Gamers Luca Lorenzini and Jordan Tresson move one step closer to a real European GT4 Cup drive After five intense days of on and off track action, Luca Lorenzini from near Mantova in Italy  and Jordan Tresson from Villers La Montagne in northern France have been announced as the two winners of the GT Academy 2010. More hard work awaits the victorious pair who will be back at Silverstone next  Monday  to  commence  an  intensive  driver  training  programme  to  qualify  them  for  an  international  C  race licence. Only one of the pair will then be given the opportunity to race a full season in the European GT4 Cup in a Nissan 370Z GT car. It was not an easy decision for the GT Academy judging panel that consisted  of Eddie Jordan, Johnny Herbert, Sabine Schmitz and experienced sportscar driver Rob Barff. Irishman Daniel Collins and Spaniard Marco Calvo just failed to make the grade from among the final four. However, they could be proud to have emerged from an original 18  and,  even  more   impressively,  from  among   the  1.2  million   gamers  that  entered  GT  Academy  via  the PlayStation®3 Gran Turismo time trial. “This has been extraordinary,” enthused former Formula One team  boss, Jordan. “I have been absolutely blown away.  I  could  not  believe  that  these  gamers,  with  no  experience  of  racing  cars  could  do  this.  Apart  from  one accident today, we have had no issues at all on the driving side. They really are great drivers, all of them, and this has been a great experience. In the end, I think we had two clear winners and I think they will do very well. But each and every one of the 18 can be rightly proud of what they have achieved and I know that they have all had an amazing experience that will stay with them forever.” The final day of action started with an early morning triathlon, comprising a muddy sprint from Whittlebury Hall to the Silverstone off-road area for bike changeover and a cycle to Stowe circuit, followed by laps in the 370Z. The event produced  high drama when Jordan Tresson, who was the clear  leader, put his chances of winning  at risk when he misjudged the first corner of the new Stowe Circuit on cold tyres and crashed into a tyre barrier. “It was a serious incident and he really let himself down at that point,” explained Barff. “However, overall Jordan has been extremely good and fast and he is supremely fit. Crashing on cold tyres is a mistake that many drivers have made, and I suspect he will not do it again! “This has been a fantastic final day. I was so impressed with how quick the guys were in a full GT4 car. Luca has been so consistent and got better and better throughout. I think we have a great pair. Dan Collins is a PlayStation learning machine who has just grown and grown. Marco had a great last day but just wasn’t quite there.” Lapping the Stowe Circuit in a full race-spec Nissan 350Z GT4 car must have been a highlight of GT Academy for the gamers turned drivers. It was the very same car that had carried their predecessor, Lucas Ordoñez, to second place in the 2009 GT4 Cup. However, there was a final, and incredible, challenge still to come for the four finalists. After 10 minutes of practice and a 10 minute qualifying session, all four drivers lined up in identical race-prepared Nissan  370Zs  on  Silverstone’s  famous  start-finish  straight.  The  competition  was  fierce  in  a  20  minute  race, punctuated by a simulated driver change in the pits. With the drivers having to release their steering wheels, jump out  of  the  car  and  run  around  it  before  getting  back  in,  it  proved  to  be  a  decisive  element  of  the  race.  Jordan Tresson  entered  the  pits  with  a  lead,  but  it  was  third-placed  Marco  Calvo  who  re-entered  the  circuit  first  after  a lightening pit stop. Marco held on for the win and hoped that he had done enough to progress to the fourth stage of GT Academy. “This has been an incredible journey for all of us, but particularly for our two winners,” said three-time F1 winner, Johnny Herbert. “They have really stood out over the course of the week and today showed that they are ready to compete in a GT4 car at international level. “All 18 drivers that we started with have got a lot to take away with them. They have driven things and experienced things that they never would have. It has been wonderful to be a part of this and I look forward to watching the progress that Luca and Jordan make from now.” German winner of two Nurbürgring 24 hour races Sabine Schmitz, was also impressed with GT Academy: “I have enjoyed this so much. Working with two F1 legends was one thing, but to work with all these great young guys who are  so  talented  has  been  unbelievable.  I  have  worked  with  many  people  on  track  days  with  more  experience. These gamers came here with virtually no track time and they knew where to brake, when to turn in. They struggled at first with the G-force, but I think it really shows how good the Gran Turismo game is.” WINNERS ELIMINATED ON DAY 2 Luca Lorenzini, Italy (Mantova) 26 Roberto Otero, Spain (Mininos) 21 Jordan Tresson, France (Villers La Montagne) 21 Dan Holland, Australia (Brunswick West) 25 Benjamin Peron, Belgium (Hainaut) 29 RUNNERS UP Christian Giere, Germany (Bremen) 27 Marco Calvo Acedo, Spain (Madrid) 22 John Moorby, UK (Macclesfield) 32 Daniel Collins, Ireland (Limerick) 31 Tony Autridge, New Zealand (Paraparaumu) 19 Steffen Christein, Germany (Baiersbronn) 20 ELIMINATED ON DAY 3 Alex Ingram, UK (Harrogate) 22 Filipe Barreto, Portugal (Lisbon) 32 Marko Moisio, Finland (Tampere) 25 Giacomo Cunial, Italy (Treviso) 20 Robert Wawrzyniak, Austria (Salzburg) 25 Oliver Simon, Switzerland (Hausen Am Albis) 27 Jeroen Kesselring, Netherlands (Rotterdam) 26 QUOTES Jordan Tresson, France “I was worried about my chances this morning after I crashed, but I am so happy I made it. It’s just amazing that Nissan and PlayStation have given me this opportunity. “I’m going to do my best over the next two months and try and improve as much as possible. Even if I’m not the winner who gets to race in the European GT4 Cup, I will have still learnt so much.” Luca Lorenzini, Italy “Jordan was so fast, I always tried to beat him but it was tough! I did think that I would get through, as my times were faster than the other two guys. I’m so happy that Nissan and PlayStation are running GT Academy. It’s my one opportunity in life to live my dream.” Daniel Collins, Ireland “To be honest, I am happy. This has probably been the best experience of my life. I am also really happy for the other two. They really deserved it so I can’t be disappointed. It was an incredible learning experience. I would like to thank PlayStation and Nissan and all the judges, the organisation and other competitors. I would certainly like to come back again if I get another chance.” Marco Calvo, Spain “I am quite disappointed but Luca and Jordan were fast and they deserved to win. I went a bit wrong in the GT4 car. It was right hand drive, which was hard. I certainly would like to do more racing and would love to come back here again. Being a racing driver is still my dream.” Mark Bowles, Sony Computer Entertainment “We’re  really  pleased  with  the  two  guys  that  won,  they  are  going  to  do  a  fantastic  job  in  the  next  stage  of  the competition. All eighteen finalists should be so proud to be here. They beat 1.2 million other hopefuls to get a place in the GT Academy, and we appreciate all the hours they have put in playing Gran Turismo and everything they have achieved here at Silverstone over the last five days. PlayStation would love to see either Jordan or Luca go on to mirror the success of last year’s GT Academy winner Lucas Ordoñez.”