for you. You don't want to let them down, you want to give 110 per cent. They make you feel so confident that you can do the job because they have supported you from the start.
"One of the challenges of this program is that you head over to the UK, where they have the facilities and program where you can be instructed by the best in the business and they fast-track your career. I'm only an amateur at the moment but they will fast-track me to a professional.
"My family is very aware of what lies ahead for me. I know they will be very supportive and I will do my very best to keep in touch with them all. They were very aware of the situation of what could happen. I don't think it has sunk in for them yet, like it hasn't sunk in for me yet. But when I am over there I know they will support me and I will keep in touch with them.
RICK KELLY INTERVIEW:
Rick on Matt Simmons winning 2015 GT Academy International Race Camp …
"For me, for Australia to take the win does mean a lot. I came as mentor simply to try and help unearth the talent that these guys have brought to the table.
"So for us to come away with the win means a lot to me, for Nissan and all of Australia. There are not many opportunities as a racing driver to get into motorsport because of the commercial implications.
"So something that Todd and I have always wanted to do was to provide an opportunity, which is exactly why I'm here – to support what Nissan has been able to create in unearthing that talent and give them an opportunity they wouldn't normally have.
"For us to win it, it's good to have an Australian win and now have the opportunity to have a career in motorsport globally."
Rick on the final day drama at 2015 GT Academy International Race Camp …
"It was a really high stress environment today. We had two guys left going into the final day and they were both very capable. It was always going to be very hard to pick which one would progress to the final race.
"I had a great opportunity to sit next to both of these guys in the 370Z around Silverstone and you just can't hide when you are in the car with someone. You see every input.
"I expected to be able to really pinpoint areas of improvement much easier than it was. They were pretty much up to speed. It was really just about refining small things and that's why it was so hard to make the decision between Elliott and Matt.
"At the end of the day they both had great outright pace but Matt just offered just a little bit more consistency. I think they both would have done a great job in the race but Matt was reacting to pressure slightly better and was just a little more consistent, which is what we needed in the Final Race.
"It was really sad to see Elliott stood down at that point because he's a very likable guy, he's put in a lot of work, he's quite capable and I believe if h did have a chance he would go well in motorsport. We hope from here he does find an opportunity.
"Once the race came, we were in a good position starting from pole obviously, but at the same time it's a very stressful thing starting from pole so I was nervous.
"We had a really good chat beforehand. He had the miles in the car, he had a practice start at the start of qualifying and stuff like that, so for me it was just about keeping Matt calm and telling him it was about repeating what he had already done in the car rather than going out and doing anything new.
"At the same time, second in a normal race is a fantastic result. Second in this race means you don't have a career in motorsport. First place means your life is about to change.
"Now that we have won this, the most extraordinary thing for me is that just a few hours ago, Matthew was a courier as an occupation and a gamer as a hobbyist. A few hours later, he's a full-time professional racing driver. It's an amazing transition and an all-new life. It's very exciting to have been a part of that and provide that chance.
"In the race, he got off to a great start, which was a huge relief to me because we know that races can be won or lost at the start line. He was probably a little conservative in the first couple of corners and was shuffled back to third pretty quick. America made a mistake pretty early, which got us back into second, and then the Turkish team and Matt had such a phenomenal battle for four or five laps where they exchanged the lead quite a bit. It was extraordinary to watch for a couple of gamers, you could see just how far they had progressed as drivers just in the week we had been working with them. To put on a display like that you would think they were professionals for sure.
"It was pretty heart-breaking Matt finally get into the lead and hold it nicely until the car overheated and went into limp mode. Turkey passed us back up the straight and from there he was basically losing three seconds a lap and ended up finishing third.
"So at that point both Matt and I were very, very disappointed because we had the race in our grasp and particularly for Matt and he thought he had lost that opportunity so he was extremely devastated, because that was the chance to change his life.
"The thing with GT Academy is that it's up to all the driving instructors and mentors to pick the best candidate from the entire competition. Given that Matt was leading the race and would have won it had it not been for the mechanical failure, everyone was of the opinion that he was the best option for the GT Academy and the best guy to give that professional opportunity to and that's exactly what happened.
"It's a very happy day for Team Australia over here at Silverstone."
