Nissan’s PlayStation GT Academy competition has gone live in Australia.

As a means to pave the way for gamers to gain a start in the real thing, the competition will draw finalists from participating countries where the winners will go into an International Race Camp at Silverstone.

Starting in 2008 the GT Academy has transformed the careers of gamers into professional racers.

Kazunori Yamauchi, President of Polyphony Digital, is excited to see qualifying begin across the globe for GT Academy 2014.

“I am very happy that qualifying has now begun for a sixth season of GT Academy, kick starting our world-wide search to unearth another gamer with the talent to become a real life racer,” Yamauchi said.

“Every GT6 gamer will have the chance to develop their skills in a series of stunning Nissan Nismo vehicles and compare lap times with their friends while competing for a coveted spot at the next stage of the competition.”

The successful PlayStation gamers from Australia, India, Mexico, Middle East and Thailand will win a place at a national final event held in their country.

From there, the six leading Australian competitors will qualify for the International Race Camp at Silverstone for an established week-long boot camp where the finalists will be put through their paces on and off the track, to unearth this year’s GT Academy champion.

The overall international winner will receive three months of intensive training to prepare them for taking to the track with Nissan at the Dubai 24 Hour race in January, 2015.

Academy champions are competing in the Blancpain Endurance Series this season, and Lucas Ordonez (2008 champion) will be racing alongside Wolfgang Reip (2012 champion) in the mould-breaking Nissan ZEOD RC at the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Jann Mardenborough (2011 champion) now has an eye on a career in Formula One, having secured a GP3 drive in2014 with Arden International and being selected to take part in a bespoke Red Bull Racing Driver Development Program.

The GT Academy qualifying update is available to access now on GT6 and can be played until 16:59 Australian Eastern Standard Time on Monday 16 June 2014.

It is available to anyone with a PSN (PlayStation®Network) ID and a copy of Gran Turismo 6.

Entry details can be found on: http://gran-turismo.com or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/NismoAUS and http://www.facebook.com/PlayStationAU.