GT Academy July 2013!!

To those that made the finals this year or previous years, have you contacted any race teams after and if so how was your success in getting a race seat after GT academy.

I would think in theory quite a few race teams in real would be willing to give you guys a shot, i mean from watching the 2012 USA GT academy Jett probably showed to be the fastest from what i saw and very unfortunete not to win, showing the GT academy footage to potential race teams should give you a good chance to get a drive.
 
mustafur
To those that made the finals this year or previous years, have you contacted any race teams after and if so how was your success in getting a race seat after GT academy.

I would think in theory quite a few race teams in real would be willing to give you guys a shot, i mean from watching the 2012 USA GT academy Jett probably showed to be the fastest from what i saw and very unfortunete not to win, showing the GT academy footage to potential race teams should give you a good chance to get a drive.
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I'd imagine quite unsuccessful, as the vast majority of race teams won't let you race unless you have the money to. It would be nice if they let you race just because you had good potential, but that never really happens.
 
This thread tracks the 2013 professional careers of GT Academy winners and also-rans. The winners have a huge advantage in that they have a serious edge when it comes to securing a seat, but a few of the runners up have also managed to make some progress in various racing ladders.
 
mustafur
To those that made the finals this year or previous years, have you contacted any race teams after and if so how was your success in getting a race seat after GT academy.

I would think in theory quite a few race teams in real would be willing to give you guys a shot, i mean from watching the 2012 USA GT academy Jett probably showed to be the fastest from what i saw and very unfortunete not to win, showing the GT academy footage to potential race teams should give you a good chance to get a drive.
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I almost got the chance to testdrive a STCC car but unfortunately it was cancelled because of some issues. At the moment I have no plans for any testing, I mean raceteams has to contact me cause I don't have the money to pay my own racing career + I have begun studying on university so... maybe when I get a good job and earn money I can buy a small racing car and do some races for fun, but that's probably 10 years ahead.
 
Spurgy 777
I'd imagine quite unsuccessful, as the vast majority of race teams won't let you race unless you have the money to. It would be nice if they let you race just because you had good potential, but that never really happens.
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The judges from the uk need a budget to get a drive in the BTCC let alone the finalists :banghead: Very impressive that STCC teams took a look at you fillip you should be proud even if it didn't come together:tup:
 
Canada isn't allowed why not. We produce amazing race drivers (i.e. Gilles and Jaques Villeneuve) or Ron Fellows. Ron Fellows is recognized as one of North America's most versatile and successful road racing drivers; winning in series from NASCAR to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. (http://www.ronfellows.com/) and he owns a historic race track the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (aka Mosport) not to mention amazing Motocross and Monster jam drivers like Cam McQueen (driver of the northern nightmare truck and freestyle world champion) and Ricky Carmichael (declared the GOAT or Greatest of all time in motocross.) And Indy drivers James Hinchcliffe, Paul Tracy and Alex Tagliani. >:(
 
Mr C5 Z06 Vette
Canada isn't allowed why not. We produce amazing race drivers (i.e. Gilles and Jaques Villeneuve) or Ron Fellows. Ron Fellows is recognized as one of North America's most versatile and successful road racing drivers; winning in series from NASCAR to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. (http://www.ronfellows.com/) and he owns a historic race track the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (aka Mosport) not to mention amazing Motocross and Monster jam drivers like Cam McQueen (driver of the northern nightmare truck and freestyle world champion) and Ricky Carmichael (declared the GOAT or Greatest of all time in motocross.) And Indy drivers James Hinchcliffe, Paul Tracy and Alex Tagliani. >:(
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I believe it's because of some competition law in Canada.
 
Good first episode last night. :) I especially remember the filming of one part of it, it went like this... "Crap, elimination! ... oh, whaat, McDonalds?!" xD

You can watch last night's episode here https://www.itv.com/itvplayer/gt-academy. Not sure if it's available to countries outside the UK. Hopefully they get put up on youtube.
 
Heh, we were never told about the McDonald's thing :lol: It was relayed that the first elimination was "brutal", but nothing beyond that!
 