Rick on Matt returning after failing to make International Race Camp in 2014 …
"To be a race car driver you need to be a lot of things. You don't just need driver talent, you need to be extremely driven and be able to stand out from the rest and put the work in to achieve all that you possibly can.
"It's not by chance that Matt won this competition. He obviously made the Australia Final last year and he's worked for basically the last 12 months to get this opportunity again. He did it, he made the Australian Final, made the final six to come with me to Race Camp and every challenge that we did, he absolutely excelled.
"The thing one thing that is really impressive with Matt is that when you put that much into it, as you come into different challenges you are extremely nervous because you know your whole life is potentially riding on your actions in each of these challenges.
"The pressure that would have been on him would have been intense but he never broke under that pressure. No matter what activity we were in, his driving was pretty seamless. So it's exciting to see someone put in so much effort and finally achieve their goals.
"That's why I think Matt will achieve great things in motorsport moving forward because he has already proven that he is prepared to go that extra mile and put in the effort that it takes to be successful."
Rick on the scale of the program ahead of Matt as a NISMO Athlete …
"For me, that's why I'm so excited to be a part of the Nissan brand. For a manufacturer to put so much effort into not only a motorsport program but to find talent in a new and exciting way like they are, this program is massive.
"Once you go to the Australian Final, then the Race Camp at Silverstone, Matt now goes home, packs his bags for two weeks, then he comes back to the UK and he is trained physically, he is trained mentally and he is trained in a race car every day.
"For the next 2-3 months, I think he races a car about 16 times. So the effort that is put into these guys to then create a race car driver and really bolster the talent he has got is just extraordinary. It's an opportunity that most race car drivers just never get.
"Once he goes through that he then races at the Dubai 24 Hours, which again is a race that even drivers like myself just don't get to do.
"Also the cars that they are in are just spectacular. The 370Z is an impressive car, but the Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 that I raced at Bathurst last year and won the Bathurst 12 Hour this year is just a phenomenal car. They are a lot of fun to drive and quicker in a lot of places than a V8 Supercar.
"Beyond that, there is GT500 in Super GT, there is Le Mans LMP1. If you look at the drivers that Nissan has put into all of these categories, they've been in the GT Academy and they have come
through as graduates, which is exactly what our Australian has now done. Lucas Ordonez was the first, and now he races, GT500, GT3 and LMP1 – categories that guys like me can only dream of.
"Really, for Matt now, the world is his oyster and his career is going to come from the effort that he puts in. If he doesn't put much effort in, he will do a few races and that will be it. He now needs to put his head down and backside up and if he does this, again, the world is his oyster in terms of motorsport."
Rick on GT Academy graduates one day progressing to V8 Supercars …
"I've been lucky enough already to sit next to Matt in a race car and the inputs that he is giving the car and his smoothness and precision is pretty impressive for a bloke that has just come from gaming. I was genuinely surprised with how competitive he was.
"What we need to mention is that he is just at the start of his career. He has got that opportunity now. The only thing that stands between him and driving cars like a V8 Supercar is the effort that he puts in and the opportunity.
"He's now got the opportunity to be groomed into a good race car driver. Can he drive a V8 Supercar? In time, he's got to prove himself first. Lucas Ordonez is a graduate of GT Academy. He came over and tested one of our V8 Supercars at Winton and was 'pacey' and did a very good job.
"Nissan globally breed very, very good race car drivers. They are a very disciplined motorsport organisation. Having raced with them at the Bathurst 12 Hour last year, I loved it because it was fantastic how disciplined they are and they expect a lot from their race car drivers. They groom them into disciplined drivers. It was a really refreshing opportunity to have Lucas test for us.
"Matt is at the start of that grooming process and he will pop out the other end as a very capable driver."
MEDIA RELEASE: MATTHEW SIMMONS FROM AUSTRALIA CROWNED 2015 GT ACADEMY INTERNATIONAL CHAMPION
- Gamer wins place on the Nissan Driver Development Programme and a race seat in the 2016 Dubai 24 Hours, staged next January
SILVERSTONE, UK (13 August 2015) – Matthew Simmons from Australia made his motorsport dreams come true at Silverstone today after being named the 2015 Nissan PlayStation® GT Academy International champion.
The 26-year-old fought off competition from 29 other elite Gran Turismo® gamers from around the world to seal his success, winning a place on the Nissan Driver Development Programme and a race seat in the 2016 Dubai 24 Hours.
