GT Academy National Finals - Venues, Dates, Drivers & Discussion Thread

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Timppaq
This is very sad to hear, but I think also the thing we all need to live with. :( Too bad this is not about getting the fastest player, but more just a PR stunt - and in things like these it shows.

We just need to remember that cold fact. :scared:
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I suppose one thing to remember is that those who I would say are the fastest, ie D_Holland [AU] and TIZZLA [NZ], did win their respective finals.
So however flawed the method of finding a winner, it did indeed find the fastest guys. They were both better on the day, and great effort to those who took the challenge to them. Dissapointed I may have to be knocked out so early, but there will be 19 finalists from each country who have their own sad tale to tell.
 
ripping_silk
I suppose one thing to remember is that those who I would say are the fastest, ie D_Holland [AU] and TIZZLA [NZ], did win their respective finals.
So however flawed the method of finding a winner, it did indeed find the fastest guys. They were both better on the day, and great effort to those who took the challenge to them. Dissapointed I may have to be knocked out so early, but there will be 19 finalists from each country who have their own sad tale to tell.
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If rough and tumble is acceptable, then it's no surprise Tizzla won :sly:

Nah good job Dan and Tizz. Hopefully you guys can both make it to the UK!
 
Congrats Dan and TIZZLA!👍👍👍

Awesome job guys.

Huge 👍 also the other GTP participants. I know how GTP_DEVIE is feeling right now, i've come in second in a videogame competition a few years back.

I'm loving that guys are keeping us updated.

I'm hating that the event was badly organized as expected. The little details (judges, slip stream, no warm up, too much noise) were not considered.

I know everybody went through the same struggles, but we do have to mention. Seriously, knowing that on a Professional event they kept the slip stream like the joke it was on Prologue is dishartening. Doesn't bode well for GT5. Hopefully with some uproar from the Academy finals they change a bit for GT5.

I guess that also serves as an advice for the finalists in other countries.

Drive it expecting the worst, like in GT5P when playing with strangers, because a single punt off the road can end your chances.

It's a shame the stewards were bad.

Let's hope they fix some details in the european finals:tup:
 
fasj6418
I know how GTP_DEVIE is feeling right now, i've come in second in a videogame competition a few years back.
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Devie actually finished 4th.......... after a mid race incident.
 
Hello everyone, i was extemely exhausted lastnight when i got back home and just had a shower and went straight to bed,so sorry for not replying promptly. I will start by saying that even thismorning my heart still feels like it has dropped to my feet,i am very disappointed i didn't win the final. So close but yet so far. :( I won all of my heat races comfortably even making Dan have to work for his place in the final. The event in my opinion was very rushed and one of the races at fuji was reduced from 4 laps to 2 laps. I got off to a great start in the normal car at Indy Road Course in the semi-final and due to a very un-realistic drafting effect had DHolland fly past down the straight in 6th gear on the start of the 4th lap (picked up draft from 100m away approx. :crazy:) He out braked turn 1 which gave me a good run up the inside and as i turned into the left hander (turn 2) i received a very intelligent nudge in the rear causing me to run off the track. This was deemed a fair move by the judges and caused me to finish 4th in that race 👎 My spot in the final was still secure so i didn't want to make a big deal about it. The final was great fun with me, DHolland and Joshmuggo battling it out back and forth for 7 of the 8 laps. Then at turn 3 i got a little out of shape with some over steer causing some contact from Joshmuggo behind me and off the track again,my dream flew out the window. All in all i had a great day and except that motor racing is no easy sport, mentally and emotionally. I take nothing away from Dholland for his deserved win and a deep congratulations to him. All the best at Silverstone buddy 👍 I would also like to give a special mention to my friend Robert (TORC_Vrrm) who attended as my guest. It was a pleasure to meet him,and his support meant a hell of a lot to me. Thankyou Rob :) The expierience of the day and getting to meet all the finalists in person well out-weighed the downs of my day. I just wish the stewards were more organised with this competition and hope that improvements are made in the future to allow fair judgement in a competition that is so important to us, that said i would like to also bring to your attention another person that suffered worse luck than i did, SFeigel was showing extreme driving talent and in my opinion should have been in the final with us guys,but suffered from other peoples errors from the very start of the day. Well done Simon for keeping a level head and being extremely sportsman like. Well enough rambling on my behalf,it wasn't meant to be for me this year, but it was an unforgettable expierience for me and you can be sure i will be back next year with a little more wisdom and luck :)
 
I know nothing will make you feel any better right now Steven but what a fantastic achievment to have made the national finals and pushed so hard all the way in the final event. Not only that but showing such a gracious attitude says a lot about your character. I take my hat off to you and hope you will have further opportunities to demonstrate your considerable ability 👍

Big congratulations also to Dan and Tizzla, awesome two see to GTP members taking up the first two finals slots decided, best of luck to you both :cheers:
 
Thanks for you write-up DEVIE.

