GT Academy Finals Coverage!

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Hello everyone! I wanted to stop in here and post that I have been given the awesome opportunity to attend the Finals today in Orlando! (one of the few times to e proud to live here haha) So I will be tweeting and blogging throughout the day. My twitter is @grafpt if you would like to follow me on there. I will also update this OP for coverage. I will do a post-day roundup which will be posted on the official blog here on GTPlanet too. I will do my very best to keep you all in formed as Live as possible! I've got my iPhone4, iPad and DSLR to give you the best coverage.

Update | 11:58am
- Well Im not sure whats going on but according to the GT Academy NA facebook page, the competition has started? So I am leaving now. I am not sure if this is miscommunication or what.

Update | 12:41
- well I am here and no one can direct me in the right direction :/

Update | 1:01pm
- I am now being accommodated. The people are very and not mean about me being here with no contacts. The Sony PRs I have been in contact with are known by a few and they are just not here yet.

I am currently sitting on one of the white couches they have here with a slew of PlayStation 3's with all of Sonys benchmark games (Killzone 3, LBP2, Move and 3D sets of each) Lucas Ordonez is sitting directly behind me haha. I will now venture and take pictures to show you all what is going on.

Update | 1:18pm. Talk with Chris Morton : gtp/psn z06fun

Update | 2:37pm Photos and videos

I will work out having the thumbnails on here but here are links for now, enjoy.

http://db.tt/02ytcHw

http://db.tt/RqrcEc8

http://db.tt/R5HhiJZ

http://db.tt/N3DgqMx

http://db.tt/vAiH6fr

Update | 3:46pm

Updated video of Lucas, Mike Disser and Chad jacoby racing GT5 and having fun!

http://db.tt/UrYKiiv

Update | 4:32pm
Played some Killzone 3 in 3D with Lucas and Mike Disser (Nissan rep).

Just sat down with Mike Disser and Landon Harrison for a chat. Landon is a driver who made it to the finals here using only his DS3 controller, and came into this without any practice at all. I will touch more on the conversion in the day 1 roundup.

Update | 5:40pm

Video for Day 1 cuts.
http://db.tt/kwY5bHr

Update | 8:09pm
Hello everyone! Sorry for long pause, alot is going on. All the Media for Sony (12 including myself) got to have our own competition. I repped GTP in tying for 1st and I won a DFGT o.O Got to race with Lucas! Who I kept up with haha

I am now out with all of Sony and GT Academy folks for dinner. Our day will start tomorrow at 9am at the Richard Petty track to drive GTRs and 370z's!!!! Im loosing my mind right now lol

I will be working on a Day 1 round up after dinner for you all and Jordan will post it probably around 3am Est time. I let Lucas know that I would get some questions from fellow GTP members and we can have a 1 on 1 tomorrow, so I will open a thread for that later.

Thank you again Jordan for giving me this opportunity to network and have an amazing experience.



Here are photos and Videos!! Enjoy



Thumbnail Photo Gallery Here!


DAY 2

Hello everyone. I know all of you may have expected this to be a full blown updated thing, but unfortunately Sony has treated their Media with more goodies than i ever could have imagined. This morning we all met at the Disney Motor Speedway to have some fun with cars and to spend more time with Lucas Ordonez.

The first part of the day was an Autocross run in a Juke, 370z Nismo and a GTR Black Edition. This was all a contest and the top 2 drivers (I was 3rd) Got to then go around the track in a stock car. Everyone however, got to ride around the track in the 370z and GTR. I will have a slew of photos and videos up, even a passenger ride with Lucas Ordonez, who has been an amazing person to be around.


I am sorry guys, but DropBox is the only thing working and at a very reasonable time.