The decision came after an epic week-long Race Camp, with Simmons chosen as the winner for his consistent pace throughout and willingness to learn and develop his driving.
Race Camp came to an end with a thrilling eight-lap race around Silverstone's National Circuit in Nissan 370Z NISMO race cars. Simmons, starting from pole position, initially lost the lead to Ryan Lynch of the USA but quickly reclaimed the position. After Lynch fell away, Hüseyin Dagli of Turkey became the main challenger for the lead and the pair swapped positions down the Wellington Straight for three consecutive laps with some brilliant wheel-to-wheel racing. Unfortunately as he was fending off Dagli on lap five, his car encountered a mechanical problem and lost power, allowing the Turkish driver to pass as well as Mexican finalist Juan Carlos Carmona-Chavez. However the judges took into account Simmons setting the fastest lap when the car was healthy as well as his early race pace, which showed application of his consistent performances across all challenges throughout the week in a high-pressure race environment.
Simmons commented: "I genuinely can't believe it; I'm on top of the world. Unfortunately a mechanical problem took the race out of my hands but that's motorsport and you can't hide that, and I think in the early stages of the race I really showed the potential of what I can do. The wait on the podium was killing me but when Rob said my name I had to do a double take, I can't believe he said it and I'm now a racing driver! My journey has been massive in the last 18 months to here, I've had so many people supporting my dream and they've given me so much confidence and made me believe I could achieve what I've wanted for so long – to become a racing car driver. The GT Academy programme is amazing, you can really tell the driver development programme trains you to become an athlete and they teach you all the aspects, so by the time you reach that pinnacle and you're at Dubai 24 Hours, you're ready to take on the world."
Simmons earned his place at Race Camp from the hundreds of thousands of Gran Turismo gamers that entered the competition across the world. Having won through the Australia National Final, he arrived at Silverstone as one of six to represent Australia, alongside 29 International competitors overall, representing seven countries split into five territory groups. Each group formed a close bond with their territory judge, who acted as a mentor, but then had to make the difficult decisions when it came to eliminations from the competition.
The on-track action got underway in the United Kingdom last Friday, with six finalists from Australia, USA, Mexico, North Africa and Turkey comprising a 30-strong line-up. Throughout their week at International Race Camp, a series of both racing and physical challenges whittled them down to a final ten this morning that were still in contention of being GT Academy International
champion. Each judge then had to decide between their two best drivers for who would take the wheel of the 370Z NISMO race cars for an eight-lap race of Silverstone's national circuit.
The challenges came thick and fast throughout their week at Race Camp, with gamers being thrown into the action straight away on their first day where they got behind the wheel of single seaters, Caterham racers, Nissan GT-Rs and JPLM cars at Bedford Autodrome. Throughout the week, various surprise challenges were thrown at them including the 'GT Ninja' assault course, an innovative army-style Gymkhana driving race, dune buggy racing, monster trucks and a Nissan Micra stock car race which decided the starting grid for today's final race.
Rob Barff, 2015 Nissan PlayStation GT Academy International Head Judge said: "Matthew has been strong and consistent all week, he's shown he's a great team player and we welcome him to the GT Academy family. We've been very honest; his car had a problem and in motor racing that happens. It's something we could have easily shied away from but we haven't and it's the right and fair result. The next time I see him it'll be around the paddocks of the UK and then the Dubai 24 Hours."
Darren Cox, Nissan Head of Motorsport: "We're delighted to congratulate Matthew on being crowned the 2015 GT Academy International winner, and becoming the first Australian victor. The judges have been incredibly impressed with his ability at Race Camp and we're looking forward to developing him into a fully-fledged NISMO athlete. Even in its eighth year, we're still finding ways to freshen up GT Academy and the enthusiasm of new markets who have signed up to it is fantastic. They can see first-hand the success the programme has had in new markets with Thanaroj Thanasitnitiket (Thailand) and Abhinay Bikkani (India) really taking the Nissan Micra Cup by storm in Canada and we see no reason why that can't continue."
