Pro race car drivers hone skills with Gran Turismo

Apparently video games are used for more than simply "playing" them. It has been reported that professional race car drivers are using games like Gran Turismo for training purposes. They utilize the racing simulator to strengthen their skills and keep them on their toes. Pro racers cannot always jump on new tracks and practice before big races, so they pop Gran Turismo in their PS3 and practice virtually.

"Even the creator of the series, Kazunori Yamauchi, went over 1,000 laps on a certain track in his game and then went at it for real. After twelve laps on the real track (the first twelve had him at 90% capacity) he was getting times rivaling the pack of true racers. Sounds like a useful simulator for those aspiring to race cars for a living. It probably helps with general driving knowledge and skills, too. Don't quote us on that, though." Source