FRANKLIN, Tenn. -

Nissan North America revealed Thursday that in an unconventional approach to marketing the automaker will be offering 16 Gran Turismo 5 gamers the chance to race behind a real wheel.

In collaboration with Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC and Polyphony Digital Inc., the brand announced the premiere of reality television show GT Academy USA — which will bring the 16 fastest Gran Turismo 5 players out of nearly 54,000 who participated in a national tournament and give them a chance to become a professional racecar driver.

The new program will be featured as a five-part reality series on SPEED TV beginning Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 10 p.m. EDT.

To find out whether a video game can help develop the skills needed to become a professional driver, the contestants will be judged by motorsports bigwigs such as Danny Sullivan, Tommy Kendall and Liz Halliday against the backdrop of England’s Silverstone Circuit raceway.

The show is divided into three phases: tournament, driver development and reality show, officials noted, and the content aired will culminate with the revealing of the season one winner of GT Academy USA.

Originally launched in Europe in 2009, officials noted GT Academy USA was adapted to appeal to the local audience for racing and gaming, “ while maintaining the universality of its promise to take a fan’s dream of racing to another dimension.”

John Brancheau, vice president of marketing for Nissan North America, also offered his take on the upcoming show: "GT Academy USA will create a life changing experience for gamers, celebrating the authenticity of Gran Turismo 5 for Sony PlayStation, and real life racing and performance, innovation for Nissan.”

"GT Academy USA is a mesh of gaming, branded entertainment and social media, all designed to entertain, engage and reward the audience across multiple platforms from gaming consoles to social networks and primetime," he continued. "GT Academy USA digital efforts spanned across several auto and gaming enthusiast sites and a custom Nissan site. To maximize excitement around the tournament we created a custom GT Academy USA driving tips and sign up process video."

Nissan North America also revealed the specifics for GT Academy USA’s three phases and what contestants were up against, as follows:

Phase 1:

Nearly 54,000 registered to compete and tried to make it to the national finals in Orlando, Fla., where they battled head-to-head across a three-day live event held from March 22–23.

Phase 2:

GT Academy’s top 16 players were sent to an intensive seven-day racing academy at the Silverstone Racing Complex in England. Players endured a series of elimination rounds and mental and physical aptitude tests designed to determine the GT Academy USA champion.

Each finalist built their race knowledge and encountered automotive challenges that put them to the test. Contestants were eliminated throughout the week until a final winner was crowned the GT Academy USA winner of season one.

Phase 3:

The program will be featured as a five-part series on SPEED TV. As the final payoff, the winner will become a Nissan-sponsored professional racecar driver who will join the European GT Academy winners, forming a four person team that will race the legendary 24-hour race in Dubai.

For more information, see www.GTAcademyUSA.com.