Lucas crosses the finish line

With GT Academy winner Lucas Ordóñez behind the wheel, the Nissan PlayStation Racing Team’s Nissan 350Z GT4 crossed the finish line of the TOYO Tires 24h of Dubai endurance race to a rapturous reception. The team finished 45th overall and ninth in its class, completing 451 laps and covering a distance of 2431km.

Their placing fails to reflect stunning performances from drivers and pit-crew alike amidst frustrating mechanical difficulties that forced the car into the pits 21 times. During the course of the race they used 1,170 litres of fuel and 30 sets of tyres. The top speed achieved by the car was 150mph and Alex Buncombe recorded the quickest lap at 2:10:04 minutes. The fastest driver changeover and refuel was achieved in an incredible 56 seconds.

Land Motorsport 2 took first place overall, completing 573 laps; Al Faisal Racing 1 came in second and won the A5 class in which the Nissan PlayStation team competed; and Besaplast Racing Team claimed third place.

Lucas was clearly elated as he received pats on the back from his teammates and hugs from his family, who have travelled over from Spain and supported him throughout the race. “It was the most amazing feeling,” he beamed. “I saw all of my team climbing the barrier and cheering me on. It was the craziest feeling of my life.”

“This is a weekend of disappointments and great achievements,” declared Johnny Herbert. “Lucas did brilliantly, producing a mistake-free drive under big pressure. He has achieved everything we had hoped from him and proved that it is possible to make the transition from virtual racing to the real thing.

“It’s a shame about the mechanical problems, but they come with the job. Everyone wants a race without problems but these things rear their ugly head. I’ve been in races where we didn’t even make the finish line so at least we got there.”

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Fast laps and further frustrations

As night falls and the track is illuminated by speeding headlights, the Nissan PlayStation 350Z GT4 continues to suffer niggling setbacks. Johnny Herbert was forced into the pit-lane by a problem with the sensor that transmits lap times to the race computer and an issue with the headlights.

When Alex Buncombe got behind the wheel it seemed that the team’s fortunes had turned. He posted a succession of 2:11 minute laps, which were comfortably among the top ten in the field. To add further woe, he was involved in a collision with a Renault Clio, breaking the rear suspension and costing the team five laps.

As the temperature dropped, so did lap times. As Darren Cox, Interactive Marketing Manager of Nissan Europe and Tim Beven, project co-ordinator for the Nissan PlayStation team explained, cool air is denser. This allows the engine to burn more fuel and generate more power. Mild conditions also exert less strain on the car and are more comfortable for the driver.

At the time of writing the Nissan PlayStation team are in 62nd position overall, but there are still many hours to go and with the race strategy now being to push the car to its limits through the early hours of a humid Saturday morning, anything can happen. Read more

Lucas speaks after his first session

You’ve completed your first session, was it anything like you were expecting?

You can’t really expect anything with 80 cars on the track and some fearless guys driving them. It’s difficult to overtake out there but I’m trying to be consistent in my lap times. I also had a problem with a puncture but I spoke to my team on the radio and they managed to fix it quickly.

Are you confident of making up the lost time?

Yes, I’m looking forward to my next session, which will be in the dark. Night driving is very exciting, with all the lights flying past.

Are you starting to feel tired?

No, I’m good. I’ve had plenty of energy drinks which keep me going. I feel great for now but this is an endurance race and there is a long way to go yet. This is the longest race I have driven in and it is fantastic. To be an endurance driver is my greatest dream and already I’m hoping to do it again next year.

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Mixed fortunes

A combination of solid driving and ill luck has left the Nissan PlayStation racing team with it all to do at the TOYO Tires 24h of Dubai endurance race. Rob Barff got off to a solid start, driving consistently to achieve lap times of around 2:12 minutes. Unfortunately, he was blighted by a freak incident early into his session and was forced to pull into the pit-lane with smoke billowing from his car.

“A piece of debris on the track popped up and damaged the power steering system,” explained Darren Cox, Interactive Marketing Manager of Nissan Europe. “It ruptured a joint and caused power steering fluid to pour onto the track; it also landed on the hot exhaust which explains all the smoke. We’ve repaired it but it has cost us ten laps, which is a blow as Rob was going so well out there.”

Once the fault had been repaired, Lucas got off to a flying start, completing one of his first laps in 2:14 minutes before settling into an impressive run of 2:15 minute postings. However, on lap 36 a puncture forced the Nissan 350Z GT4 into the pit-lane once again, although professional driving from Lucas and a tremendous effort from the pit team meant that the team lost less than a minute.

At time of writing, the Nissan PlayStation team is in 62nd place overall and 15th in their class, with Johnny Herbert currently behind the wheel. Before beginning his session, he said that a comeback was needed, but with Lucas driving so well and, hopefully, the misfortunes behind them, he is optimistic of finishing the race in a respectable position. Read more

Johnny Herbert talks to gtacademy.eu

Are you proud of what GT Academy has achieved?
Definitely so, people have spoken for a long time about taking someone from virtual racing and seeing if they can do the real thing but nobody has had the courage to do it. It’s amazing that we have done it in such a short space of time, and myself and the rest of the team are there to help Lucas through what is a completely new experience.

