Who won the first Nissan GT Academy in 2008?

Lucas Ordóñez won the first Nissan GT Academy in 2008. The Spanish gamer became the inaugural winner of the competition created by Nissan and Sony to turn elite Gran Turismo players into real-world racing drivers.

Ordóñez’s victory was significant because GT Academy challenged the traditional route into motorsport. Instead of beginning in karting and progressing through expensive junior championships, competitors first demonstrated their ability in Gran Turismo time trials, then faced physical tests, interviews and real-car racing at Race Camp.

After winning, Ordóñez entered Nissan’s driver-development programme and earned the racing licences needed for international competition. He performed strongly in endurance racing, including a second-place LMP2 finish at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2011 and a third-place result in 2013. He also competed in the Nürburgring 24 Hours, Super GT and other major series.

Jordan Tresson won the European competition in 2010, while Jann Mardenborough won in 2011. Those later winners are often mistaken for the original GT Academy champion.