- Nissan PlayStation® GT Academy set for biggest year yet in 2015
- Australian gamers to compete in GT Academy International competition against rivals from United States, Mexico, Turkey and North Africa
- Potential to follow in footsteps of 2015 Bathurst 12 Hour winners
- GT Academy Asia competition launched with reach to 2.2 billion hopefuls
- Previous GT Academy winners competing in Le Mans 24 hour LMP1 class for Nissan
MELBOURNE, Australia – Nissan and PlayStation® will once again be searching the virtual world of Gran Turismo®6 for a real world racing driver. The revolutionary GT Academy prepares for its biggest year yet and once again offers gamers the chance to live the dream as a NISMO Athlete.
Since the first GT Academy competition in 2008, millions of gamers have competed for the life-changing prize of becoming a professional racing driver. Former GT Academy champions Lucas Ordoñez and Jann Mardenborough have both enjoyed considerable success as professional racers and this June will compete for Nissan at the very pinnacle of motor sport, in the LM P1 class at the famous Le Mans 24 Hours race. Such success proves that winning GT Academy is a genuine opportunity to launch a dream career as a racing driver.
Ricardo Sanchez, winner of the 2014 GT Academy International, is another enjoying the life-changing journey of GT Academy. In 2015 he is racing a Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 in the prestigious Blancpain Endurance Series in Europe. Ricardo's native Mexico will again contest the International GT Academy competition in 2015 along with gamers from Australia, North Africa, Turkey and the United States.
Australia has seen the success of GT Academy up close in recent times, as previous winners Wolfgang Reip and Florian Strauss drove a Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 to victory in the prestigious Bathurst 12 Hour race in February 2015, racing for the NISMO Athlete Global Team alongside Japanese ace Katsumasa Chiyo.
A new competition, 'GT Academy Asia', will also be launched for 2015. The Asian region will feature Thailand and India, both of which were introduced to GT Academy in 2014 as part of the International competition, and will also be open to gamers from Indonesia, the Philippines and Nissan and PlayStation's homeland, Japan.
The 2015 GT Academy competition will be the biggest year yet for the virtual to reality competition. Gamers from up to 21 countries around the world will be able to enter, with GT Academy International and Asia reaching a staggering 2.2 billion potential entrants. Nissan and PlayStation are looking for the very best to progress from virtual racing to the real world of racing for Nissan.
GT Academy Online Qualifying will commence on April 21 (today) and conclude on the June 16 on Gran Turismo 6 for PlayStation®3. Gamers will also be able to enter the competition via GT Academy Live Events, the location and timing of which will be confirmed at a later date.
Winners from the Live Events will then join ten winners from the online game at the Australian National Final, with the chance to grab one of six places at the famous Silverstone Race Camp in the United Kingdom.
"One year ago I wanted to be a racing driver, but I had no opportunity to make my dream a reality," said Sanchez, who narrowly defeated top Australian finalist Joshua Muggleton to win the 2014 GT Academy International competition.
"Then I entered a GT Academy Live Event at my local shopping mall in Mexico and my life changed forever. I've already stood on the podium at the Dubai 24 Hours and now I will spend the year racing the amazing Nissan GT-R at some of the best circuits across Europe. My dream job has become a reality!"
For more information about GT Academy including how to enter and the location of countries Live Events please visit: www.facebook.com/GTAcademy and http://gran-turismo.co
About Nissan PlayStation® 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, UK, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Hungary, Poland and Czech Republic), International group (Australia, Mexico, North Africa, Turkey and United States) and Asia (India, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia and Japan).
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 gain access to their region's National Final event. A number of competitors can also gain access via a series of Live Gran Turismo events organised locally. The National Finals add driving, fitness and a media element to the gaming.
From National Finals, the action moves onto the legendary Race Camp, where the competitors are put through their paces on track in Nissan sports cars under the watchful eyes of high profile judges and mentors. Winners 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 professionally, with the chance to potentially join Nissan's elite Nismo Athletes.
Previous winners of GT Academy are now regular racing drivers. In 2015, Jann Mardenborough (UK, winner in 2011) will be racing in the World Endurance Championship for Nissan in the top LM P1 category and in GP3, a feeder series to Formula One, with the championship-winning Carlin team. Lucas Ordoñez (Spain, winner in 2008) will be racing in the Le Mans 24 Hours this year in the Nisan GT-R LM NISMO LMP1 entry, alongside Mardenborough. The 2014 Champions, Gaetan Paletou (Europe) and Ricardo Sanchez (International) are competing in the Blancpain Endurance Series with the Nissan GT Academy Team RJN.
News and views on GT Academy 2014 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.youtube.com/gtacademyeurope, www.flickr.com/photos/gtacademyeurope.
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 almost 5.2 million vehicles and generated revenue of 10.5 trillion yen (USD 105 billion) in fiscal 2013. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. In 2010, Nissan introduced the Nissan LEAF, and continues to lead in zero-emission mobility. The LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle launched globally, is now the best-selling EV in history with almost 50% share of the zero-emission vehicle segment.
For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN
For more information please visit:
Nissan Australia YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/NissanAustralia
Nissan Australia Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NissanAustralia
Nissan Australia Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Nissan_Aus
Nissan Australia Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/NissanAustralia
Nissan Global: http://reports.nissan-global.com/EN/
Nissan Newsroom: http://www.nissan-newsroom.com/EN/
Nissan Channel 23 Blog: http://blog.nissan-global.com/EN/
