Nissan GT Academy???

There's a TV show on Spike. From what I gather, they've grabbed a bunch of Gran Turismo dorks (no offense. I'm with you) and are grooming them into real race car drivers. I freaking love it. Why am I just now hearing about this!?

Thanks, I need to DVR it. I believe its the second season. The couple of episodes I caught last season were pretty good. Other than the long drawn out reality tv drama pauses, but that's what the DVR is for.

poopshovel wrote: I freaking love it. Why am I just now hearing about this!?

Because you don't read the Gran Turismo threads at the top of the page?

I think the replay of the first episode was on last night. The episodes are available on the SpikeTV websight. I have not seen it yet though.

Grizz wrote:

poopshovel wrote: I freaking love it. Why am I just now hearing about this!?

Because you don't read the Gran Turismo threads at the top of the page?

I play Forza like a big kid.

A friend, Auto-x er in our local SCCA club is a finalist. He can't discuss the results of the show until it finished airing.

Uh. Weird. In ATL region? Who is it? I didn't see anybody I recognized.

Just saw an episode last night. Pretty cool stuff, including hot laps in a Nissan Leaf at night. Reminds me how much I like Boris Said!

poopshovel wrote: Uh. Weird. In ATL region? Who is it? I didn't see anybody I recognized.

Not Atlanta Region. The SCCA Gulf Coast Region. I haven't seen the episode, but I'll look for it.

One of my old co-workers was one of the US winners and got sent to Silverstone for the world finals for the first season. He might have been a bit of a gamer geek but he could drive too. Unfortunately, he's not the most personable guy on camera and he suffered from a knee injury during the UK competition so he didn't do all that well.

I've met a number of the other Silverstone finalists at the track, including one (or two) who drove for our 25-hour team. Definitely racers who play video games, not the other way around.

The first (I think) winner of that thing caught a podium step at Le Mans in 2011.

http://www.planetlemans.com/2011/06/14/lucas-ordonez-takes-class-second-place-at-le-mans-24-hours/

In reply to M3Loco:

Austin Cobb.. #28. He was at our Auto-X last month. Good Luck to him!

M3Loco wrote:

poopshovel wrote: Uh. Weird. In ATL region? Who is it? I didn't see anybody I recognized.

Not Atlanta Region. The SCCA Gulf Coast Region. I haven't seen the episode, but I'll look for it.

Ah. Your profile indicates otherwise.

Isn't the second season long over?

I seem to remember the winner has already competed in a variety of pro events like GrandAm and/or World Challenge.

iRacing also gave a guy a shot, but he didn't do any physical training before going out. He still got within a couple of seconds of a good lap, though.

http://www.topgear.com/uk/photos/geek-rebooted-2010-11-26

Bryan Heitkotter, who I used to "online" race against way back during the first Gran Turismo, won the first U.S. season of GT Academy.

racerfink wrote: Bryan Heitkotter, who I used to "online" race against way back during the first Gran Turismo, won the first U.S. season of GT Academy.

I have known Bryan Heitkotter for 10 or 11 years. We started autocrossing in San Francisco region events about the same time. It didn't take long to see he had way more talent than me. I have ridden with him and had him drive my car. He seems to have a psychic connection with the tires on what ever he drives.

Type Q wrote: He seems to have a psychic connection with the tires on what ever he drives.

I have heard the same said for Mike Skeen, our NASA-SE "Stig" as I like to call him. He was on that "The Setup" show that Tommy Kendall hosted. I didn't see the show but I heard about it.

Skeen is a badass. Last year at Petit, he was driving in World Challenge and filling in for Pinnacle Racing in Trans Am. He was basically hopping from car to car on Thursday and Friday. I told him on grid I was a little worried that he was starting directly behind one of our drivers. I got a out of him.

We had something in the mag about it a while back. I want to say it has a half-page item in news, bottom part of the page. Don't ask me which issue, though.

In reply to Anti-stance:

Mike Skeen is an alien, not to be compared with mere humans.

Honestly, it's amazing to see how well does in a variety of different cars. I hate seeing his talented wasted in that horribly bloated and marginally-prepped Nissan.