Photo : - Nissan

Lucas Ordoñez, winner of the first Nissan GT Academy in 2008, lines up this year on the starting grids of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup.

In 2008, Nissan and PlayStation jointly posed the following question: Can a super-fast player in the virtual world be transformed into super-fast driver in the real world? In less than three years, Lucas has provided the answer, and it is a resounding "yes". He moved from novice to professional driver beyond the expectations of the motorsport community. His extraordinary story will reache its climax on 11th and 12th June when he will line up on the starting grid of what is without doubt the most famous race in the world, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the third of seven events planned for the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. The 244 year old Spaniard will race all rounds of the ILMC driving an LMP2 car prepared by Nissan for the team Signatech Nissan.

Darren Cox, Marketing Manager Nissan Sports Cars Europe: "When we started the GT Academy in 2008, we knew we were going to discover new talent, but we did not imagine that the Academy would  turn into a Driver training programme to serve as a springboard to the biggest race in the world. With Lucas, we have indeed proved that a player on PlayStation could translate his skills onto a real car. His progress in just two seasons racing are spectacular. They reflect the reality of the Grand Turismo game and the know-how and support that Nissan was able to provide players who have gone through the Academy. Nissan has a rich history in international motorsport and we are also a very innovative company. Therefore, we return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a driver that we discovered three years ago through a race on PlayStation, for us it is quite normal, although this will probably surprise many people."

Lucas Ordoñez, driver: "It's starting to be a little cliché for me to always speak of living a dream" said the former MBA student."However, the last three years it has been amazing to see Nissan giving me the chance to race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and other races of the ILMC, it is unbelievable. I agree that is quite a challenge and an honour at once, and I look forward to start at Sebring  this month. "

Photo: Magny-Cours, PRESENTATION AT LUCAS Signatech ORDONEZ, February 14, 2011. Last September, Lucas Ordoñez had participated in the 1000 km of Silverstone with the KSM team.