Richard Meaden, professional racer and writer for the (awesome) online publication Drivers Republic, was a witness to history last month when he drove alongside GT Academy winner Lucas Ordóñez in the 24 Hours of Dubai. Meaden eloquently describes the experience of the 24 hour event from a personal, honest point of view in his latest article, and it’s a fascinating read. He covers the race build-up, paddock drama, trials and tribulations of endurance racing, and complements Ordóñez for his calm head and steady driving.
Moreover, he came away impressed by the performance of a driver who has probably spent more time in front of Gran Turismo than on the track:
Perhaps more significantly, thanks to Sony, Polyphony Digital and Nissan’s vision, the GT Academy has the potential to tap into a whole new stream of undiscovered talent. Until just a few weeks ago the thought of a gamer trading times with a former Le Mans and GP winner in a 24-hour race was preposterous. Now there seems no reason why we won’t see a virtual racer make it to F1. Place your bets now…
Read the full article at Drivers-Republic…
See more articles on Lucas Ordonez.
Yeah, Drivers-Republic is a pretty impressive endeavor. I certainly hope they are able to make it – this economy is pretty tough on those looking for advertising dollars (I’ve experienced that firsthand). They have some pretty strong backers, though – I noticed the publication is actually backed by Sony/”Gran Turismo”, which is kind of interesting…
Great article – a must read. I’m a occasional evo magazine reader, and I’ve wondered where Dickie Meaden went. I’ve just added drivers-republic.com the top of my bookmarks. Congratulations to Lucas Ordóñez for his accomplishments and representing us gamers so well!