Nissan GT Academy Wins Autosport Award for Pioneering and Innovation
Darren Cox Accepts the Autosport Award for GT Academy
It’s almost hard to believe that the Nissan GT Academy – a competition that turns video game racecar drivers into professionals – has not only survived, but flourished for three seasons; it’s nearly impossible to believe the success the winners have had in real racers against other professional drivers.
In the last season alone, Nissan GT Academy graduates finished with an incredible 41 podium finishes, but those aren’t the only recognition the GT Academy would receive this year. At the annual Autosport Awards, the Nissan GT Academy was honored for Pioneering and Innovation.
Darren Cox, Nissan’s Director of Global Motorsport, accepted the Autosport Award for Pioneering and Innovation in front of a gathering of motorsport’s elite, including Niki Lauda and Sebastian Vettel.
“There have been so many stories about drivers paying to be in F1,” said Cox. “Everyone in this room knows a driver who should have got there but didn’t make it, but we’re finding drivers who didn’t even know where they wanted to be. We’re taking drivers from the virtual world to the real world and making them successful. The first year people thought we were lucky, and then we must have kept getting lucky!”
“There have been many bumps in the road, but it has been worth the effort as we are rewarded every step of the way by the sense of pride we feel when one of our graduates stands up there on the podium, alongside guys who have been racing all of their lives. It’s a real team effort – a close-knit team that I am immensely proud of,” Cox concluded.
Would you put your gaming skills to the test in attempt to turn pro? What game would you have the best chance in? Let us know in the comments below!
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