With the famous Silverstone Circuit bathed in sunshine today (Monday), the GT Academy 2010 action hotted up once more. The final four Gran Turismo® racers in the competition had an incredible day of on-and-off track action. Jordan Tresson from France, Marco Calvo from Spain, Luca Lorenzini from Italy and Daniel Collins from Ireland were pitted directly against each other in a series of challenges designed to unearth the racing driver with the most potential to succeed in the European GT4 Cup race series.
First up were tense ‘dog-fights’ on Stowe circuit in the Nissan 370Zs. With the drivers starting at opposite points on the circuit, this was a pursuit race. After entertaining races between Marco and Luca and Jordan and Daniel, the French and Italian drivers emerged as the finalists, with Luca taking the win. The third place race-off was won by Daniel over Marco after the Spaniard spun.
Physical fitness is vital to any racing driver and has played an important part in GT Academy. A ‘bleep’ test – where the contestants undertake shuttle runs with an ever-decreasing time limit between each one – was won by the ultra-fit Jordan, who carried on well beyond his competition. Carrying a leg injury from the previous day’s assault course, Daniel saw it through to be second. Marco was second to be eliminated for failing to keep up with the ‘bleeps’, thus finishing third. Luca was the first one out, and so last.
Staying on Stowe circuit, the four contestants had the opportunity to take the wheel of the GT-R in race mode. With judge and lead instructor Rob Barff monitoring their progress from inside the cockpit, Formula One Grand Prix winner Johnny Herbert drove his old team-boss Eddie Jordan in a second GT-R to scrutinise their racing lines at close quarters…sometimes inches!!! As well as being able to assess the drivers, the exercise proved useful for putting the drivers under pressure with Herbert all over their tails at high speed. Overall the contestants were judged on their consistency and speed over five laps.
The afternoon saw a fascinating knockout session played out on the National circuit. Each competitor drove the 370Z for a ten minute ‘qualifying’ session. The drivers then switched to Silverstone’s single-seaters. The driver with the worst combined qualifying time was eliminated and the remaining drivers repeated the exercise until the winner emerged. The test of driving versatility and speed was won by Italian Luca Lorenzini. Jordan Tresson was second, Daniel Collins third and Spaniard Marco Calvo was the first driver eliminated having struggled in the single-seater.
A second ‘press conference’ challenge, confirmed that the four finalists had all paid attention to Louise Goodman’s media masterclass. All four contestants put in excellent performances and responded well to some difficult questions – all in English.
“I was so impressed with all of them in the press conference,” said two-time Nürburgring 24 Hour winner Sabine Schmitz. “On the track it has been a very interesting day. To see them driving real cars with no traction control has impressed me. The GT-R is a very fast car and it not easy to go as quickly as they did. They even managed to get Johnny Herbert into trouble while he was chasing them, which was funny! I am enjoying this process enormously. It is a fantastic event and really big fun.”
Rob Barff was delighted to get some dry track time today: “The first dry day has given us a great opportunity to assess the drivers in a different environment. Jordan Tresson has excelled in fitness. Luca has been driving incredibly fast this afternoon. Daniel Collins just continues to improve with every lap. Marco Calvo definitely enjoyed the wet conditions, but he did struggle a little this afternoon. But tomorrow’s another day and there is still a lot left to run in this competition. GT Academy 2010 has been brilliant. It has proved again that this crazy idea really can work!”
See more articles on GT Academy 2010.
it’s a beep test not bleep
Just a note, its not a “Bleep” test, its “Beep”, and its just a very simple 10 metre running test between 2 points, you must be at the next point within the next beep. It gradually decreases in time, so you have to go faster and faster.
One thing i did notice, was that in the first pic with the two GTR’s, one is RHD one is LHD… wonder why that is?
“I was so impressed with all of them in the press conference,” said two-time Nürburgring 24 Hour winner Sabine Schmitz. “On the track it has been a very interesting day. To see them driving real cars with no traction control has impressed me. The GT-R is a very fast car and it not easy to go as quickly as they did. They even managed to get Johnny Herbert into trouble while he was chasing them, which was funny! I am enjoying this process enormously.”
# Big Ron Says:
March 2nd, 2010 at 8:41 am
Where the hell was the driver of the GT-R in the first picture? Did he take an offroad-outtime? :D
# DrTrouserPlank Says:
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:01 am
^^
He cut across the grass a did a bit of wallriding. That’s certainly what GT5P taught us was the quickest way around a track XD
That’s Johnny Herbert. He had a slight mishap whilst trying to tail gate the drivers to see how they cope under pressure. :p
They nearly have all the world’s attention, c’mon GT5 release date!
Say, the GT-R looks kind of nice with that mud deco. I don’t think Nissan has a WRC car, has anyone ever seen a Skyline rally car? Doesn’t ring a bell. It would look much better with this new generation of design.
man gt academy this year is so intense with johnny herbert and boot camps ahhhh!!! its fricken amazing
mensioned johnny cause ive seen him race the r8 lmp1 car at road america for alms and got to meet him, and have his autograph, he’s a really cool dude
Each one of them have it’s own strenghts, it’s quite difficult to choose. But I would vote for the Italian guy, he isn’t that fit but he is fast, fitness you acquire in a gym, talent is rare and it’s born with you.
^^
He cut across the grass a did a bit of wallriding. That’s certainly what GT5P taught us was the quickest way around a track XD
Where the hell was the driver of the GT-R in the first picture? Did he take an offroad-outtime? :D
@DrTrouserPlank. I don’t think anyone is likley to get angered at a bunch of video gamers being given a chance to compete in GT4 class races.
The GT4 class is for the most amatuer of racers with the least amout of experience. The FIA is very strict on the rules on who qualifies as a GT4 class driver. They can’t have any previous notable single seater or GT racing experience. All they need is a racing license. And a racing team, to support them. Anyone of us could compete if we wanted to. So long as we had the money and a racing team. Nissan and Sony are putting their own money into this programme. It is perfectly fine.
@DrTrouserPlank, the truth is, playing a video game is nothing like driving a real car in terms of actual feel. There are no g-forces, you can’t feel the weight of the car, there is no “risk”… Sure, I’m no race driver, but I drive a reasonably fast car in real life, and the same car in-game is nothing like it. Yes, I get the impression I’m driving the car, which is the whole point of the game, but it is no substitute for thrashing a real race car around a track at race speeds. The only things a game can teach are track layout, racing line, approximate braking points, approximate corner speeds etc. Putting that theory into practice is a whole different ball game, for which there is no substitute apart from actual track time.
Come on Daniel! Great to see a fellow Irishman doing the business!
Is Jordan our Jordan? No this one is french. And french are not quite good in english, otherwise this site would bein french like gt planete
Is Jordan our Jordan?
I think once GT5 is out, these events will be a thing of the past. Maybe one more will be done shortly after it’s release, but I’m sure these “experiments” have angered a lot of people within the motorsport world who (despite what they are paid to say) don’t in fact believe that playing a videogame has many transferable skills when it comes to racing a real car.
As long as the endless hype train that is GT5’s release schedule keeps on rolling, I’m sure we’ll see one of these events every year.
The tyre is clipping the asphalt!!! :D
Fantastic photos! Can’t wait the videos appearing in GT TV.. :P
Yeah! GO Jordan!
best of luck for all drivers!!!!!
Why wouldn’t it work??
Looks and reads really cool.
Maybe with the more widespreed media attention to this, this would not be the last time we see this kind of events for gamers
I vote Jordan Tresson wins