How confident were you of finding virtual drivers that could perform on the track?
The level at the Silverstone Grand Final was much higher than I expected which was encouraging. One of the interesting things about all of the guys we saw was that their experience of playing Gran Turismo had been purely visual; I use my eyes but I’ve learnt to use the feel of the car when I drive, which you can’t fully replicate in a game. To the credit of those who came to Silverstone, they were all able to jump into a racing car and absorb what we were teaching them very quickly.

Is dealing with the media as much a learning process for Lars and Lucas as what they do on the track?
Absolutely, because it’s all part of racing. I’m used to it because I’ve done this so many times, but sometimes you do want to focus fully on the race in those hours before the start. I have learnt to get the interviews out of the way and then switch my mind to race mode.

Can you see them now pursuing careers in motorsport?
Motorsport is a hard game to get into, but GT Academy has given them the best possible chance. Yesterday, during practice, Lucas was only two seconds a lap slower than myself and the rest of the team, which shows how far he has come along in the short time he has been with us. If we get a good result today, then he will receive a lot of media attention and possibly the chance to start out in this form of racing. It’s an opportunity very few get and if he grabs it by the horns then who knows where it will take him. Like anything in life, if you try hard then you’re in with a chance. Read more

The temperature rises

The heat is searing here in Dubai, with temperatures hitting 30 degrees Celsius trackside. The cars have all assembled on the starting grid for a parade and warm-up lap, with Rob Barff shouldering the responsibility of the first session.

“The hardest part is taking that first corner,” he said before climbing behind the wheel. “You have more than 80 cars vying for position, but after the first lap the quicker cars will pull away and you can settle into a rhythm.”

The team has decided to change drivers approximately every 90 minutes. GT Academy winner Lucas Ordóñez will drive the second session, with motoring legend Johnny Herbert taking the third. Lucas seemed relaxed as he answered questions for the media; many journalists have made the trip over from his native Spain, where his amazing story has captured the public's imagination.

With the start of the race rapidly approaching, look out for updates from the start of the TOYO tires 24h of Dubai endurance race and full interviews with members of the Nissan PlayStation racing team. Read more

All eyes on GT Academy winners

Schlömer and Ordóñez prepare for a thrilling climax to their racing adventure: the TOYO Tires 24h of Dubai endurance race.

When German taxi driver Lars Schlömer and Spanish student Lucas Ordóñez bought their copies of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, they were unaware of the incredible journey that lay before them.

Ten months on, they line up alongside legends of motoring and compete as racing drivers in the TOYO Tires 24h of Dubai endurance race, all thanks to GT Academy. The pan-European search for undiscovered talent began on PlayStation Network, with 25,000 PLAYSTATION 3 owners competing to set the fastest lap around the Eiger Norwand course. The quickest in each country, as decided by National Final events across Europe, were invited to Silverstone in England to prove their skills behind the wheel of a real Nissan GT-R, and when the final chequered flag fell, Schlömer and Ordóñez claimed their places on the Nissan PlayStation Race Team.

Driving alongside them on the team is British Formula One legend Johnny Herbert, who has a wealth of experience in endurance racing, having won the famous Le Mans 24 Hours in 1991. Completing the team are Alex Buncombe, a driver with considerable experience in the Nissan 350Z GT4 race car that the team will be using, and GT Academy head of driving, Rob Barff.

In its fourth year, the TOYO Tires 24h of Dubai is growing in esteem among the racing community and, as a result, the Nissan PlayStation Race Team will have a strong international line-up of competitors to deal with, not to mention the gruelling distance and searing Persian Gulf heat. Competitors include German touring car stalwarts Roland Asch and Kurt Thiim in the Besaplast Racing Team’s Porsche 997 and Chinese GP2 driver Ho Pin Tung, who will take his seat in the Mosler MT900 GT3 run by Gravity Racing of Luxemburg.

In preparation, Schlömer and Ordóñez have been competing in events across the UK, earning their racing licenses and getting to grips with a range of Nissan racing cars. “It's going to be a tough race and I have much to work on before January,” Schlömer told eu.playstation.com. “I need to improve my fitness in order to race for longer periods and I need more time in the Nissan 350Z GT4. Everything is going to be new for me in Dubai: my first international race, a new style of racing and a new car.”

It has been quite a year for the two drivers in-training; their racing dreams have been taken from the virtual world of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue and made real by the GT Academy. However they fare in Dubai, nobody can deny that they have made magnificent progress in just 10 months, and with the guidance of Johnny Herbert and the support of the Nissan PlayStation team, they have every chance of leaving a lasting impression on the racing community.

For more information on GT Academy and live coverage of the TOYO Tires 24h of Dubai from January 8, 2009, head to granturismoworld.com. Read more