GT Academy winner Heitkotter's next step is the 24 Hours of Dubai

It all culminates in January at the 24 Hours of Dubai: That's when video-game player and GT Academy winner Bryan Heitkotter will race, professionally, with European GT Academy winner Jann Mardenborough in a Nissan 370Z.

The GT Academy was a contest that started last December in which Gran Turismo 5 players competed for a seat in a real race car. Thousands entered, 32 players rose to the top, and 16 of those were invited to a seven-day whirlwind racing and evaluation program at the Silverstone circuit in the United Kingdom.

“I'd raced at autocross events and track days, but I'd never been wheel-to-wheel before Silverstone,” Heitkotter, 30, said when asked about his racing experience and goals. “My ultimate choice would be driving in Formula One, but I think I'm a bit old for that. Otherwise, endurance racing.”

The Silverstone program included seat time in the Nissan GT-R and 370Z. Events consisted of go-karting, skid-control exercises, rally driving and wheel-to-wheel racing. It was Heitkotter's first racing-school experience, and he came away with more than just a daily helmet headache.

But he won the Silverstone test, which was also turned into a reality show with people getting voted off daily. The week ended with the top four drivers going at it on the 3.7-mile track. After that, Heitkotter was swept into a six-month driver-development program that began last July. It included driving, obviously, but also a strict diet and exercise program to keep him in top form.

Heitkotter might not be a bad bet this January, if past winners of the GT Academy are any indication. The first winner, Lucas Ord

By Jake Lingeman