Bangkok--24 Aug--Nissan Motor
Nissan Motor (Thailand) Co.,Ltd., a leading automotive company with a passion for innovation that excites, today announced that Nathayos Sirigaya was the winner of the Thailand Nissan GT Academy 2015. On the final day at the Nissan GT Academy 2015 Asia Race Camp at the world-famous Silverstone race track in the United Kingdom, Nathayos competed against teams from four other Asian countries: India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Japan, for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a NISMO athlete, and race in the Dubai 24 Hours in January 2016. At the final race after a very closely-fought event, the overall winner of the Nissan GT Academy Asia Race Camp 2015 was Jose Gerard Policarpio of the Philippines while Nathayos took 4th place.
The week-long Nissan GT Academy 2015 Asia Race Camp at the Silverstone Circuit saw the five six-man teams of “Gran Turismo” virtual racers from across Asia, immersed in real racing car training, with intense moments shared by all the contestants. Through a series of challenges, the six racers from Thailand have proven their skills and readiness to be professional race car drivers, with Nathayos Sirigaya being crowned the Thailand Nissan GT Academy 2015 Champion. The five other members of the Thailand Team were Nutanun Karukos, Panuwit Thamrongchot, Pianpat Ronruangrit, Pasawat Lupakitaro and Thaninrat Atiratphuvapat.
Mr. Kazutaka Nambu, President, Nissan Motor (Thailand) Co., Ltd. said "We're delighted to congratulate Nathayos Sirigaya on being crowned the Thailand Nissan GT Academy 2015 winner. The judges and the Thailand Team coach have been incredibly impressed with his consistent pace throughout the Race Camp and his willingness to learn and develop his driving. We're looking forward to an opportunity to develop him further after the success of the Thailand Nissan GT Academy 2014 winner Thanaroj Thanasitnitiket who is really taking the Nissan Micra Cup by storm in Canada”.
“At the Nissan GT Academy Asia Race Camp, we had many highly-skilled competitors from India, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, as well as Thailand,” said Mr. Prapat Choeychom, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Sales, Nissan Motor (Thailand) Co., Ltd. “They all pushed their individual limits to win the one chance to become a NISMO athlete. Nissan is very glad to support these talented youngsters to bring their aspirations to life, to experience world-class motorsports. We believe the Nissan GT Academy program will inspire others to keep following their dreams.”
Nissan Thailand GT Academy 2015 Champion, Nathayos said “I am extremely delighted to join the Asia Race Camp at Silverstone in the UK. Thanks to Nissan, my dream has become a reality. The opportunity to learn the ropes as a professional racer at Silverstone, the cradle of world motorsports, is priceless. Going from PlayStation to a real racing seat is a big step, not just physically, but mentally. There are many lessons learnt from mistakes during the race such as when I crashed into India’s car at the third corner because I rushed too much. I’ll treasure these moments, and do my best in all future competitions with the skills learnt from here.”
The challenges came thick and fast throughout their action-packed week at Race Camp, with gamers being thrown into the action straight away on their first day where they got behind the wheel of single seaters, Caterham racers, Nissan GT-Rs and high-downforce John Palmer LM cars at Bedford Autodrome. Throughout the week, various surprise challenges were thrown at them including the “GT Ninja” assault course, an innovative army-style Gymkhana driving race, Sand buggy racing, head-to-head timed shootouts on the Silverstone track and an incredibly eventful Nissan Micra stock car race which decided the starting grid for the final race.
The heat went up when they needed to go through the next challenge competing on the Silverstone International Circuit in Nissan 370Z NISMO race where Nathayos, aged 24 from Pathumthani province, set the fastest lap for the entire race which showed application of his consistent performances across all challenges throughout the week in a high-pressure race environment and progressed to the final round of Asia Race Camp as Thailand’s Nissan GT Academy 2015 Champion.
To view the thrill and excitement of the competition, please go to ?http://nismo.tv. More details about Nissan GT Academy can be found on various platforms including: www.facebook.com/GTAcademy and www.gran-turismo.com