Nurburgring 24 Hours Challenges Lucas Ordonez
Some argue that video games are a way people live out fantasies that are otherwise out of reach. Politicians sometimes jump on that as an easy target, but for one pro racer, gaming-turned-reality is a fairytale to say the least.
In case you haven’t already heard the story, Lucas Ordonez started his racing career by playing Gran Turismo, a racing simulator for the Sony Playstation. After winning a competition, he made the jump from virtual cars to the real thing. That was in 2008 and since then Ordonez has gone on to compete for Nissan in various races, the most recent of which was last weekend’s Nurburgring 24 Hours.
“It was a pleasure for me to drive with the guys from Japan,” he said. “I have learnt a lot this weekend and I have a new respect for the GT-R and this amazing race track.”
Endurance races like the one he just took part in work in shifts. Ordonez started driving at night and had a rude awakening during his second time behind the wheel, once the sun came up.
“After having such a good run it the night, my morning shift was a real eye-opener,” he said. “The temperature went up quite quickly and this really changed the handling compared to at night. It was still great to drive but it was mentally tough as I really had to concentrate and feel what the car was doing.”
Known to many as the “Green Hell,” the Nurburgring is one of the world’s most challenging courses and Ordonez will continue to push his limits as his racing career continues.
Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.
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Its got to be a dream come true for a kid. One day he's playing video games and the next he's on the track, piloting a 500hp, legit, race-car.