It's a shame to hear about the drafting effects, but this is still a computer game. It's also a shame to hear about your mistakes and your contact with other drivers on top of what seems to be 100% negative feedback about the judgement of fair racing by the organisers so far!

BUT...we all know Dan is exceptional and whilst we all know he's not the best racer around, he is pretty much top 3 fastest at any given combo. I'd take 4th with my head held well and truely high my friend, given the circumstances!

Well done buddy, really mean that!
 
There's always next year Steven. I've no doubt you'll be there. It was equally great to meet you and I appreciated the invite which allowed me to observe the final.

Steve I'm sure you'll agree that the surprise performance on the day was Joshmuggo. Remarkable speed.

Early in the final Josh got a knock and lost maybe 3 seconds. I thought he was gone for good, but only a few laps later he was back on the heels of the leaders playing a watching game while Dan and Steven had 2-3 laps of some of the closest most intense racing I have seen. I reckon Josh must have easily had the fastest lap of the race.

Then Dan either lifted off or braked slightly early for a corner which resulted in Steven hitting him and then I think Josh hit Steven. This caused Steve to spin across the grass within the corner taking Josh out on the other side.

Dan then cruised to the win, but had that incident not happened Josh could well have continued his waiting game and drafted to a win.
 
Thanks for posting so exciting news about national finals. Only by reading I feel nervous. The stress level would have been so high, that would have been difficult to stay concentrated! What a shame US and Canada don't have these with 40$ value prize for adults only... :ouch:

Special congratulations to Tizzla and DHolland guys, you are aliens. Good luck in Silverstone! I wish I could only had been there to watch races. That Australian final looked so much of a good race.

Good job Devie also for that great sportsmanship.
 
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@DEVIE. glad you posted your story, and my commiserations. so close and yet.. so far. But you will be back next year bigger, stronger, faster. 👍
but only two laps at Fuji?. thats sad. They are basing the racing more like the 'intermediate' online racing rather than the 'expert' racing. I realise that there is a lot of racing to fit into a day, but it really must be balanced to give the competitors a fair go too.
Perhaps next year it will be based more online for the preliminary finals at least., maybe the last 10 get to go to a nationals or something. Or double the seating so you can run races concurrently. Considering the expense of it, and extra 2 or 3 thousand $ for more consoles might work. And they can still be sold off after, kept til the next year, offered up as prizes ?
 
Hey all I am in the same boat as DEVIE, got back home to Sydney around 8pm but then had to drive all the way back to Newcastle after that. So after waiting for a shuttle bus to take me to my car and then driving home and arriving at around 11pm I literally fell into bed.

Our final was an fun day all in all, was great to meet up with our pro driver Glenn and of course meet up with alot of you I have only ever talked to online before! Very cool bunch of blokes who ended up in the finals thats for sure, i'll be adding you all on PSN very shortly 👍

In saying that I will have to agree with all the points vrrm and Devon pointed out. (Sorry Devie :sly:) In saying that the final was a big mixture of publicity and a professional event. It was rushed no doubt about it and that showed in some of the races.

As said the later races actually got cut down to TWO laps due to time constraints, I don't know how fair racing and tactics can be held down very well when each contestant knows they only have basically one or two chances to pass someone else on the track, and with so much riding on a placing obviously things are going to happen. I managed to get spun out in one of my events on Fuji, but i'm not alone and I know there was nothing that could be done about it in the end as time was of the essence.

Even still the head to head racing on the day was intense and very heart pounding, if this is going to show how GT5 will race when it arrives I am VERY excited about it, and of course being able to race everyone online once again ;)

Just have to mention something else, the NZ final sounded just a little better than ours! Headphones, a hot lap, air con... No headphones for us, a hot SHED haha. Still some very nice cars in ours though!

