Nissan and Sony Computer Entertainment have announced that online qualifying for the 2014 Nissan PlayStation GT Academy is now open in the Middle East.

In addition, 10 live qualification events for the gamer-to-real-racer competition will be held across seven countries in the region between the April 25 and May 31.

Following the live qualification rounds, the 14 aspiring race drivers with the fastest times will be selected for the regional finals to be held in Dubai, alongside 14 qualifiers from the online competition.   

GT Academy is a collaboration between PlayStation and Nissan that uses the virtual world of the Gran Turismo6 game to unearth real-world racing talent. Now in its sixth year, GT Academy includes separate competitions for Europe, Germany, US, and a new International group (Australia, India, Middle East, Mexico and Thailand).

Anyone in a participating country with Gran Turismo6 and a PlayStation3 will be able to enter the free qualifying rounds within the game’s automatic online update. For more details visit www.gran-turismo.com/gb/academy/2014/.

Nismo’s global head of brand marketing and sales, Darren Cox, said: “Nissan and Nismo are proud to launch this year’s GT Academy with our friends at PlayStation and Polyphony Digital. Six years ago this innovative approach was seen as a risk, but it is now a firmly established route to professional motorsport. GT Academy started in Europe but is now expanding globally with new editions being launched in several emerging markets. We are looking forward to discovering even more new stars in 2014. Anyone who thinks they have what it takes should give GT Academy a go. Not everyone can win, but the experience is hugely rewarding at every stage of the competition.”

Samir Cherfan, managing director, Nissan Middle East, said: “GT Academy Middle East’s first season produced the excitement Nissan as a brand has committed to delivering in the region. Thousands took part in both the live events and online qualification and we anticipate this number will rise dramatically this year. Salman Al Khater has been a true role model for others to follow and we look forward to a new champion sharing in his life-changing experience later this year.”

Robert Fisser, general manager of PlayStation, Middle East, Turkey, Africa and India, said: “We are proud to bring back GT Academy to the Middle East in 2014 and work with Nissan Middle East on making the Academy even bigger and better. Together we are working very closely to deliver the most anticipated racing experience of the year."

The GT Academy competition has attracted nearly four million entries globally since its inception in 2008, with gamers and motor sport fans battling it out for the chance to become the next Nismo Athlete, one of the elite racing drivers competing for Nissan under the banner of its motor sport arm, Nismo. The Middle East’s first star, Salman Al Khater, once again proved GT Academy could turn virtual racers into real world racing drivers with a win in his first competitive race at the Silverstone 1000k’s in September 2013. - TradeArabia news Service