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Launched in May 2008, GT Academy is an international driving competition from Nissan and PlayStation, which invited gaming fans from across Europe to put their virtual driving skills to the test and win the chance to compete in the real life racing world.  Ordoñez was the first winner of GT Academy and has spent the last four months competing across the UK in an intensive training programme designed by the Nissan/PlayStation® racing team to prepare for the challenge just completed in Dubai. GT Academy has been a resounding success and all that remains now is to see just how far the success continues. To find out more, visit www.gtacademy.eu.

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The sun finally rises on the success of a racing dream

Ambitions are realised and a racing star is born as the Nissan/PlayStation® GT Academy team reach their ultimate goal with help from British ace Johnny Herbert

After nine months of hard work, challenges and successes the Nissan/PlayStation® race team have achieved what they always believed to be possible. GT Academy has found a talented virtual racer and turned him into a real racing driver with the skills, determination and talent required of a GT champion.

Having been described as ‘an idea somewhere between crackpot and genius’ the team have proved that this was an idea nearer to the genius end of the scale. This weekend saw GT Academy winner Lucas Ordoñez realise his and their dream – to qualify for his International race licence and successfully race as a key member of the team at the Dubai 24hr endurance race.

This is the first time a racing driver has ever been found in this way and Lucas competed in a series of races to earn the required licence to compete at this level. The challenges on the day were constant, with the race comprising of a mix of punishing day and night driving, searing temperatures and a packed 80-car grid.

Lucas rose to the challenge not least of all at one stage achieving the 9th fastest time overall on an individual lap. Lucas said; “As soon as I got in the 350Z I calmed down and felt at home. It was the most amazing feeling, at the end I saw all of my team climbing the barrier and cheering me on. It was the craziest feeling of my life.”

In addition the whole team experienced a huge amount of drama in the race and encountered a series of incidents that forced the car into the pits a total of 21 times. This included two accidents, a puncture and damage sustained from debris. Lucas dealt with the puncture and was not involved in any accidents. In short Lucas impressed his whole team with his driving.

Former F1 driver and teammate Johnny Herbert said; “Lucas did brilliantly, producing a mistake-free drive under big pressure. He has achieved everything we had hoped from him and proved that with the right level of dedication and talent it is possible to make the transition from virtual racing to the real thing”. Darren Cox, Nissan Europe added; “Lucas just kept on impressing us.  He was fast and safe and his dedication to the whole process has stood out at every stage.  We are incredibly proud of what he has achieved and he has helped both Nissan and PlayStation to realise a dream - with teamwork, belief, passion and a lot of hard work we have proven that anything is possible”.

Mark Bowles, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe said; “It’s been a long journey and Lucas taking the  chequered  flag  in  Dubai was a fantastic moment for all of us. PlayStation  and  Nissan  have always believed the virtual to reality story was possible and through 9 months of commitment from the team we have achievedwhat we set out to do – take a Gran Turismo gamer from his PLAYSTATION®3 to behind the wheel of the Nissan 350Z GT4 in Dubai”

Q & A with the former Formula One British Grand Prix winner / current driver with the Nissan GT Academy team – Johnny Herbert:

What do you think of the GT Academy concept?

The concept of uniting the worlds of virtual and reality racing was always going to be a challenging one. No one has ever attempted anything like this before which made this so interesting. The national and international finals provided a tough criteria to determine our GT Academy champion, but the race in Dubai was always going be the acid test. Lucas’ performance in Dubai proves to everyone that this is a concept that can work.

How is the GT Academy winner from Spain - Lucas Ordonez fairing up to expectations?

Lucas did a fantastic job. As a rookie competing in such a high profile event there was a lot of weight on his shoulders with the enormous pressures of the race weekend. What I like about him is that he’s a good listener and his confidence grew as the race went on. It is one thing getting used to the car, but there is so much more for him to take onboard - pit stops, regulations, fitness and concentration. The most important thing is he is very thoughtful when he’s on the track and did not make any silly mistakes. Racing is not about how an individual performs, but how individuals work together as a team. Lucas proved to be a good team player.

What advice have you been offering Lucas?

There was no point talking to him every 10 minutes. We had to concentrate on improving one thing at a time. The first thing we noticed was that he was transferring too many revs through the gears, and once talked this through the next time he was a lot smoother.  You have to remember that he has had limited time racing the car in a competitive environment, so this weekend was always going to be a steep learning curve. He deserves a lot a credit for the way he has thrown himself into this challenge.

As the Champion of the GT Academy, has Lucas demonstrated that you can transfer your skills on PlayStation to the race track?

Lucas proved he had a true racing pedigree to win the GT5 Prologue gaming challenge and he showed the same tenacity on the track in Dubai.

What has been the biggest challenge for Lucas and the team?

There has been so much for Lucas to learn in such a short space of time. I spent nine years karting before I entered Formula Ford. We have had four intense months to get Lucas ready for a 24 Hour race. Unfortunately nothing quite compares to experience, but he has really adapted quickly to team ethic. It has felt like I have been racing with him for years.