“With the launch of GT Academy in the Philippines, we at Nissan
offer an exciting opportunity for Filipinos to emerge as a breakthrough talent
in the racing world,"
said Antonio Zara, President and Managing Director of Nissan Philippines, Inc.
GT ACADEMY FAQs
Q1:
What is GT Academy?
GT Academy is a competition created by
Nissan and PlayStation® that unites the worlds of virtual and real-life racing
to make the dreams of aspiring race drivers become a reality. The competition,
which originally launched in Europe in 2008, finds the best Gran Turismo®
players from across the participating countries by testing their skills in both
online gaming qualification process and live events. They will then compete
against each other in live National Finals before the winners from each final
switch to driving real Nissan cars at the now-famous Silverstone ‘Race Camp’.
The overall winner of GT Academy is then
trained in the multiple areas required to become a professional racing driver,
if the winner makes the grade they will compete in the Dubai 24 Hour race for
Nissan and have the chance to be considered for a future career with Nissan as
a ‘NISMO Athlete’.
Q2:
Which countries participate in GT Academy?
GT Academy was
originally only run as a pan-European contest, but as the programme’s
popularity has grown a new series in the USA and a specific German competition
has begun. The program continues to expand as it now has the GT Academy Asia
having Philippines and other Asian countries including Japan as participating
countries.
Q3:
Who can qualify?
Everyone is invited to participate in the
Live Events and simulate a real race car driving experience using the GTA pods.
However, the 20 finalists who garnered the
fastest lap times in the Live Events will have to abide by the following
eligibility criteria:
·
Residents at least 18 years old
·
In
order to be eligible to win, contestants must have a valid driver's licence.
Those who have an existing competition driving contract, or have previously
held a National A or superior AAP racing license or
equivalent, or competed in a national level karting, or other motor sport,
national championship, are not eligible. Any contestant who made it to Race
Camp in any of the previous GT Academy competitions will not be able to
progress.
·
Those
that make it to the National Finals are required to participate in a mandatory
health screening for physical fitness and vision and be in good general health
in accordance with the Automobile Association of the
Philippines medical requirements.
·
Finally,
in order to attend Race Camp contestants will need to have a valid passport and
be able to travel internationally. They will also need to be free to be away
from home for approximately one week.
Q4:
How can I qualify?
Live
Events
Nissan will hold Live Events in various
locations nationwide in the Philippines. The 20 fastest and qualified gamers at
the event will go through to the next stage of the competition which is the
National Finals happening in July 2015.
Q5:
Is it worth entering GT Academy even if I don’t think I’ll win?
It is always worth trying to see where you
are against the best gamers in your country. None of our previous GT Academy
winners believed they had a chance of winning when they first entered GT
Academy! But you can also have a lot of fun by challenging your PSN friends.
The GT Academy competition is also designed to improve your skills.
Q6:
What are the timings for the other stages of GT Academy Asia 2015?
§ National Finals will take place in July
with the International Race Camp scheduled for August.
§ The Driver Development Programme runs from
September until January.
§ The winner of GT Academy will get a chance
to race in an international level racing competition.
Q7: What happens next to the winner of GT
Academy?
The winner has to be prepared to make a
major commitment to becoming a real racing driver. From the end of the Race
Camp, the winner will be based in the UK for approximately three months in
order to undertake an intensive race training programme. The winner will be
housed close to Silverstone Circuit and will be racing in UK national and club
level races most weekends.
The overall
winners of GT Academy will be put through an intensive Driver Development
Programme, in order to qualify for the main prize – a chance to race professionally with Nissan in Dubai
and potentially beyond, dependent on the winners own abilities and commitment
to the programme.
Q8: What if a competitor has never raced a
real car in their life?
That's not a problem. GT Academy is about finding the best of the best Gran Turismo gamer and turning him or her into a professional racing driver. As outlined in the rules, people with past professional racing experience are not eligible. As long as the competitor can drive in Gran Turismo, knows how to drive a real car, and meets the other eligibility requirements, all they have to do is try their best.
Q9:
Can a GT Academy graduate be a realistic route into top-level motor sport?
Nissan and PlayStation posed the question -
“can the world of virtual racing unearth a real racing talent?” The success of
the competition’s previous GT Academy winners has demonstrated that this answer
is a resounding “yes”. It was clearly demonstrated when Lucas Ordoñez, the
Spanish winner of the first instalment in 2008, went on to finish second in the
Le Mans 24 Hour race in 2011 and won the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup for
Nissan.
Q10:
Where can I find out more?
To know more about the program, you can
visit Nissan Philippines, Incorporated’s Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/NissanPhilippinesInc.
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