GT Academy winner needs your help!Touring Cars

[CodeRedR51]

2013 GT Academy USA winner Nickolas McMillen has a chance to win a fully paid ride in the Dunlop Super2 series for 2019 and he needs your help. He has been accepted into the Aussie Driver Search to win the prize, however it requires a $4,950 deposit to enter. Unfortunately he is unable to come up with the money before the deadline, so he has set up a Go Fund Me account for donations as suggested by several people.

Nick is a great driver and certainly deserves to have a full time ride in any series. I know we would all like to see him succeed, and I definitely would love to see him compete in a Aussie V8 Supercar as they are my favorite. As Gran Turismo and GT Academy participants and fans, I think we can give him a little boost towards his goal. Even if it's just a few bucks!

Let's do this!

https://www.gofundme.com/nickaussiedrivershootout

*Post approved by @Jordan and will be posted in the news feed shortly.

 

[GTPNewsWire]

This is the discussion thread for a recent post on GTPlanet:

Let's Get 2013 GT Academy Champion Nick McMillen Back Behind the Wheel of a Racecar

This article was published by Joe Donaldson (@Joey D) on February 8th, 2018 in the GT Academy category.

 

[05XR8]

Done. What a great opportunity and to try all those cool cars. Meeting Bowe and Seton, is worth the trip alone.

Hope you're able to have time to take in the sights and breathe a bit. Just have fun!

 

[DigitalBaka]

Good luck @GumballCGT ! Show 'em how we do it up here!

 

[GumballCGT]

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

I really appreciate the article and any and all donations, shares, reposts, you name it from all of you! I love my sim racing community and want to show what we can really do when given the right opportunity. As you know, many of us don't have the financial background to make it to the big leagues, and even though I got a taste of it with GT Academy, I'm still fighting to find the sponsorship and funding to race professionally after the Nissan motorsports program was cut a couple years ago. I don't have the means to cover the racing costs out of my own pocket big or small and it would mean everything to me to have your help and make this happen!

A huge thank you for all your support and to all who have donated so far! You guys are awesome!

 

[ThrasherDBS]

Back in 2011 or so, I was hosting a casual racing lobby in GT5. @GumballCGT entered, we ran some races and the lobby started filling up a bit. We got to talking and he revealed to me that he was one of drivers who qualified past the preliminaries for GT Academy and he was doing the races, but he didn't make it to the show, citing that the other drivers were driving really dirty. I think I remember saying something like "aww that sucks, well there's always next time right?". I wanted to talk more, but pretty much the other folks in the lobby gave zero cares about what we were talking about, and they were pretty much standard rando-faire. He exited the lobby because there were a lot of guys just smashing into each other. (I think it was a race around Rome Circuit, and Nick was in a white NSX Type R '02. I remember that.) The experience really stuck with me.

Anyways, fast forward two years later where the news feed announces the newest winner to GT Academy and I remember being super excited when I recognized that PSN username from two years earlier. I was like "DUDE! HE DID IT!". I was amazed that I had actually raced against an actual future professional racing driver, and it blew my mind. I remember being so happy. "HE MADE IT!"

I've just kicked some money in, Nick. I know it's not a whole bunch, but I hope it helps you continue your dreams, man!

 

[Joey D]

Go get it @GumballCGT, we're here pulling for you!

After creeping on your social media and website to write an article about you I can definitely say you're deserving of it. Assuming you hit your goal (which looking at your donation page is looking promising) be sure to keep us updated on your progress.

When you hit the big times though, we expect an invite to the hospitality tent with all the free beer and beautiful models

 

[danimac]

Hope this guy gets a far go. After reading the article it’s far to say he’s got talent and deserves a real opportunity at pro’s.

Not fare when Ive seen rich playboys buy their way in and just destroy there car and become mobile chicanes. You have real racers like this guy who get put aside its a real shame. Nickolas McMillen Im rooting for ya buddy!

 

[Komeuppance]

@ThrasherDBS That is a great story!

I have had the pleasure of personally knowing Nick. Admist all the huge egos that many top race car drivers have, Nick's sensibility and understated personality are a welcome change! More sportsman should be like him, letting their results on the field/track speak for themselves.

Also, when he races me (more like laps me) around the local go-kart track... I am intentionally turning into him and he just laughs it off as he goes by. Good man.

-Robert

 

[GumballCGT]

@ThrasherDBS - That is an awesome story! I briefly remember that race and conversation funny enough! haha. I really appreciate the help and will make sure I do my part when I get to Australia

@R1600Turbo @05XR8 @DigitalBaka @ThrasherDBS @Joey D @danimac: I hugely appreciate the support and just remember, the hospitality tent at the races is always open if I'm there!!!

**UPDATE**

WOW! WOW! WOW!

I don't know what to say!!! Thank you everyone so so much for helping this effort! This has been an incredibly humbling experience over the last few days and I am completely blown away with all of the shares, comments, donations, and support. This would NOT be possible without all of YOU!
The initial deposit is in and I have officially entered and reserved my spot in the Aussie Driver Search competition with plans to compete in the shootout round at Sydney Motorsport Park in May! We've still got a little ways to go to cover the remaining entry fee and expenses, but with 60% of the ultimate goal already there I'd say were on the home stretch to make it happen!!!

 

[05XR8]

Fantastic!

Here are event locations
https://www.speedcafe.com/2018/01/31/aussie-driver-search-heads-bend-2018/

May 28 Sydney Motorsport Park, NSW
Jun 12 Tailem Bend, South Australia
Jun 25 Winton, Victoria
Jul 12 Morgan Park, Queensland
Aug 8 Pukekohe, New Zealand
Aug 31 Barbagallo, Western Australia
Sep 20 Sandown, Victoria
Oct 24 Norwell, Queensland
Nov 6 Wakefield Park, NSW
Dec 11-12 Wakefield Park, NSW Finale

If it's open to the public, I'll see if I can head down to SMP(I'm 2hours north, in Newcastle).

 

[ThrasherDBS]

Did it happen? That number on the Go-Fund Me page looks pretty short, and that makes me worried. Was he able to get all the funds?

 

[Joey D]

Did it happen? That number on the Go-Fund Me page looks pretty short, and that makes me worried. Was he able to get all the funds?

It doesn't look like he's got everything yet, but he did register for the competition which doesn't start until May.

 

[CodeRedR51]

Did it happen? That number on the Go-Fund Me page looks pretty short, and that makes me worried. Was he able to get all the funds?

He got enough to put a deposit down, enough to get him in. He will still need the rest though.

 

[GumballCGT]

@ThrasherDBS @Joey D: Still needing more to go for the whole amount. Getting that large of a chunk has been super helpful though and puts me at an amount I can at least work an extra week total or something over the 3 month period to when the full amount is due. It’s now realistic to try and do!

 

[CodeRedR51]

 

[gumsdad]

NickGumballCGT, Great job in Australia this week! Congratulations on making it to the big show/finals in December.