Aussie gamer-turned-racer takes on Spa

Less than 12 months ago Matt Simmons was a postie in Queensland but after conquering the Nissan GT Academy in the UK, he's now about to take on one of the world's most famous race tracks – Spa Franchorchamps in Belgium.

The 24-hour stamina-sapping test of man and machine will push the 27-year-old Australian and his Nissan GT-R racer to the ragged edge amongst a grid of 65 vehicles in the fourth round of the Blancpain GT Endurance Cup.

Simmons is no stranger to the 7km Spa circuit, which is widely recognised as one of the world's most challenging racetracks, having clocked up around 25 trouble-free laps in early July.

But the rookie racer is under no illusions as to the magnitude of the challenge, which he'll face with co-drivers Romain Sarazin, Sean Walkinshaw and 2014 GT Academy winner Riccardo Sanchez.

"This track is unique, very fast and challenging," he said, adding that his favourite section was Eau Rouge.

"This is as raw as it gets, feeling the force on your body at the bottom and then wanting to take off over the top – it's an incredible feeling. It literally took my breath away the first few laps but I kept my eyes open!"

Simmons will drive the #22 Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 in the Blancpain GT Endurance Cup round, into which he was fast-tracked after showing early promise as a rookie NISMO athlete.

The team hopes to snaffle victory in the Pro-Am class, while the #23 GT-R driven by defending Blancpain GT Endurance Cup champion Alex Buncombe, inaugural GT Academy winner Lucas Ordonez and Japanese young un Mitsunori Takaboshi will be aiming for outright victory.

One of the #23 GT-R NISMO's toughest rivals will no doubt be the McLaren 650S GT3 of Garage 59, driven by New Zealand hot shot Shane van Gisbergen and co-drivers Rob Bell and Côme Ledogar, who have won two of the three rounds of the Blancpain GT Endurance Cup.

Something to give the NISMO team a gee-up is the 25th anniversary of Nissan's one and only victory at the 24 Hours of Spa, which in 1991 was won by Aussie David Brabham in an R32 Nissan GT-R (pictured).