And can I just quote this from ripping_silk's post
"Every entrant got their GT Academy T shirt, with "Finalist" on the back, and a goodies bag at the end, with a pen, keychain, Ratchet and Clank game(??!!), GT cap, GT5 for PSP game, and a voucher for a free copy of GT5. Oh I got $50 petrol voucher too, so I actually made money today."

We all got a GT Academy shirt (no finalist on the back though?), and a cap. Uh, come on Sony?
 
I had an awesome day, was great to meet everyone, top bunch of guys 👍

ManicVJ, unfortunately we didn't have air con in the apartment the racing was set up in.
It was hot as hell, and I am sure everyone lost a lot of sweat while racing.
I made it through to the semi finals, and I remember the feeling of sweat dripping down my face especially in the second race when I was pushing hard for the lead.
I was outbraking the guy in the lead thru the daytona road course, and had my chance to pass, braking into the chicane on the back side of the circuit. I blasted past him under brakes into the chicane only to get the car a bit unsettled and ended up losing it off the side of the track :( and that was the end of my challenge.
 
CIMG0846.jpg


Photographic evidence of us lucky NZ finalists, kinda stink that the Aussies didn't have something similar...
 
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ripping_silk
Thats good, mean you don't have to remove it from it protective outer cover. :P
You got a UMD psp ? na me neither. :)
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Na I dont have a PSP, and I think those that have a PSP already have GT. Im thinking there will be about 20 promo copies of GT PSP on trademe by the weekend lol
 
This encouragement from all you guys is what keeps me coming back for more. I feel very priveleged to be a part of this forum and the way we stick together and give eachother advice even through the tough times is very rewarding. Getting respect from you guys means a whole lot more to me than going to Silverstone,even though im sure you guys would be even more impressed with my performance and versatility in a real motor car. At Maniac (Manicvj) you crack me up :lol: He was calling me Devon all day,so i was calling him Maniac,very funny bunch of guys. 👍 I will also mention, (and im sure maniac,Joshmuggo and Zubbsta) can all verify our freaky plane landing into Sydney. :nervous::nervous: It felt like we came in tilted and landed on one wheel,then we felt a lot of sideways G-force and a delayed but extremely strong reverse thrust which did not let up untill the plane was stopped,and to our suprise nearly over shot the runway. Just another event to add to the expierience. As we walked out of the plane, i said to the pilot "That was a bit hairy",and he said with a sly grin,"If you think that was bad,you should have seen our landing last night". NO THANKS,you can see why im **** scared of aeroplanes. :lol: Well done to the pilot for holding it together.👍 Sorry if this is off topic.
 
GTP_DEVIE
I will also mention, (and im sure maniac,Joshmuggo and Zubbsta) can all verify our freaky plane landing into Sydney. :nervous::nervous: It felt like we came in tilted and landed on one wheel,then we felt a lot of sideways G-force and a delayed but extremely strong reverse thrust which did not let up untill the plane was stopped,and to our suprise nearly over shot the runway.
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Sounds like sudden (rare) wind shear below minimums, the only time a airliner will hold reverse until the plane almost stops is if you were in risk of runway excursion (as you said). The pilot flying must have had troubles stabilising it during landing for that to happen with a regional jet (can usually stop quite easily) it would have been quite a blast of wind. Must have been fun. :D
 
benmysta
CIMG0846.jpg


Photographic evidence of us lucky NZ finalists, kinda stink that the Aussies didn't have something similar...
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You lucky ducks! Guessing the card with the GT5 logo is your special voucher for the full game yeah?? One of the PR guys at the event said they won't forget about us and may send us some more gear, have to keep you posted if they follow through with that though.
Maybe every country had to organise their own promo gear? :boggled:

Haha yes Devie I apoligise for my mistake dude, as I said I know how annoying it can be :D
Well I can't really confirm with Devie if the landing was crazy or not, yesterday was my first ever time on an airplane so i'm not sure whats normal or not! Definitely did seem like the rear left wheels hit the pavement first followed by the others. There sure was alot of noise as we were pulling up though.

Cheers for the link vrrm, will post in there sometime over the weekend. Was great to finally meet up with you mate, was good of Devie to invite you along too :)
 
Did the Sony guys make any comments or hints about when we can get GT5, or any other details?

