Nissan Playstation GT Academy returns

Michael Caruso's Nissan will this weekend run Nissan PlayStation GT Academy branding, as Nissan and Sony Computer Entertainment Australia confirm the Nissan PlayStation GT Academy will return to Australia in 2015.

Caruso's Altima will also carry nissan.com.au/GT15 across its windscreen at the weekend's Tyrepower Tasmania SuperSprint, the year's second Championship event.

GT Academy is a unique, world-renowned competition sees gamers qualify for their country's National Final by posting times in Nissan cars to the Gran Turismo6 leader board, only possible on PlayStation3 (PS3). Finalists are then selected from the National Final to compete against the world's best gamers at Race Camp, where the GT Academy winner is crowned, completing the journey from 'gamer to pro racer'.

Last year Australia was part of the first Nissan PlayStation GT Academy International competition, which saw gamers from 'down under' compete against finalists from Mexico, Thailand, India and the Middle East in the GT Academy International Race Camp at the Silverstone F1 circuit in England.

Caruso is looking forward to running the branding this weekend, and still can't believe that racers are being discovered in such a unique way.

"GT Academy is a sensational program so I'm pleased to carry it on my #23 Altima V8 Supercar in Tasmania this weekend," Caruso said.

"It still amazes me that drivers discovered by playing Gran Turismo on PlayStation 3 are now racing in some of the best championships in global motorsport such as WEC and Super GT.

"It's a credit to Nissan and PlayStation that they support young driving talent - but in true Nissan style, do it in such an innovative and exciting way.

"Winning the Nissan PlayStation GT Academy can be the start of big things for an aspiring driver. Hopefully we can have an Australian winner this year - and maybe one day a GT Academy winner in V8 Supercars."

After a hard-fought week of competition last year, Australia's best finalist, Joshua Muggleton, narrowly lost out to Mexico's Ricardo Sanchez. Sanchez has since gone on to complete Nissan's gruelling Driver Development Program and race a Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 to fifth place overall and second in class in the 2015 Dubai 24 Hours.

Earlier this month, Sanchez was announced as an official NISMO Athlete and will to race a GT-R NISMO GT3 in the 2015 Blancpain Endurance Series for Nissan GT Academy Team RJN.

In 2015, GT Academy winners turned NISMO Athletes will compete in racing championships across the globe, including the FIA World Endurance Championship, Super GT, GP3 Series, Japanese F3, the European Le Mans Series, Blancpain Endurance Series, ADAC GT Masters, the Pirelli World Challenge and more.

Racing programs for the Nissan PlayStation GT Academy winners will include iconic races such as the Le Mans 24 Hours, Nurburgring 24 Hours, Spa 24 Hours and Suzuka 1000.

Nissan Motor Co Australia Managing Director and CEO Richard Emery said Nissan was hoping to find an Australian GT Academy winner to follow in the footsteps of some of the previous success stories.