ITALY AND FRANCE TRIUMPH IN NISSAN AND PLAYSTATION®’S GT ACADEMY 2010

For immediate release

  Italy and France triumph in Nissan and PlayStation®’s GT Academy 2010

• Gamers Luca Lorenzini and Jordan Tresson move one step closer to a real European GT4 Cup drive

Silverstone, Tuesday 2 March 2010 – After five intense days of on and off track action, Luca Lorenzini from near Mantova in Italy and Jordan Tresson from Villers La Montagne in northern France have been announced as the two winners of the GT Academy 2010. More hard work awaits the victorious pair who will be back at Silverstone next Monday to commence an intensive driver training programme to qualify them for an international C race licence. Only one of the pair will then be given the opportunity race a full season in the European GT4 Cup in a Nissan 370Z GT car.

It was not an easy decision for the GT Academy judging panel that consisted of Eddie Jordan, Johnny Herbert, Sabine Schmitz and experienced sportscar driver Rob Barff. Irishman Daniel Collins and Spaniard Marco Calvo just failed to make the grade from among the final four. However, they could be proud to have emerged from an original 18 and, even more impressively, from among the 1.2 million gamers that entered GT Academy via the PlayStation®3 Gran Turismo time trial.

“This has been extraordinary,” enthused former Formula One team boss, Jordan. “I have been absolutely blown away. I could not believe that these gamers, with no experience of racing cars could do this. Apart from one accident today, we have had no issues at all on the driving side. They really are great drivers, all of them, and this has been a great experience. In the end, I think we had two clear winners and I think they will do very well. But each and every one of the 18 can be rightly proud of what they have achieved and I know that they have all had an amazing experience that will stay with them forever.”

The final day of action started with an early morning triathlon, comprising a muddy sprint from Whittlebury Hall to the Silverstone off-road area for bike changeover and a cycle to Stowe circuit, followed by laps in the 370Z. The event produced high drama when Jordan Tresson, who was the clear leader, put his chances of winning at risk when he misjudged the first corner of the new Stowe Circuit on cold tyres and crashed into a tyre barrier.

“It was a serious incident and he really let himself down at that point,” explained Barff. “However, overall Jordan has been extremely good and fast and he is supremely fit. Crashing on cold tyres is a mistake that many drivers have made, and I suspect he will not do it again!

“This has been a fantastic final day. I was so impressed with how quick the guys were in a full GT4 car. Luca has been so consistent and got better and better throughout. I think we have a great pair. Dan Collins is a PlayStation learning machine who has just grown and grown. Marco had a great last day but just wasn’t quite there.”

Lapping the Stowe Circuit in a full race-spec Nissan 350Z GT4 car must have been a highlight of GT Academy for the gamers turned drivers. It was the very same car that had carried their predecessor, Lucas Ordoñez, to second place in the 2009 GT4 Cup. However, there was a final, and incredible, challenge still to come for the four finalists.

After 10 minutes of practice and a 10 minute qualifying session, all four drivers lined up in identical race-prepared Nissan 370Zs on Silverstone’s famous start-finish straight. The competition was fierce in a 20 minute race, punctuated by a simulated driver change in the pits. With the drivers having to release their steering wheels, jump out of the car and run around it before getting back in, it proved to be a decisive element of the race. Jordan Tresson entered the pits with a lead, but it was third-placed Marco Calvo who re-entered the circuit first after a lightening pit stop. Marco held on for the win and hoped that he had done enough to progress to the fourth stage of GT Academy.

“This has been an incredible journey for all of us, but particularly for our two winners,” said three-time F1 winner, Johnny Herbert. “They have really stood out over the course of the week and today showed that they are ready to compete in a GT4 car at international level.

“All 18 drivers that we started with have got a lot to take away with them. They have driven things and experienced things that they never would have. It has been wonderful to be a part of this and I look forward to watching the progress that Luca and Jordan make from now.”

