It is the stuff dreams are made of. On the weekend of January 12 four drivers will come together to compete in the prestigious Dubai 24 Hours race as part of the first ever all-gamer-turned-racer team to compete at a major international race. All four drivers - Lucas Ordoñez, Jordan Tresson , Jann Mardenborough and Bryan Heitkotter - will tackle the demanding endurance race behind the wheel of a 410bhp Nissan 370Z, having proved their skills in the Nissan and Playstation GT Academy.
Ordoñez and Tresson are old hat at this stage having won the Le Mans Intercontinental Cup (ILMC) series and the 2011 Blancpain Endurance Series between them since graduating from GT Academy. Since their passing out, team rookies Mardenborough and Heitkotter have undergone intensive training to prepare for the Dubai 24 Hours including running the New York marathon, and qualifying for the International C race licences needed to compete
"Is it a risk to have four drivers in the same car when even the most experienced had never raced before 2008? Definitely not." Commented Darren Cox, Nissan International's European chief marketing manager. "They said we were crazy when we launched the programme and the GT Academy team keep proving the doubters wrong. All eyes will be on them again in Dubai and they won't let Nissan or PlayStation down."
Paul Healy - 22 Dec 2011