One of the prizes is a Kawasaki Ninja!

Do you fancy yourself a bit of an expert behind the wheel - or rather, its controller equivalent? Does the digitised roar of engines and imaginary crowd adulation thrill you to your very core? Do you dream of a life of fame and fortune doing nothing but playing games all day? Well, good luck with that last one - but you could score yourself some pretty sweet prizes in Rockstar's Midnight Club: Los Angeles Offical World Championship Series, ranging from Rockstar merchandise right up to a Kawasaki Ninja.

The Championships are open to both PS3 and Xbox 360 owners who meet certain criteria. Visit the official terms and conditions for the full run down, but basically if you're Australian, over eighteen, and willing to sign up to Rockstar's Social Club, you're likely eligible to test yourself against the best the rest of the world can offer. Well, the rest of the world as composed of select U.S. states, the rest of Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland - but that's not exactly a small competition group!

It's okay, we're actually about to lap them.

The 2009 games begin with single player qualifying races, and those that make the grade will progress to head to head races with other competitors, with monthly tournament events leading up to the grand finale at the end of the year. The grand prize in the first round is a $500 Rockstar Warehouse grand prize shopping spree. Those re looking to run a few practice laps before the big day should check out the Sand and Surf track, which will be the first test of your mettle.

It'd be awesome to see some local talent out there. If you're keen to participate, you should be quick; you'll need to be registered for the first event by February 6th, with finals taking place on February 13th. Get more information from the Rockstar Tournaments Information page. Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!