German winner of two Nurbürgring 24 hour races Sabine Schmitz, was also impressed with GT Academy: “I have enjoyed this so much. Working with two F1 legends was one thing, but to work with all these great young guys who are so talented has been unbelievable. I have worked with many people on track days with more experience. These gamers came here with virtually no track time and they knew where to brake, when to turn in. They struggled at first with the G-force, but I think it really shows how good the Gran Turismo game is.”

QUOTES

Jordan Tresson, France

“I was worried about my chances this morning after I crashed, but I am so happy I made it. It’s just amazing that Nissan and PlayStation have given me this opportunity.

“I’m going to do my best over the next two months and try and improve as much as possible. Even if I’m not the winner who gets to race in the European GT4 Cup, I will have still learnt so much.”

Luca Lorenzini, Italy

“Jordan was so fast, I always tried to beat him but it was tough! I did think that I would get through, as my times were faster than the other two guys. I’m so happy that Nissan and PlayStation are running GT Academy. It’s my one opportunity in life to live my dream”

Daniel Collins, Ireland

“To be honest, I am happy. This has probably been the best experience of my life. I am also really happy for the other two. They really deserved it so I can’t be disappointed. It was an incredible learning experience. I would like to thank PlayStation and Nissan and all the judges, the organisation and other competitors. I would certainly like to come back again if I get another chance.”

Marco Calvo, Spain

“I am quite disappointed but Luca and Jordan were fast and they deserved to win. I went a bit wrong in the GT4 car. It was right hand drive, which was hard. I certainly would like to do more racing and would love to come back here again. Being a racing driver is still my dream.”

Mark Bowles, Sony Computer Entertainment

“We’re really pleased with the two guys that won, they are going to do a fantastic job in the next stage of the competition. All eighteen finalists should be so proud to be here. They beat 1.2 million other hopefuls to get a place in the GT Academy, and we appreciate all the hours they have put in playing Gran Turismo and everything they have achieved here at Silverstone over the last five days. PlayStation would love to see either Jordan or Luca go on to mirror the success of last year’s GT Academy winner Lucas Ordoñez.”

Darren Cox, Nissan Europe

“We have learnt a bit from 2008 and I think we put together an extremely intensive programme. We took 18 gamers, most of whom had never been on a track. When I watched the final four driving a 400 bhp, slick-shod international race car they all looked like professional race drivers. They have a lot to live up to. Lucas, our winner from 2008, was on the podium in his first race. These two now have to aim high during the next two months.”

Ends

News and views from GT Academy at Silverstone, and news of the two winners, can be seen on various platforms including:

www.facebook.com/GTAcademy | http://eu.gran-turismo.com  | www.twitter.com/GTAcademywww.youtube.com/gtacademy2010 features daily summaries of GT Academy action.

For more information, please contact your local PlayStation or Nissan PR manager.

Additional notes:

About GT Academy

GT Academy 2010 uses the virtual world of the PlayStation® Gran Turismo® game to find a real-world racing driver. The stakes are high, with an intensive race training programme and a season-long drive in a full race-spec Nissan 370Z in the European GT4 Cup as the ultimate prize.

GT Academy 2010 is the second instalment of this incredible competition. In 2008/09, Lucas Ordoñez, a 23-year-old Spanish student, graduated from his PlayStation®3 (PS3^TM) to become a full-on racing driver via the GT Academy. Lucas is living proof that the answer to the question posed by PlayStation and Nissan - “can the world of virtual racing unearth a real racing talent?” - was a resounding “yes”.

The 2010 GT Academy competition was open to participants who are over 18 from the following territories: Australia; Austria; Belgium; France; Germany; Ireland; Italy; Netherlands; New Zealand; Portugal; Spain; Switzerland; UK; and Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. The Terms and Conditions of entry stipulate that anyone who holds, or has held, a national or international race licence will not qualify for GT Academy. This rule was aimed at maintaining the purity of the “virtual to real” concept. (Terms & Conditions available at www.eu.playstation.com/terms)

GT Academy 2010 is divided into five key stages:

Stage One – Between 17 December, 2009 and 24 January, 2010, over 1.1 million entrants downloaded the Gran Turismo time trial via PlayStation®Network, accessed through PS3. They recorded timed laps in two virtual cars – a standard Nissan 370Z and a race-tuned version. Times in each participating territory were logged on a leader board.

