A new racing simulator room will give people the chance to step into a virtual car and race their way around some of the world’s most well-known tracks.

Vrroom racing room, which opened earlier this week, allows racers to jump into anything from a Fiat to a Formula 1 car in an immersive experience designed to feel like a real car.

The attraction includes a number of state-of-the-art racing simulators and the men behind the business want to offer a high-quality experience for both casual drivers and e-sport professionals.

Aiden Bowen, co-owner of Vrroom, said: “We looked at e-sport and realised it would be a growth area so we started a grassroots venue where we want to nurture local talent and also have a bit of fun ourselves. We’ll start with Brighton and go from there.

The Argus: Aiden Bowen in the Brighton Marina siteAiden Bowen in the Brighton Marina site (Image: Andrew Gardner | The Argus)

“E-sports is something that is very accessible but getting good is something that takes time. A venue like this takes the kid out of the bedroom and puts them in a social environment where they can learn by osmosis and get better in their skills and compete on a level playing field.”

At an event held at their new Brighton Marina site, racers were able to get their hands on the simulators which include a wrap-around TV screen and sit-in racing rigs designed to feel like a real car.

The rigs include systems which shake the driver to feel like the suspension of a car and allows drivers to race against each other on the same track.

Users sign up to the service with their email addresses and times are fed to their phones to view after the event. The site also includes a bar serving a range of drinks.


MOST READ:


Aiden and schoolfriend John Parvin, who also owns the site, say they want to create a space where passionate drivers can get into e-sports and develop themselves as racers.

Alongside the casual experience, Vrroom also plans to offer e-sports coaching to those seeking to pursue sim racing and further their talents.

John added: “The best driver in the world could be somewhere where they don’t have access to even try. We want to bring the experience of competitive motorsport to as big an audience as possible.

“The motivation to be better in a sport comes from a competitive environment and doing it online at home isn’t that real. You could be involved in an international tournament and mum is telling you dinner's ready.

“You’re not immersed in it but coming here and racing against real people makes a massive difference to being motivated to do better.”

Racers can use different cars from Fiat 500s to a Formula 1 car and can drive on several different tracks including Silverstone and Monaco.

Vrroom plans to include a number of different events, including races on Formula 1 tracks at the same times as the real-life events.