NZs fastest Gran Turismo driver bows out of Silverstone finals

Wellington student Tony Autridge remains upbeat after being knocked out of the final of the GT Academy 2010.

By James Heffield / Monday, March 08 2010

The Wellington Gran Turismo gamer who last month won the chance to compete for a professional racing contract in Europe has been eliminated after a five day boot camp at Silverstone, in the UK.

Nineteen-year-old student Tony Autridge was selected to compete in the Silverstone final of the GT Academy 2010 after winning the local New Zealand final on February 4.

He has spent the past five days being put through his paces against 18 other national finalists from around the world but was knocked out of the competition, along with nine others, during the event’s first cut.

Autridge said he was disappointed not to have gone further but had learnt a lot from event attendees like former F1 boss Eddie Jordan, two-time Nürburgring 24 hour winner Sabine Schmitz and Formula One and Le Mans 24 hour winner Johnny Herbert.

“Who would have thought that playing a PS3 and entering the GT Academy competition would lead me all the way to Silverstone? I have learnt invaluable skills – it was like starting at the very highest level of motorsport, constantly learning about driving techniques on and off the track.”

The boot camp tested competitors on their real-world and virtual driving skills, as well as their mental and physical fitness to determine whether they had the right mindset and attitude to success in world racing.

The overall winner of this year’s GT Academy will race a full season in the European GT4 Cup in a Nissan 370Z prepared by RJN Motorsport. The opening race of the European GT4 Cup is scheduled for May.