What madness is this? An update on Gran Turismo Sport? We'd assumed that Sony was just going to ride out the remainder of the generation saying nothing about the simulation racer which was due out months ago, but instead it's announced a closed beta is scheduled to get underway in little over a week. Oh, okay then.

Starting from 17th March in the United States – it looks like those of you in Europe will have to wait a little longer – Polyphony Digital will drop a closed beta test for its hotly anticipated exclusive, which will enable you to go hands on with the title's competitive racing mode against other players across the country.

The closed beta will feature a rotating roster of tracks and cars and will be available during allotted times throughout the day. You'll also be able to get a glimpse at the game's new Driver Profile which will include little bits of stat tracking based upon your performance. You can sign up for the beta in North America and Europe by following the respective links.

[source blog.us.playstation.com, via blog.eu.playstation.com]