ManicVJ
Well I can't really confirm with Devie if the landing was crazy or not, yesterday was my first ever time on an airplane so i'm not sure whats normal or not! Definitely did seem like the rear left wheels hit the pavement first followed by the others. There sure was alot of noise as we were pulling up though.
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Landings are usually pretty smooth with some vibration, main wheels touch evenly then the front comes down a little and touches, the noise of reversers is normal but they close them at around 70-80 knots (around 130km/h).
 
So............ i just got home :D

What a day, i'll give a brief run down on the parts i remember:

Wake up at 5am, on the plane at 8am. Arrive at Auckland airport with 2 other Wellingtonians and we are greeted by some good looking young ladys and some of the other contestants.

Get on the bus and head to the track. The day was spent with the 5 groups of 4 rotating activities including
- drooling over a 370z and a r35 gtr with the nissan dealership guy showing us them and letting us sit in them.
-Chilling out in a brand new apartment with 4 ps3s with games that havent even been released yet
-getting a tour of the track
-racing
-tutorial with Jhonny Reid

The racing - I'm sorry to say that the racing was rubbish. Despite all the talk of tough driving rules and penalties being given out etc it didn't happen.

Race 1- Start on pole, get taken out on the first corner. Recovery mission resulting in me coming 2nd

race 2 - I was involved in at least 3 crashes because of people not giving me any room. Huge rescue mission saw me catch the leaders but we were all drafting down the straight so the gap was less than a second from me to the winner. i was third.

race 3- took the lead early and disappeared. 10+ seconds.

I thought i had been kicked out at this point. Luckily by some miracle chance the points spread for our group was the greatest and despite my results in the first 2 races i still finished with the most points (just)

Semi finals - First race, had a crash early and almost caught the leader at the end. -2nd
second race- Got taken out on the first corner, was facing the wrong way while everyone disappeared into the distance. So do i protest or bite the bullet? foolisly i just turn around and start chasing! I pass the leader on the last lap on the final straight :D

Final - Starting from second i take the lead on the 2nd or 3rd lap, i break the slip stream and think ive won it. But then the pressure starts to get to me and the guy behind starts going for it. I make a mistake on lap 6 and the gap is down to .7 - with sweat pouring off our faces he makes a big mistake and finds the grass with 2 laps to go.

I bring it home and then everything starts happening very quickly.............................

I'll post more later :)
 
Does anyone know when/if TV3 (NZ) will be doing a segment on this?

Btw, is it true that they let you race with external cameras?l.
 
TiZzla
So............ i just got home :D

What a day, i'll give a brief run down on the parts i remember:

Wake up at 5am, on the plane at 8am. Arrive at Auckland airport with 2 other Wellingtonians and we are greeted by some good looking young ladys and some of the other contestants.

Get on the bus and head to the track. The day was spent with the 5 groups of 4 rotating activities including
- drooling over a 370z and a r35 gtr with the nissan dealership guy showing us them and letting us sit in them.
-Chilling out in a brand new apartment with 4 ps3s with games that havent even been released yet
-getting a tour of the track
-racing
-tutorial with Jhonny Reid

The racing - I'm sorry to say that the racing was rubbish. Despite all the talk of tough driving rules and penalties being given out etc it didn't happen.

Race 1- Start on pole, get taken out on the first corner. Recovery mission resulting in me coming 2nd

race 2 - I was involved in at least 3 crashes because of people not giving me any room. Huge rescue mission saw me catch the leaders but we were all drafting down the straight so the gap was less than a second from me to the winner. i was third.

race 3- took the lead early and disappeared. 10+ seconds.

I thought i had been kicked out at this point. Luckily by some miracle chance the points spread for our group was the greatest and despite my results in the first 2 races i still finished with the most points (just)

Semi finals - First race, had a crash early and almost caught the leader at the end. -2nd
second race- Got taken out on the first corner, was facing the wrong way while everyone disappeared into the distance. So do i protest or bite the bullet? foolisly i just turn around and start chasing! I pass the leader on the last lap on the final straight :D

Final - Starting from second i take the lead on the 2nd or 3rd lap, i break the slip stream and think ive won it. But then the pressure starts to get to me and the guy behind starts going for it. I make a mistake on lap 6 and the gap is down to .7 - with sweat pouring off our faces he makes a big mistake and finds the grass with 2 laps to go.

I bring it home and then everything starts happening very quickly.............................

I'll post more later :)
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Nice work man, I couldnt belive how tense that final was. I might have caught you had I not of binned it, but I think getting past you would of been a different story.
How was all the media today?
 

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