The whole of the race camp knew literally minutes after that take. :lol: I'm surprised you or the journo's didn't catch wind of it, maybe the novelty had worn off by the time you lot got there. :P We were all told to gather on that balcony and we were all expecting it to be the elimination, not McDonald's! The actual elimination later was brutal just because it was the first day and we had such a tough group in terms of driving skill.
 
I think the "invited journalists" weren't made party to it by the time we got there on Day 4, for the additional suspense.

Also, I appear in a lot of VVV's videos :lol: You can see me driving in the foreground of part 4, wearing my Croatian GT Surgeons T-shirt :D
 
Funnily enough I checked out the tweets about GT Academy and alot of people talking about that McDonalds thing! I know every GT Academy event got told about it afterwards, and we had a laugh afterwards about it of course, as it was a tad silly!

By the way just a heads up why I failed in that first test... Coming out of luffield I went from 2nd to 3rd and missed 3rd, went straight into neutral, must have cost me at least half a second probably alot more (Not accelerating when I should be flat out!), it's why I cam stone dead last :(! Gotta admit though Adam your time was nuts :)! Fastest EU 👍

Good job I performed in the stock cars though :)!
 
Famine, I like the expression on your face just after the 7 minute mark in part 5. :lol:

Stuff 2nd gear, that TC was ridiculously restrictive! Pleased we got our times anyway, that 72 was smooth and steady. :D By the way the reason I did crap in the Micras was because Martin had the best car!! (Jokes, jokes :lol:)
 
Aderrrm
Famine, I like the expression on your face just after the 7 minute mark in part 5. :lol:

Stuff 2nd gear, that TC was ridiculously restrictive! Pleased we got our times anyway, that 72 was smooth and steady. :D By the way the reason I did crap in the Micras was because Martin had the best car!! (Jokes, jokes :lol:)
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;)! I wish I had your idea of 3rd/4th!! Good thinking on the spot there! O btw they put Nitrous in my Micra ;)!
 
Aderrrm
Famine, I like the expression on your face just after the 7 minute mark in part 5. :lol:
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:lol: That's brilliant - I don't even remember doing that. I think I'd just processed the fact you'd gone from 4th to 2nd in a lap.
 
Region locked?

vader.jpg
 
Finished watching the first episode for the UK finalists. Just a warning - I've had very little sleep overnight so there may be a little bit of ranting below :P

The thing that sticks out the most is what on earth was the big deal with McDonalds?!? They made it sound like it was the end of the world and seemed like they wanted to eliminate everyone from the region??? Yeah they've got the "NISMO Athlete" brand to uphold but when you've got Juan Pablo Montoya opening up a packet of crisps after qualifying first in an F1 weekend and Raikkonen deciding to call it quits on a flooded Sepang Circuit with a Magnum and Coke surely this was all done to make for good TV? I'm not privy to a lot of details at race camp such as curfews so it would be nice if any of the finalists can elaborate?

Otherwise yeah nice to get a bit more of a background on everyone who made it to race camp. The other thing that stuck out was the bit where the judges were briefing you guys before the Micra race. It sounded like they were reading off those news tickers that the 6pm news hosts read off from... if the judges were like that for the majority of race camp (robots who do their job in front of the camera) it must have been difficult to get information/learn from them but I suppose you'd learn a lot more from the instructors who hopped on with you during the time trials you did at Silverstone (bar Jann who seemed like he was genuinely willing to help the finalists out since he's been there before).

If you made it through what I wrote above thanks for dealing with my sleepless review of the first episode :lol:. It's good to be able to see these finally get aired and compare it with say the US race camp as well.
 
