Success of GT Academy at the Dubai 24 Hour Race

GT Academy's Triumph at the Dubai 24 Hour Race

Event Overview and Driver Details

Dubai, United Arab Emirates (January 14, 2013): GT Academy has once again demonstrated the success and brilliance of its driver discovery and development program at the "Dubai 24 Hour" event held over the weekend. The latest four graduates had the opportunity to drive, with two PlayStation®3 experts transitioning to real drivers, starting from the grid and achieving an impressive second place in the designated category. Meanwhile, the Nissan 370Z Nismo No. 2 crossed the finish line in ninth place after a series of dramatic events during a memorable night.

Nissan 370Z Nismo Performance

The Nissan 370Z Nismo No. 127, driven by Wolfgang Reip and Mark Schultzeitzki, alongside their professional teammates, Lucas Ordonez and Roman Rusinov, finished in second place. Lucas provided an excellent start by qualifying the car in the SP3 class and starting the race before handing over the driving duties to Roman Rusinov. It was then Wolfgang's turn, who triumphed over 830,000 Gran Turismo®5 players to earn the title of European GT Academy champion, taking the wheel for his first international race experience. Belgian driver Wolfgang Reip delivered an outstanding performance in endurance racing, confirming his exceptional potential and talent!

Driver Wolfgang Reip's Comments

After the race, he stated: "It felt fantastic to participate in such a crowded event and compete with some of the best drivers and cars. My experience was smooth and good, and I was able to lead the category just before the end of my stint. Unfortunately, another car on the track lost a wheel, and I didn't realize what had happened until I collided with it at high speed. At that moment, I realized what had occurred and hoped that the damage to the front of the Nissan I was driving wouldn't be severe, as a number of guys from the RJN team repaired it in less than an hour."

Challenges Faced by Nissan No. 147

This incident caused car No. 127 to drop to ninth place in the designated category, increasing the pressure on Mark in his first mission to ensure the car's complete safety. He started at a slower pace than usual, gradually ramping up to full racing speed. Like Wolfgang Reip's performance, Mark also delivered an impressive effort throughout the night. As dawn approached, they reached third place, and after consistently overcoming competitors in the top tier on Saturday morning, Mark, of Russian nationality, crossed the finish line in a well-deserved second place.

German Driver Peter Baizera's Challenges

The race was tougher for car No. 147. German driver Peter Baizera and his co-driver Sabine Schmitz partnered with American winner Steve Doherty and Nissan driver Alex Buncombe. The team performed excellently when Alex led the designated category. However, at the start of the night, Sabine faced significant challenges as she drove the vehicle on cold tires immediately after a phase known in motorsport as "Code 60" (Note: There were no safety cars on the track during the Dubai 24 Hour endurance race; "Code 60" was implemented, which reduces car speeds to 60 km/h). Initially, damage appeared at the rear and seemed unmanageable, but after an hour and a half, the RJN team managed to get the car back on track under Peter's guidance.

Driver Peter's Remarks

Peter commented: "It was indeed a great experience, and I hope it will be the first step in a long professional journey. We lost a lot of time last night, but we stayed focused and pushed toward the finish line. Losing time was actually a good thing for me because I was very nervous before the race. However, the time lost motivated me to put in more effort and continue competing. What we need to do today is remember everything we learned as it was a wonderful experience, and I now want to participate again."

Race Results

Despite the challenges, Nissan No. 147 managed to cross the finish line, securing ninth place after 24 hours of racing, driven by American Steve Doherty.

Comments from Darren Cox

Darren Cox, Global Motorsport Director at Nissan, remarked: "The event was another fantastic opportunity where a large group of drivers and technicians collaborated to turn dreams into reality. We were pleased to see listeners vote on Radio Le Mans to award the Spirit of Le Mans prize to the RJN technical team; they certainly deserve this recognition. In addition to the racing team, our driver coaches, media training specialists, and production teams collaborated to make this event a success. The level achieved by the four new drivers in just five months is a strong testament to the success of the efforts, and the reality is that we will see even more impressive successes in the future!"