GT Academy winner Reip joins Ordonez in Nissan ZEOD RC driver line up

The driver line-up for Nissan's revolutionary ZEOD RC prototype will feature two past winners of the Nissan PlayStation GT Academy program with Belgian driver Wolfgang Reip signed to join Lucas Ordonez at this year's Le Mans 24 Hours.

In 2012, Reip won the European
edition of the GT Academy program that takes virtual racers from their living room to the race track through the Gran Turismo PlayStation game.

The Belgian made his race debut in the 2013 Dubai 24 Hours and was subsequently selected to represent Nissan in the Blancpain Endurance Series where he impressed as a rookie.

Reip's speed aboard the GT3-spec Nissan GT-R earned him a seat for the Bahrain round of the FIA World Endurance Championship where he finished on the podium in his first race in a prototype for Greaves Motorsport in LM P2.

The Le Mans rookie will line-up alongside inaugural GT Academy winner Lucas Ordonez in the ZEOD RC. The final driver will be announced in the near future.

Ordonez heads into the 2014 Le Mans 24 hours with two LM P2 podium finishes at the classic French endurance event.

Reip has already tested the ZEOD RC and has been in action for the Japanese manufacturer contesting the Bathurst 12 Hour in Australia earlier this month aboard a Nissan GT-R.

"Every time we have given Wolfgang another opportunity he has grabbed it with open arms," said Darren Cox, Nissan Global Motorsports Director.

"He impressed everybody with his speed in Dubai last year, did a brilliant job in the Blancpain Series and then really opened everyone's eyes with his LM P2 pace in Bahrain."

"Not only has he been fast but he is a quick learner and his technical feedback has been quite exceptional. We've already had him behind the wheel of the ZEOD RC in testing and he has again really impressed everyone," he added.

"He and Lucas work very well together and it is quite fitting that our first couple of drivers on such a unique electric-powered car began their careers with a PlayStation plugged into the electric power socket in their living room."

Posted in: Darren Cox,Europe,Gran Turismo,GT Academy,Le Mans 24 Hours,Lucas Ordonez,Motor Sports,New Appointment,Nissan,Nissan Motorsport,Nissan ZEOD RC,PlayStation,Wolfgang Reip