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 Antonio “Toti” Zara, President and Managing Director Antonio of Nissan Philippines talks about bringing a Virtual game, Grand Turismo ( by Playstation ) , to Pro Racing through the first GTAcademy in the Philippines.  20 Finalists will be selected and The top 6 performers from these National Finals are then invited to take part in the Final Selection Round – an intense Race Camp competition held at the famous Silverstone Racing Circuit in England. Here, the action jumps from the virtual cars of the PS3™ game to actual Nissan sports cars, as competitors are tested on their strength, stamina, mental agility and driving skills. Judges look for pure talent, drive, passion and dedication to determine who really has what it takes to become a professional racecar driver. 

GT Academy is an international virtual-to-reality contest that allows the best Gran Turismo players to compete for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a real-life professional racecar driver. Any player who proves his or her skill in the virtual world has a chance to go wheel-to-wheel in a real racecar on a real circuit to achieve the grand prize – a spot on the Nissan racing team, and all the training and licensing needed to race in international events.

Created in 2008 by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe and Polyphony Digital Inc., in collaboration with Nissan Europe, this competition has grown in popularity all over the world, with the launch of a U.S. GT Academy in 2011.

Nissan Philippines, Inc. (NPI) is the newest participant of the virtual-to-pro racing competition, the GT Academy.

GT Academy gained prominence since its inception in 2008. Now on its seventh installment, this globally played competition sees an expansion in the form of the new GT Academy Asia, in which Philippines will be pitting against other Asian countries including Japan in the battle to become the GT Academy Champion.

“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.

With GT Academy, any player who can prove their driving skills in the world of video games can compete in a real racetrack. The GT Academy International Champion 2014 Ricardo Sanchez flew in all the way from UK to attend the launch. After winning last year’s competition, Ricardo’s racing career took off after he joined Nissan’s elite motor sport team, the NISMO, to run the coveted tracks of the prestigious Dubai 24-Hour race in January 2015.

The Shift from Gamer to Racer

GT Academy takes skilled Gran Turismo 6 players and turns them into professional racers in five stages.

First Gear: The Recruitment (April – June)

Thousands of hopefuls will be narrowed down to the top 20 gamers to be determined by time trials taking place behind the wheel of GT pods during live racing events.

Second Gear: National Finals (July)

The National Finals will determine top 6 Filipino players who will go to the next round and go bumper-to-bumper with the best Gran Turismo drivers in Asia.

Third Gear: The Race Camp Week (August)

Players will be tested on their strength, stamina, mental agility and driving skills against Asia’s best at the Silverstone Racing Circuit in UK.

Fourth Gear: Driver Development Program

The emerging GT Academy Champion in Asia will join other GT Academy winners in a rigorous training under the wing of professional coaches and racers at the Silverstone Racing Circuit in UK.

Fifth Gear: Graduation
After passing the Driver Development Program, graduates will receive their International C License, allowing them to compete in a prestigious racing event anywhere in the world.

“We are looking forward to discovering even more new stars in 2015. Anyone in the Philippines who thinks they have what it takes should give GT Academy a go. Not everyone can win, but the experience is hugely rewarding at every stage of the competition.” said GTA Global’s Managing Director Laurence Wiltshire.

The top Gran Turismo gamers can qualify through live recruitment events to be held nationwidetime trials using pre-selected Nissan vehicles. Thousands of hopefuls are narrowed down to a selected few, who will then participate in a National Final Event where they battle in special racing pods during a series of live Gran Turismo elimination rounds.

Ricardo Sanchez ( so handsome!!!! ) from Mexico  just joined this same competition when he went to the mall and today he is The GT Academy International Champion for 2014
He is inside a Simulator Pod where the aspiring gamers will compete for a place in the National Finals. The competition is open to any Filipino that dreams to be a race car driver!

The top performers from these National Finals are then invited to take part in the Final Selection Round – an intense Race Camp competition held at the famous Silverstone Racing Circuit in England. Here, the action jumps from the virtual cars of the PS3™ game to actual Nissan sports cars, as competitors are tested on their strength, stamina, mental agility and driving skills. Judges look for pure talent, drive, passion and dedication to determine who really has what it takes to become a professional racecar driver.

A television show documenting the intense competition and training for the final GT Academy competitors in Europe and North America is aired on national television channels. Follow the official GT Academy page on Facebook for the latest updates on the competition and status of all GT Academy Champions.

Our NissanGTAcademyPH? LIVE events will start next week!
Here are the schedules:
– April 10 and 11, 10AM-10PM at the Glorietta 5 Activity Center
– April 12, 10AM-9PM at Glorietta 5 Activity Center
– April 17-18, 10AM-10PM at Glorietta Activity Center
– April 19, 10AM-9PM at Glorietta Activity Center.

For the schedule of live events and updates on the GT Academy Philippines, please visit www.facebook.com/NissanPhilippinesInc. ( Click on photo below )