- From gamer to racer
- It's not a game anymore
Welcome to the 21st century, where the virtual world seamlessly morphs into the real one. Or at least that's how it worked out for Lucas Ordoñez, who has gone from being a student with a Playstation and a healthy interest in racing games, to a works driver for Nissan, with a podium finish at Le Mans to his name.
The 27-year-old Spaniard was the winner of the inaugural Nissan GT Academy in 2008, an innovative and action-packed competition based around Playstation's Gran Turismo racing game. Gran Turismo features 'virtual' versions of performance icons such as the Nissan GT-R and 370Z, it's incredible simulation has opened up a whole new world for a new generation of race drivers.
There was certainly doubt that a gaming console could provide a stepping stone to international motorsport success, however Lucas' success has proved it possible. While he was an avid gamer with a passion for Gran Turismo, he never dreamed he'd become a 'real' race driver. So when he went from his lounge to an LMP2 drive at Le Mans - finishing on the podium at his first attempt last year - it was a dream come true.
"Winning GT Academy has changed my life," says Lucas, lean and athletic in the modern race driver mould. "It was by chance that I came across the competition in a motoring magazine and decided to give it a go. I wasn't a very serious gamer, but when I played my friends I usually won, so I had a bit of a feeling for it, I think."
On-line success meant he graduated to the Spanish finals, and as one of the top three in that round went through to a European final at Silverstone in the UK – a week of motorsport 'Boot Camp' which also paid attention to aspects such as fitness and media relations. This was also the first time in the process that competitors actually sat in a racing machine, as opposed to in front of a console, and kicked off with tuition and assessment in karts before graduating to the likes of the 370Z and GT-R.
Little did he know that winning the final would result in him driving tracks like Nurburgring, his Madrid home track Jarama, and others in the real world. In 2009 and 2010 he learnt the ropes in the European GT4 championship at the wheel of a 370Z, overcoming some initial antagonism from other drivers who felt he hadn't really earned the right to be there. He drove a GT-R Club Track Edition in the Nurburgring 24-hour in May, appropriately sharing the car with Kazunori Yamauchi, creator of the Gran Turismo genre.
"The Nurburgring is something else. The car we drove was only slightly modified, but it coped brilliantly with 24-hours at the 'Ring. It was a really crazy race, very scary at times!" grins Lucas. "I did a lot of my preparation on Gran Turismo and when I got to the Nurburgring I knew exactly where I was on the course from the first lap, and I knew where to brake and what lines to take. Gran Turismo is much more than a game and guys who are quick on Gran Turismo were usually quick on the track. Sure, you can't feel the car in a real way but when driving with a good steering wheel and pedals set-up it is like being in a proper car: you have to brake correctly, use the right lines, all apply all those little skills you develop and use in a race car. It is great tool to learn."
Straight after his flying visit to South Africa to launch GT Academy locally, Lucas flew to Atlanta, where he will drive the revolutionary Nissan Delta Wing race car in the 10-hour Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, a round of the American Le Mans Series, on October 20.
And by visiting You Tube and searching for Juke R, you can see Lucas in action at the wheel of a Nissan Juke R, dicing a Lamborghini and Ferrari around the streets of Dubai, leaving the supercars eating his dust...now that beats virtual reality hands down.
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