Stage Two – The holders of the twenty fastest online times from each participating territory qualified for national final events, which pitted them in multi-player races on various Gran Turismo tracks to select the fastest one or two Gran Turismo drivers to proceed to the next phase.

Stage Three – 19 finalists, chosen from each of the national finals events, will head to the world famous Silverstone circuit for the GT Academy itself - a five-day, comprehensive race driver ‘boot camp’. They will have a chance to develop new driving skills in an array of Nissan, and other, hardware, while also being judged on fitness and mental attitude by a panel of judges including Eddie Jordan, Johnny Herbert and Sabine Schmitz.

Stage Four - For the two competitors that display the talent, fitness, aptitude, drive and determination to succeed in motor sport, the action will hot-up even further. A UK-based intensive driving and racing programme will prepare them to qualify for an international racing licence.

Stage Five – There is only one place available for the driver with the most potential to compete on an international stage. The overall GT Academy 2010 champion will race a full season in the European GT4 Cup in a Nissan 370Z, prepared by RJN Motorsport. The opening race is scheduled for May, 2010.

About Gran Turismo®

With more than 53 million units sold worldwide, the award-winning Gran Turismo® franchise for the PlayStation®, PlayStation®2 and PlayStation®3 is regarded as the best and most authentic driving simulation ever created due to its true-to-life graphics, physics and real-life cars and tracks. Since the inception of the Gran Turismo franchise, famed creator Kazunori Yamauchi and Polyphony Digital Inc. in Japan have revolutionized the racing category as we know it today. His offerings provide the gamer with the most true-to-life driving simulation within the industry and a unique medium for motor manufacturers to showcase their products.

About Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), based in London, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and sales of PlayStation®3, PlayStation®2, PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) and PlayStation®Network software and hardware in 99 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. SCEE also develops, publishes, markets and distributes entertainment software for these formats, and manages the third party licensing programs for the formats in these territories. Since the launch of PlayStation 3 in November 2006, over 27 million units have been sold globally and continue to be sold at a record level.  Maintaining its position as one of the most successful consumer electronic products in history, PlayStation 2 has sold over 140.7 million systems worldwide.  Since its launch at the end of 2004, over 55.9 million PSPs have been sold globally, highlighting the importance of the portable entertainment market.  With the huge increase in interest and accessibility of network applications and network gaming, over 31 million accounts have registered to PlayStation Network, the free-to-access interactive environment, and over 650 million items have been downloaded.

More information about PlayStation products can be found at www.playstation.com or visit the Virtual Press Office at www.scee.presscentre.com.

PlayStation and the PlayStation logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. PS3 and PSP are trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

About Nissan in Europe

Nissan employs around 12,500 people in its European design, research and development, manufacturing, logistics, and sales and marketing operations. In calendar year 2008, the company sold 601,647 vehicles across 40 markets in Western and Eastern Europe including Russia. Furthermore, the company produced a total of 539,580 vehicles in its Spanish and British plants.

For more information, please go to www.nissaneurope-newsbureau.com

About the Nissan 370Z

Nissan's new 370Z continues the bloodline of previous Zs by offering an authentic rear-wheel drive sports car experience, with enhanced performance and handling thanks to its more compact dimensions and attention to weight-saving. 

In the first full redesign of the iconic Nissan Z since its re-introduction in 2003, the new 370Z now sports a shorter wheelbase, greater use of lightweight body materials, a new engine with more horsepower and a new 7-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters, as well as the world’s first synchronized down/up shift rev control system for the manual transmission. 

But to get the full measure of the new model, now designated the Nissan 370Z, one need look no farther than the purposeful, athletic design which retains the Z's basic DNA, but adds a purposeful muscularity.  The new 370Z remains true to the Z's original philosophy, offering accessible performance, true sportscar handling and athletic, agile design.

59968/030310