Nissan GT Academy North America Season 2 Crowns Doherty, Eyes First
International Race In January
FRANKLIN, Tenn., Dec. 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- An unemployed
29-year old mechanic from Plainfield,
Ill., toppled 15 of North
America's fastest virtual racers at the track to win
Nissan GT Academy North America Season 2. Steve Doherty won a series of on- and off-track
challenges designed to find out which of the top 16 Gran
Turismo® virtual racers had what it takes to
outdrive and outlast the others to earn a seat in a Nissan race
car.
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121210/CL26913 )
(Logo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080506/NISSANWORDMARKLOGO )
Set at England's legendary Silverstone circuit, the six-week
GT Academy television series captured every challenge and
all of the human drama of an intense week of racing boot camp.
Pro racers Danny Sullivan,
Maryeve Dufault and Boris Said evaluated the contestants and each
week sent those who didn't measure up home. Doherty emerged as the
winner and will remain in the U.K. to undergo intensive
professional racing training that will qualify him for an
international racing license.
Doherty made it to the GT Academy North American finals in 2011
but missed the final 16 at Silverstone by six tenths of a
second.
"After being so close, I knew I could never let a chance like
that slip through my fingers again," said Doherty. "That's where my
history in sports helped me. The only person who can motivate you
is yourself. I knew I would never get another chance like
this, so I tried to make the best of every day. All of the hard
work and commitment has paid off in the biggest way possible, but
there's much more work ahead."
Doherty's ultimate dream is to compete in the Daytona 24 Hour,
but he has other challenges to master first. On Jan. 10, he and three other GT Academy Champions
from Europe will team up in a race
prepared Nissan 370Z to race at the Dubai 24 Hour race in the
Middle East. Last year, a similar team including 2011 GT
Academy North America winner Bryan
Heitkotter captured a podium finish by finishing third in
class at Dubai. Heitkotter went on
to make a splash in Grand Am Continental Challenge racing by taking
two pole positions and four top-ten finishes in a Nissan
Motorsports-Doran Racing 370Z.
"It's impressive how well the concept has worked," adds racing
veteran and GT Academy judge Boris
Said. "Not every video gamer has what it takes to race
wheel to wheel on the track, but for some the talent and the desire
to compete is strong enough to make it successful."
All six episodes can be viewed on Spike TV's web site at
www.spike.com/shows/nissan-gt-academy. The GT Academy
program was conceived by Nissan and Sony and developed by
TBWAChiatDay Los Angeles and OMD. Critical Mass is responsible for
the GT Academy website, Pit
Pass second-screen experience and first-person Facebook
video.
About Gran Turismo®
With more than 65
million units sold worldwide, the award-winning Gran
Turismo® franchise for the
PlayStation®, PlayStation® 2
and PLAYSTATION® 3 is regarded as the best and
most authentic driving simulation ever created due to its
true-to-life graphics, physics and real-life cars and tracks. Since
the inception of the Gran Turismo franchise, famed creator
Kazunori Yamauchi and Polyphony
Digital Inc. in Japan have
revolutionized the racing category as we know it today. His
offerings provide the gamer with the most true-to-life driving
simulation within the industry and a unique medium for automotive
manufacturers to showcase their products.
About Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC
Sony
Computer Entertainment America LLC continues to redefine the
entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation® and
PS one® systems, the
PlayStation® 2 system, the PSP®
(PlayStation® Portable) system, the
ground-breaking PlayStation® 3 (PS3™) system and
its online and network services the PlayStation®
Network and PlayStation® Store.
Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer
Entertainment America LLC markets the PlayStation family of
products and develops, publishes, markets, and distributes software
for the PS one, PlayStation 2, PSP and PS3 systems for the North
American market. Based in Foster City,
California, Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC serves
as headquarters for all North American operations and is a wholly
owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Visit us on
the Web at http://www.us.playstation.com
About Nissan
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is
headquartered in Yokohama, Japan,
and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more
than 248,000 employees globally, Nissan provided customers with
more than 4.8 million vehicles in 2011, generating revenue of
9.4 trillion yen ($118.95 billion US). With a strong commitment to
developing exciting and innovative products for all, Nissan
delivers a comprehensive range of 64 models under the Nissan and
Infiniti brands. A pioneer in zero-emission mobility, Nissan made
history with the introduction of the Nissan LEAF, the first
affordable, mass-market, pure-electric vehicle and winner of
numerous international accolades, including the prestigious
2011-2012 Car of the Year Japan and 2011 World Car of the Year
awards.
For more information on our products, services and commitment to
sustainable mobility, visit our website at
http://www.nissan-global.com/EN.
About Spike TV
Spike TV is available in 98.7 million
homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom
(NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world's
leading creators of programming and content across all media
platforms. Spike TV's Internet address is www.spike.com and for
up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs,
visit Spike TV's press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow
us on Twitter @spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates,
behind-the scenes information and photos.
SOURCE Nissan