Passenger ride with Lucas in the GTR.
http://db.tt/fCmsOKt


Update**
Here is a amazing video of Nick Fontana - Blindsidefive0 in a flawless race. Pole and win. Enjoy.

http://db.tt/aCf0y1S



Hello everyone. Sorry for late delay. A lot going on and I am now home. There is a lot of random talking in the thread so kind of skimmed through it. Did any of you have any questions about the event you wanted to know? I will answer them as best as I can. The point of this trip for me was to get behind the scenes as best as I could. I am by no means a journalist so some of the expectations some of you have expressed is just silly. The whole experience of this is just too much for word. I met countless amazing people and several contacts to possible work for/with in the future. So it was much more than a show up and watch deal. I was helping out with many things. You will probably see me in some videos of they use any of the footage haha
While the official results were being determined and people higher up decided when to actually announce the information, it was cool down, hang out mode. Myself, fellow GT drivers and Lucas Ordonez all have fun 3lap races in the rigs and just had a great time telling stories and sharing each others experiences with this whole event. I am absolutely exhausted from all of thism that for sure. I work my day job tomorrow early in the morning. But I will make sure things are refined and available for people. I haven't seen anyone really complaining about that so I am assuming all is well.

I thank Jordan and my contacts with Sony for the amazing time I had. This was WAY more than just a cool trip to go there, if you couldn't tell from my posts already. Thank you all for enjoying all I could give you.
 
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Thanks for doin this man! I'll be hittin refresh on this page for the next couple days :dopey:

....I have a problem..... :P
 
How about some pics,names to faces plus psn name,and ages.Just curious some don't even look old enough to drive or strong enough.lol
 
It starts at 2pm. Media competition is at 6pm. Once I arrive I will post the schedule for the day.
 
OP updated. The live blog will be on Main blog when Jordan can approve it.

Link this too all you know so we can get some people following!
 
Thanks to both of you! Outa curiosity graf you wouldn't happen to know who was in that race? I only know a couple guys who run roof cam :)
http://twitter.com/Lucas_Ordonez
lucas appears to be updating his twitter regularly as well (on a separate note, never used twitter, its weird...)
 
Ya I def use a Roof cam lol there are 2-3 drivers who use the 3rd person view o.O not sure how they do it lol
 
I wish I was better at sim racing so I could be competing... :(

Brosif, come race with us you WILL get faster racing with those guys. I'll be miata testing tonight so feel free to friend me up. There's a few of us gunning for next year already ;)

On topic - I like how everyone in orlando got online here during lunch ;)

Ya I def use a Roof cam lol there are 2-3 drivers who use the 3rd person view o.O not sure how they do it lol
Dang that takes a weird skill... although at least you'd know where your car is...I guess...
 
Brosif, come race with us you WILL get faster racing with those guys. I'll be miata testing tonight so feel free to friend me up. There's a few of us gunning for next year already ;)

Well, sounds like a plan. I will be sending you that friend request.



Dang that takes a weird skill... although at least you'd know where your car is...I guess...

I agree, I feel like the car is driving me instead of the other way around.
 
Thank you for the updates grafpt. I have been following this thread today from my mobile phone. My first post, as I just sat down to the computer (for some reason I am unable to post from my phone using the mobile app).

I will also look at following Lucas' tweets. Thanks again,

Rees
 
Wow what a dive bomb on the last lap by yellow... I'd love to know if he got penalized for that.

Yeah, 3rd to 1st with a little assistance from red's driver side door! I'd love to know if he got penalized and the driver of the yellow Datsun.
 
I was wondering how many top drivers were using the 3rd person view. I placed top 20 NE using 3rd person view and was wondering what view would be best. This competition was incredible to take part in. I would love to race online with some of the people still putting in time that took part in the competition.
 
From GT Facebook
Round 1 of 2011 GT Academy is complete: Christopher Morton leads a very tight pack and the following four competitors have been knocked out of the competition: Landon Harrison, Carl Posey, Darryl Sutherland and James Edwards

Looks like the stick user is gone >< but I dont know names to nicknames... Hard to place who everyone is.
 
From GT Facebook
Round 1 of 2011 GT Academy is complete: Christopher Morton leads a very tight pack and the following four competitors have been knocked out of the competition: Landon Harrison, Carl Posey, Darryl Sutherland and James Edwards

Looks like the stick user is gone >< but I dont know names to nicknames... Hard to place who everyone is.

Congrats chris! Keep it up everyone :D
 
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