GT Academy Names Winning Drivers
GT Academy, an international driving competition from PlayStation® and Nissan, has found its winners following a gruelling and emotional week-long international final at iconic British racetrack Silverstone. 28-year old Lars Schlömer, from Germany and 23-year old Lucas Ordoñez from Spain beat 20 other competitors from across Europe to be crowned the GT Academy champions. The pair now face a four-month intensive training programme with Nissan’s race team to earn their racing license and compete in the ultimate test of driving skill and stamina: the Dubai 24hr endurance race in January 2009.
Winning the GT Academy will be life-changing for both competitors. Lars Schlömer, a taxi driver from Bonn and Lucas Ordoñez, an MBA student, will both put their lives on hold to become part of the Nissan race team. Both winners have harboured lifelong dreams to become racing drivers.
During the five-day GT Academy at Silverstone the 22 competitors faced a series of rigorous tests to prove they had the physical and mental ability as well as the driving skills to become a real race car driver. The boot camp-style competition ran under the watchful eye of a panel of five judges who followed the competitors’ every move. Racing legend Johnny Herbert acted as a mentor to the competitors and assisted the judges in making their final decision.
Speaking of his win, Lucas Ordoñez said: “I can’t believe it. This is a dream come true. I knew this would be difficult and I did not expect to win, but I just took each day as it came and tried to push to my maximum.”
Lars Schlömer said: “I have wanted this for the last ten years of my life but I just never had the chance. This is amazing. I truly would have been heartbroken if I hadn’t won. I would not have entered this competition if I did not believe I could win because coming to Silverstone and not winning would have been like giving a dog a bone and then taking it away again!”