GT Academy has a reputation to uphold as being a serious competition to transform a 'gamer' into a professional racing driver. It's recognised worldwide and more specifically in and around the area of Silverstone itself. You need to show dedication in how you train and prepare for GT Academy. If you win, you need to get in serious shape. And I guess going to McDonald's doesn't give the best of examples. Not saying the Shane, Martin and Mark weren't dedicated because they all were... in fact I got invited to that trip to McDonald's as well lol. Bottom line is it makes good TV and although some of the judges etc were serious about it, they could also see the funny side of it. For example the director of the program (think I'm right in saying that) would say at the start of a take as opposed to "action" "steady... and.... big mac". :lol: So perhaps not has serious as it came across on TV.

Some times we would have to do quite a few takes with us lot and the judges until they got their lines right which might be a reason why they sound a bit robotic at times ;P. Plus, the briefing before that Micra race it was 30 degrees C! Their speeches for the TV are some times only for the TV. They'd talk to you straight after explaining why they said what they said etc. The judges were there to give you advice and help when ever you needed it. Tiff was around nearly all of the time during our down time, Paul and Jann less so, but Jann just wanted to beat Liuzzi's time in the Deltawing around Silverstone on the pods. :D
 
Ye that McDonalds thing I explained to my German friend who went to their camp was a little different to maybe what was being told... I'm writing my blog and stuff about all of GT Academy, especially with the next episode coming up as I could be portrayed in many ways... so I always like to get the truth out to (As filming can come across in so many ways)! I just haven't written the McDonalds stuff yet.

But the story goes like this;

The first day was pretty much identifying fitness levels and doing alot of filming, I mean the opening shot with all drivers from all nations was done at 4pm ish and we were stood there for ages in hoodies in huge huge heat! Anyway after exercise and all that we were starving, so when we went inside boot camp for food we got a tiny tiny portion, like literally you had it and we weren't allowed seconds... (This in the end turned out to be the only day you weren't allowed seconds! So not sure whether they realised or not that we didn't get that much as portions were better for the rest of it).

Anyway we got back on the bus, and we were heading back and we said can we have anything else to eat and they said we could have something back at the hotel (SnoozeBox), so fair enough we got back and then the prices... £10 for something to eat?? So we had a discussion about it, and we checked our phones was there anywhere near by to get something a little cheaper (As we had cars of course). We saw that McDonald was 3 miles away and we talked about it asked if anyone wanted to go (As most were still starving). Before we were going I did question it a little as I hadn't signed anything to say I wasn't allowed out of Silverstone (We were allowed out off Silverstone, and we were told that afterwards), but I did ask whether we should ask somebody as well, but there was no one to ask as everyone had gone home. Anyway after questioning for awhile, and we did question it we decided after signing everything nothing said we weren't allowed to go out, and the reason why I kept the GT Academy top on was so that they knew we were from there and not 3 yobos trying to get into Silverstone at 9pm at night (I can't get to sleep when starving I never have been able to).

GT Academy was always on my mind even there at McDonalds as I looked just for something that would put me on and a little healthy (If anything can be at McD.), got a McChicken Sandwich if anyone wondered haha.

The next day they were making sneaky jokes about it apparently but I wasn't really aware of anything as I didn't feel like there was anything to worry about (The irony was we got there and said should we go in or drive thru but thought it was better to go in so that we didn't mess up the car). As I thought that we hadn't signed anything the security at the front of Silverstone wasn't to bothered and when your on 'Down time' it's not something that crosses your mind to much.

When that happened I was like damn... I mean we hadn't signed anything and the first initial recording there was no mention of team colours, but when Simon mentioned in the second take I realised the view they were coming from. Which is fair enough, mistake learned wouldn't do again. So from there was just time to move on, laugh about it on occasions because it is quite a funny thing really and try get on with the competition. Of course it's drama and its good for Television... As you'll see next episode more Drama for TV!

But it is what it is, they said they were making a TV Show from the moment we got there, I still respect what GT Academy does though and I'm always following the winners, and anyone whos racing even now who has competed in it :)!

I loved the banter Stef and others made from other nations when they heard about the McD thing :D! It's a funny thing to remembered by and I suppose all publicity is good publicity in the end :P?? I noticed that was the talk of twitter and #GTAcademy! (I should get a McDonalds sponsored racing car :D!)
 

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