Bigger Nissan GT Academy challenge slated

NISSAN helped produce the first-ever Nissan PlayStation GT Academy Asia champion, 26-year-old Jose Gerard Policarpio, who bested 28 of the best Gran Turismo gamers from across Asia.

BUOYED by the victory of Filipino Joward Policarpio in the Nissan GT Academy Asia championship last year, Nissan Philippines Inc. (NPI) eagerly confirmed last Monday its participation in the upcoming Nissan GT Academy 2016 season.

“2015 was an excellent year for the first Nissan GT Academy in the Philippines, with Joward becoming the first Nissan GT Academy Asia champion,” said NPI general manager for Marketing S.J. Huh.

“Not only is he the first Nissan GT Academy champion, but he is the first Filipino to win the title. We hope to continue this strong performance as we look forward to launching the second Nissan GT Academy in the Philippines later this year.”

The plan to participate in the new season was confirmed during an exclusive screening of the two-hour Nissan GT Academy reality show, produced by NPI’s broadcast partner ABS-CBN at the Bonifacio High Street Cinema.

Before the screening of the reality show, the new president and managing director of NPI, Ramesh Narasimhan, was introduced to the media present. With Ramesh’s appointment, Antonio Zara assumed his new position as president/ director of PT Nissan Motor Indonesia (NMI) effective April 1, 2016.

Prior to his assignment to the Philippines, Narasimhan was the chief financial director of Nissan Motor Company Australia Pty. Ltd.

The Nissan GT Academy was launched locally in March 2015 as a contest to discover and develop potential drivers through the video game Gran Turismo of Nissan Motor and Sony PlayStation.

To win the chance to represent the Philippines at the GT Academy Asian Race Camp in Silverstone, England last August, Joward Policarpio together with Luis Cachero, Rafael Lesaguis, Terence Lallave, Joel Agojo and Daryl Brady had to best over 15,000 other hopefuls in preliminary online qualifying rounds plus time attacks behind the wheel of GT pods during 20 live events held in key cities in the country within a four-month period.

The 20 fastest gamers advanced to the two-day national finals in Manila in July where their driving skills, physical fitness, stamina and mental agility were further tested. The six finalists were chosen by mentors and judges including Filipino-Swiss GP2 race driver Marlon Stockinger and veteran circuit racer George Ramirez.

The six Philippine finalists flew to Silverstone on Aug. 14 where they underwent nine days of tough trials including a GT Ninja physical fitness contest, a buggy race off-road, a gymkhana using the Nissan 370Z Nismo, overnight outdoors camping, time attacks in the Formula 3000, and racing a Palmer JPLM car and Caterham Super 7 to qualify for the semi-final race, the stock car challenge using Nissan Micra mini compact cars.

After each test, the slowest were eliminated, leaving Policarpio and Leasaguis to compete in the stock car challenge against the semifinalists from Japan, India, Indonesia and Thailand. After Lesaguis had to leave the semifinal race due to a twisted ankle when his car collided with the Indian driver’s car against the wall, Policarpio, who was leading in the stock car race all the way, went on to represent the Philippines in the final race.

The final race deciding who would be the first Nissan GT Academy Asia champion was a 10-lap wheel-to-wheel thriller driving Nissan 370Z Nismo sports cars on Silverstone’s Stowe circuit. Policarpio, who was in third place on the starting grid behind the Japanese and Indonesian drivers, soon overtook them both and never lost the lead after that.

Five of the six finalists (Luis Cachero was back in New Zealand, where he lives) who raced in Silverstone attended the screening of the Nissan GT Academy reality show featuring their performance, thoughts and emotional reactions at the famed Formula One race track.

Asked what they had learned from their experience in the Nissan GTA, those who were eliminated early said they learned acceptance of losing and sportsmanship. The upside of their elimination, they said, was that they had four days to tour London, which is about an hour’s drive south of Silverstone.

The difference between racing in the United Kingdom and in the Philippines, most of the finalists said, was the cold weather, and the chance to drive super sports cars like the Nissan GT-R Nismo and the Nissan 350Z Nismo. In the Philippines, only stock cars are used in motor sport events.

Of course, they were all thrilled to race on the famous Silvestone track, and to stay in the storied hotel in Silverstone where Formula One drivers traditionally stay when the British Grand Prix takes place.

2015 Asian Nissan GTA champion Joward Policarpio, an experienced rally car driver before he joined the contest, said he learned a lot in driving and handling big high-performance, super sports cars, how down force works, and how to adapt to different tracks.

The oldest finalist, 40-year old Joel Agoho, said that you have to be physically fit and to excel in all the events. He admitted that he was slow in the donut competition although he aced the GT Ninja trial.

After the screening of the reality show, S.J. Huh said that this year, Nissan Philippines will be competing as one of seven countries in the Nissan GT Academy challenge.

As S.J. Huh said, “The Nissan GT Academy is Nissan’s way of democratizing motor sport, to make it more accessible to the general public. By doing this, we help fast-track the dreams of potential Filipino racers to reach the international racing arena.”