Over 53,000 fans across the US registered for GT Academy. And after a few months of online time trials, we are now down to the nation’s top 32 Gran Turismo players (eight per region), who are now one step closer in making their dreams of becoming a race car driver with a professional team a reality. On March 22 and 23, these 32 finalists will take part in a live head-to-head competition at the GT Academy National Finals event at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, located at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

During the National Finals Event in Orlando, the contestants will be divided into groups of four and will race in a series of live head-to-head races in Gran Turismo 5. Racing select Nissan vehicles, contestants with the fewest points at the end of each round will be eliminated until only the fastest 16 remain. The 16 finalists will advance to Phase Two of GT Academy, where they will compete against each other in a series of challenges, including going behind-the-wheel of real Nissan race cars, for a chance to become a professional race car driver and the official GT Academy winner for the U.S. The winner will then have the opportunity to train with an elite racing team and will work towards a debut as part of a professional team in a major endurance race.

In no particular order, the 32 finalists heading to Orlando are:
Carl Posey
Christopher Morton
Emerson Trimble
Ryan Gordon
Damian Gosztyla
Sean Johnston
Steve Driscoll
Brian Rice
Tom Carstensen
Kris Norris
Nick Fontana
Iliya Bridan
Connor Clifford
Kyong Oh
Gregory Russell
Darryl Sutherland
Christopher Roberts
Jason Miller
Matthew Wright
Phillip Arscott
Landon Harrison
Brett Jones
Glenn McGee Howle
John Wilding
Nick Tenhulzen
Jose Sebastian Cedeno
Andre Gomes
Rich Pratt
James Edwards
Bryan Heitkotter
Derek Dalton
Brock Harrison

Congratulations from Sony, Polyphony Digital, and Nissan North America to all 32 of these amazing individuals. The stakes are high. The competition will be fierce. Good luck to all of them.