American GT Academy Winner Readies for Pro Racing

Brian Heitkotter of Fresno, California, has been announced today as the inaugural winner of the GT Academy competition in the United States, proving he has what it takes to go from virtual to reality at the GT Academy race camp at the Silverstone racing circuit in the U.K. Key challenges during the race camp included a triathlon, racing go-karts, timed laps in Nissan 370Zs, and many other intense challenges.

As the official GT Academy winner for the U.S., Bryan will train with a team of elite race car drivers and coaches and compete in numerous training races in the coming months in preparation for an endurance race as part of a professional racing team early next year.

Bryan's road to victory will be documented in a multi-episode reality show airing exclusively on SPEED channel and the PlayStation Network (available on the PlayStation 3) in September 2011. The series will show the journey from the GT Academy National Finals Event in Orlando to the Silverstone race camp competition.

"GT Academy made my dream of becoming a race car driver a reality, thanks to PlayStation and Nissan," said Bryan Heitkotter. "I can't believe all the hours training with the realistic Gran Turismo 5 driving simulator have led me to this amazing opportunity."

"The intensity of the competition at GT Academy race camp was incredible and Bryan Heitkotter did an outstanding job to win this once in a lifetime opportunity," said Jon Brancheau, Vice President Marketing, Nissan. "It was great to see the competitors experience the Nissan GT-Rs and 370Zs on the race track and learn the full potential available in these innovative sports cars."