Two Nissan GT-R LM NISMO Drivers Got Their Start on PlayStation 3
Jann Mardenborough
Three drivers have been announced for the brand new Nissan GT-R LM NISMO race car that will race in the LM P1 class, and two of them got their start in Nissan’s GT Academy, where they went from being video gamers to racing in some of the most elite classes of motorsport.
Lucas Ordóñez and Jann Mardenborough were winners of the GT Academy program in 2008 and 2011 and were selected to drive the GT-R LM alongside veteran race car driver Michael Krumm. Jann already has a GP3 race win under his belt, and only three years ago he was a student with a PlayStation and a fan of Formula 1. Now he’ll be racing in the elite LM P1 class at the Le Mans 24 Hours race.
Lucas was the first winner of the GT Academy program and the first GT Academy winner to race at Le Mans. When asked about the honor, Lucas said, “When I received the call telling me I would race the Nissan GT-R LM NISMO and the Nissan GT-R NISMO GT500, it was like winning GT Academy all over again.”
These two guys are lucky to get the opportunity to learn from Michael Krumm and race Nissan’s newest race car. Their inspiring story shows that following your passion can pay off with dedication. To some, these guys were probably just lazy video gamers, but Gran Turismo, with the guidance of Nissan, is what got them in the seat of the GT-R LM NISMO in just a few years.
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