Two weeks ago, loyal 0-60 reader Emerson Trimble told us how extensive practice and hours upon hours of seat time in front of his PlayStation 3 playing Gran Turismo 5 landed him a spot in the GT5 Academy championships in Florida. Emerson fought hard against some of the best virtual racers the world has to offer, but in the end, he didn’t quite advance far enough to make it to the final 16 drivers, who advance on to the last round of the competition at Silverstone.

Still, he was able to tell us all about the championships from an insider’s perspective, and we’re proud to feature his words and pictures here. There’s still a chance he could make it to England for the final round, though—the Sony/Nissan organizing team told him to be ready to pop across the pond as an alternate, so keep your fingers crossed for him!