Nissan GT Academy 2014 Launches Monday

The sixth installment of Nissan’s GT Academy is launching next Monday, once again giving virtual racers the chance to make it big in racing.
When the GT Academy was first held in 2008, their promise of taking a race gamer all the way from Gran Turismo to the racing world seemed like not much more than a clever publicity stunt to many.
Six years later, the programe has worked up a very impressive track record of helping young drivers make their mark in racing. From inaugural champion Lucas Ordonez who has become a stalwart sports car racer and Nissan works driver to Jann Mardenborough and countless others – GT Academy champions have all made their marks in real racing, reaching competition in some of the world’s most prestigious events like the Le Mans 24 Hours.
The growth of the Nissan GT Academy concept is also visible in the increased national competitions. While the first GT Academy was only open to players from certain European countries, 2014 will see national championships in various territories including the United States, Germany, Europe as well as a new international competition that includes countries like Thailand, Australia, India as well as the Middle East.

As usual, the entry requirements for the competition’s first stage couldn’t be much lower as only a Playstation 3 and Gran Turismo 6 are required to enter. The quickest drivers from the first stage will progress to the latter stages, all the way to the real-life Nissan training events for the best of the best.
While the winners are edging one step closer to a professional racing driver career, having a guaranteed seat in the 2015 Dubai 24 Hours, the less skilled will be rewarded with free Gran Turismo 6 in-game credits as an incentive to keep on practicing.