Racing enthusiasts can soon test their driving skills in downtown Hickory.
Victory Sim is a racing simulation center that provides visitors with the experience of simulated driving on hundreds of racetracks using Assetto Corsa software.
Owner Casey Mahoney said he started the business as a way to give Hickory residents and visitors a unique entertainment experience.
“This has been a dream of mine for a long time that’s finally getting to come to fruition,” Mahoney said.
Racing simulation games are part of the growing esports industry. According to Yahoo Finance, the racing simulation industry market size is expected to exceed $1.9 billion by 2033.
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Victory Sim center owner Casey Mahoney poses by a racing simulator. Mahoney said opening the center has been a dream for many years.
“Sim centers are popping up all over the U.S.,” Mahoney said. “Hickory’s kind of prime for it. It’s a big city but, entertainment wise, there’s not really a lot to do. So, I thought, ‘Now’s the time to strike.’”
Simulators at Victory Sim allow users to experience driving conditions on roads and racetracks around the world, from Indianapolis Motor Speedway to the Autobahn in Germany.
Customers can expect to feel bumps and shakes in the driver’s seat as they navigate the chosen track or road. Mahoney said tracks and roads were scanned to detect curves and bumps so people using a simulator can get a realistic feel.
Knowledge of driving a car with manual transmission is useful but not necessary to use the simulators.
Pricing to use a simulator will be $30-$40 for 30 minutes or $50-$60 for a full hour, depending on which type of simulator a customer chooses.
Mahoney said rigs at the simulation center are more elaborate than those someone would use at home. He said the simulators cost between $13,000 and $20,000.
“It’s not like playing Forza or something like that. It’s a full-on simulation, like you’re really driving this car,” Mahoney said.
“It’s as close as you can get to real life without being in the car itself,” said Victory Sim employee Hayden Bumgarner.
Hayden Bumgarner, an employee of Victory Sim, demonstrates using a racing simulation rig.
Mahoney said the center will have 10 simulators. Individuals can come in to experience the simulators, and groups can come to race against each other.
“The focus would be on coming in as group and racing together, talking trash to each other and getting bragging rights,” Mahoney said.
Mahoney said he worked with different NASCAR crews for a number of years as a fabricator. Later, he traveled with simulators to NASCAR and other racing events before deciding it made more financial sense to open a physical location.
“We’re providing something for the community to do that’s family friendly; it’s kind of a win-win to do it this way,” Mahoney said.
In addition to simulators, Mahoney said the business will have arcade games, such as pinball and claw machines. The business will also have a lounge area for people who are not racing to relax and wait on others who are using simulators.
Mahoney said he plans to open Victory Sim around the second week of August.
Victory Sim is located at 246-A Union Square in the basement of the Shoppes on the Square building. Mahoney said Victory Sim will be open six days per week and closed on Sundays.
