PlayStation(R) Nissan ace Lucas Ordonez to compete at Spa 24 Hours
Spa, Belgium, Thursday 29 July 2010 - Lucas Ordonez, the 25 year-old
Spanish driver that entered motorsport via PlayStation(R) and
Nissan's GT Academy, faces the toughest challenge of his racing
career at this weekend's notorious Spa 24 Hours. Lucas will line-up
alongside experienced British drivers Chris and Alex Buncombe, and Rob
Barff in the Polyphony Digital and PlayStation backed Nissan 370Z GT4
car, run by RJN Motorsport.
Ordonez was the winner of the first GT Academy competition in 2008. His
prize was to compete in the Dubai International 24 Hour Race alongside
Johnny Herbert. A full-season drive in the 2009 European GT4 Cup
followed. Racing alongside Alex Buncombe, the pair finished a close
second in the drivers' championship, and helped secure the
team's title.
Having unearthed a new driving talent through the GT Academy, Nissan
alongside its partners Polyphony Digital (maker of the award-winning Gran
Turismo series) and PlayStation have devised a programme this year to
help nurture Lucas' talent further as he takes the next step
towards a full-time career in motorsport.
After his successful debut season, the decision was taken to enter Lucas
for a further full season, this time racing solo, in the 2010 European
GT4 Cup. With experience of long race distances likely to benefit his
future career path, Nissan has also now given Lucas the opportunity to
drive at the famous Spa 24 Hours. Renowned as a drivers' circuit,
and with the added challenge of the speed differentials with the other
classes, Spa is a true test of any GT driver.
The Spa 24 Hours features GT2, GT3 and GT4 cars. It will be in the GT4
class that Nissan and Lucas will measure themselves against old foes from
the GT4 Cup - Porsche and Aston Martin. This class for production-based
cars is a stern test of the reliability of the mainly standard components
over a grueling 24 hour period on one of the world's toughest
circuits.
GT Academy champion Lucas Ordonez said: "Three years ago I was at
home racing on the PlayStation. I'm now a racing driver thanks to
PlayStation and Nissan. Alongside Dubai, this is the most important race
of my life. The Spa 24 Hours has such a great history, so to be competing
here for the Nissan PlayStation team will be amazing. We have a fantastic
line-up of drivers that will include Alex, Chris, Rob and me, so I think
we will be fast every time we are in the car and we have a really good
chance to do well."
The 2010 programme for Lucas shows that GT Academy is not just a
successful TV show, but a real attempt by PlayStation and Nissan to find
a top flight GT driver of the future. The Spa 24 Hours will see Lucas
being benchmarked against three recognised strong, young GT racers who
all have different skills.
His 2009 team mate Alex Buncombe is renowned for his speed. Alex's
brother Chris is a long-distance specialist and ex-Le Mans 24 Hour class
winner who has recently been involved in the Aston Martin LMP1 project.
He is well known to the Nissan team having competed for them at the Spa
24 Hours previously. Rob Barff is a smooth and rapid driver who will be
able to continue to develop the 370Z, and Lucas, throughout the weekend.
Barff will draw on his day job as race instructor and test driver for
various programmes. He was also the lead instructor for the GT Academy
programme.
Nissan's European head of sports cars Darren Cox said:
"Lucas has the perfect platform this weekend to show the GT world
that he is a REAL race driver that just happens to have started by
driving on the Gran Turismo game. With the GT1 World Championship sharing
the billing with the '24 Hours' there will be plenty of
well-connected spectators looking at his progress. From Nissan's
point of view, we want to see how fast Lucas can go whilst driving
'slowly'. In other words, can he maintain his undoubted pace
whilst looking after his car for 24 hours? He has three great team mates
who will help him and be a great measure for him."
Mark Bowles, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe's PS3 Brand Manager
said: "In the 2010 GT4 European Cup, Lucas has mirrored, in real
life, the speed he originally displayed on Gran Turismo on the
PS3™. The Spa 24 Hours is yet another challenge for him and, as
usual, the Polyphony Digital and PlayStation teams will be watching the
next chapter in the 'sofa to race track' story with great
interest."
-source: nissan gt academy