Simmons' opportunity of a lifetime will begin right away, where he will receive world-class racing tuition and physical training from Nissan to prepare him for his endurance race debut in Dubai next January. To follow his progress as well as previous GT Academy winners, More details about GT Academy can be found on various platforms including: www.facebook.com/GTAcademy, www.gran-turismo.com and Twitter @GTAcademy
DAY SIX REPORT: 2015 GT ACADEMY INTERNATIONAL RACE CAMP
With the final day of the 2015 Nissan PlayStation® GT Academy International Race Camp upon us, tensions were understandably high. Only ten contestants from an original 30 remained in the competitions, two from each of the territories.
Each competitor received 20 laps of tuition from the GT Academy instructors in the Nissan 370Z NISMO race cars on the Silverstone National Circuit. The contestants were then given the
opportunity to do five flying laps with their mentor in the passenger seat. The mentors and judges were looking for the academy drivers to be able to demonstrate development and progression in their driving ability and the potential to go on to become professional racing drivers.
The mentors, assisted by the instructors, huddled together on the pit wall to make the most difficult decision of the competition so far. The time had come to select the strongest candidate to represent their territory in the final race whilst eliminating the other from the competition. Elation for the five finalists was contrasted with disappointment and in some cases tears for the contestants that had so nearly made it to the end.
After one last chance to take to the National Circuit for ten minutes to hone all the skills they'd learned over the last six days, the final of the 2015 Nissan PlayStation® GT Academy International Race Camp came down to one race. As a result of yesterday's stock car challenge Matthew Simmons of Australia lined up on the front row of the grid, followed by Ryan Lynch (USA), Hüseyin Dagli (Turkey) in 3rd, Ali Samy (North Africa) 4th, and Juan Carlos Carmona (Mexico) starting at the back.
It was eight of the most enthralling laps that any motorsport enthusiast could have wished for. Matthew, the 26 year old from Brisbane, Australia got a fantastic start off the line but was edged out coming in to the first corner by Ryan and Hüseyin. Ryan missed a breaking point early on in the race, running very wide and dropping back to fifth which left Hüseyin and Matthew to battle it out. After exchanging blows three or four times in as many laps Matthew seemed to have cemented first spot with back to back fastest lap times before his car seemingly slowed due to a mechanical fault allowing both Hüseyin and Juan Carlos to pass him.
The chequered flag was followed by nearly an hour of deliberation between the judges as the mentors and contestants waited patiently. Rob Barff, the head judge, eventually announced the final decision on the podium surrounded by the mentors and the final five competitors to huge cheers from the Australian team.
The 2015 Nissan PlayStation® GT Academy International Race Camp Winner is Matthew Simmons.
Matthew Simmons, Australia competitor and 2015 GT Academy International Winner: "I genuinely can't believe it; I'm on top of the world. Unfortunately a mechanical problem took the race out of my hands but that's motorsport and you can't hide that, and I think in the early stages of the race I really showed the potential of what I can do. The wait on the podium was killing me but when Rob said my name I had to do a double take, I can't believe he said it and I'm now a racing driver! The GT Academy programme is amazing, you can really tell the driver development
programme trains you to become an athlete and they teach you all the aspects, so by the time you reach that pinnacle and you're at Dubai 24 Hours, you're ready to take on the world."
Rick Kelly, Australia team judge: "Matt has done all this by himself, he's been the most consistent and the fastest from the word go. Him winning today is due to his confidence and how much he deserved it. When he came in to the pit lane he was extremely devastated, you could see he thought his dreams had slipped away but I'm just thankful that everyone saw Matt was the best guy for the job. The biggest thing is ten minutes ago this guy was a courier and a gamer as a hobby, now he's a professional race car driver. He can go back to Australia, hand his notice in and his new life begins, it's an amazing opportunity."
Rob Barff, 2015 Nissan PlayStation GT Academy International Head Judge: "Matthew has been strong and consistent all week, he's shown he's a great team player and we welcome him to the GT Academy family. We've been very honest; his car had a problem and in motor racing that happens. It's something we could have easily shied away from but we haven't and it's the right and fair result. The next time I see him it'll be around the paddocks of the UK and then the Dubai 24 Hours."
About Nissan Motor Co.
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 244,500 employees globally, Nissan sold 5.32 million vehicles and generated revenue of 11.38 trillion yen (USD 103.6 billion) in fiscal 2014. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. Nissan leads the world in zero-emission mobility, dominated by sales of the LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle. It is the best-selling EV in history with almost 50% share of the zero-emission vehicle segment.
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