Aussie Post driver wins GT Academy

[Express]

Aussie Post driver wins GT Academy


Queensland's Matt Simmons set to start career as a professional racing driver.

August 13 2015
Stephen Ottley and David McCowen



The Nissan GT Academy transforms PlayStation racers into genuine motorsport stars.


Computer gamer Matt Simmons is about to swap his Australia Post van for a state-of-the-art racing car.

The 26-year-old from Queensland has won the opportunity of a lifetime by taking out the final race in Nissan's GT Academy competition at Silverstone overnight.

Simmons was Australia's representative in a final challenge following a week of competition that saw five of his countrymen eliminated in a series of challenges designed to unearth champion racers from the Sony PlayStation online racing community each year.

Simmons was the man to beat in a variety of challenges that included fitness and media examinations as well as racing contests on tarmac and dirt behind the wheel of everything ranging from monster trucks to Nissan GT-R supercars and open-wheel grand prix-style machines.

But for a moment Simmons' dream appeared to have died when his car broke down in the final deciding eight-lap race. Having started from pole position Simmons lost the lead at the start, regained it with some bold overtaking manoeuvres only for his car to let him down.

Fortunately the GT Academy judges took into account Simmons' consistently strong performances through the entire week of competition.

He edged out finalists from Mexico, the Middle East and Morocco to join champions from North America and Europe in the elite GT Academy school.

Simmons will go into a period of intensive training with Nissan motorsport before making his competitive debut and joining Nissan at the 24 Hours of Dubai.

But first he needs to turn-in his resignation as an Australia Post courier driver. But he did give his boss pre-warning.

"They were well aware that this could possibly happen," Simmons said. "The competition is so tough that it's a dream to be able to win the whole thing. So I wasn't so sure I'd win, but they were pretty confident that I wouldn't be coming back to be a postie. Now that it's happened, it's crazy.

"I don't think the guys at work will believe me when I tell them I'm resigning to move to Europe to become a professional racing driver. They just saw me as a guy that could drive a van pretty quickly and get in and out of the van pretty quickly to deliver parcels and just do the job.

"To think I was delivering parcels a week ago, and now I'm going to be racing cars in Europe, I don't think any of my work mates or family or friends really believe it.

"It's amazing, because they have been my biggest supporters and they know how much I wanted this. I turned my whole life around looking towards this competition. They supported me so that I could give this 110 per cent and their support has been amazing. I know they will continue to support me over the journey."

He will now race professionally for the manufacturer in a 12-month program that could include events such as the Blancpain Series, Spa 24 Hour and Bathurst 12 Hour for GT3 machines such as Nissan's GT-R GT3 contender.

Former GT Academy winners Jann Mardenborough and Lucas Ordonez stayed on with the team beyond their initial year-long contract, racing around the world. This year both former gamers competed against the likes of former Formula One star Mark Webber at the famous Le Mans 24 Hours sports car race.

West Australia's Elliott Shute joined Simmons in the final day of competition, where the pair won an endurance race following a clever strategy put in place by Australian tam mentor Rick Kelly.

Kelly, a former V8 Supercars champion and Bathurst 1000 winner, coached Simmons to success following heartbreak for Australia's contender in 2014.

Australian Josh Muggleton was robbed of victory last year when his team-mate rolled their car during the penultimate race. Muggleton started from the back of the grid in a career deciding final before finishing second in a contest that could have elevated him to international glory.

http://www.drive.com.au/motor-news/a...12-gixynr.html

[Danny]

Just to confirm, we are talking about a video game, right?

[Express]

Yeah that’s where the initial competition starts.

Each year the competition starts a fresh on Play Station’s Gran Turismo and you compete online in time trials.

I’ve tried my hand and I’ll just say I don’t know how some of these gamers can achieve such quick times.

I really do feel like a grandma driver with my times.

The competition eventually becomes real world driving before a winner is chosen.

[GasoLane]

I believe this is how the winner of this years Bathurst 12hr started out.

[Polyal]

Originally Posted by GasOLane

I believe this is how the winner of this years Bathurst 12hr started out.

Something like that. GT is a simulator not that distant from "real" simulators so you cant dismiss it completely as just a game.

As a kid playing my PS I picked up many theories on driving from video games since I didnt have a farm or a paddock basher to hoon around in.

I think the overall winner gets a go in the NISMO cars....hard to knock that back!