Get your heart racing, your adrenaline pumping and learn a little something while you’re at it at Bensonhurst’s new virtual racing simulation experience, Racing Rooms.
While one might be inclined to think of this new venture – a three-week old addition to the nabe – as an arcade-style experience, Racing Rooms owner and self-proclaimed car enthusiast Zach Vaysburg assured this newspaper that it is anything but.
“I started researching and I wanted to bring something like this to Brooklyn,” said Vaysburg, who previously ran his own car shipping company and worked as a service advisor for BMW. “So, I began researching about indoor car racing and unfortunately, especially here in Brooklyn, it’s difficult because the warehouses [and manufacturers] are non-existent. I tested a lot of different motion simulation products and did research on all the software that is in the market right now.”
While it was difficult for Vaysburg to find the type of equipment and software he needed here in the U.S., given that the products he was looking for were more prevalent in the European market, he eventually found a supplier in Virginia and thus Racing Rooms was born.
According to Vaysburg, while racing enthusiasts and car lovers are his target audience, the racing simulations he provides cater to customers of different ages, particularly new drivers and teens looking to improve their driving abilities.
“My plan is to give new drivers an ability to practice,” Vaysburg said. “The beauty of the software is that it’s not an arcade game, it’s a simulator, and there’s a big difference between the two. The simulator allows you to explore vehicle dynamics and what happens to a car in various situations, how it loses control and how to regain control of a car.”
Vaysburg said that private lessons are available for new drivers or for those who just want to improve their skills.
The next step for Racing Rooms, he said, is virtual reality. “The next step will be a virtual reality set to eliminate the screens completely,” Vaysburg said. “Along with the motion, it will give you the total sensation of being in the cockpit of a car. It’s amazing what can be done with this new technology.”
Vaysburg ultimately wants customers who enjoy the experience to keep returning and to keep learning new things.
“My idea is for them to keep coming back, to practice and not to treat it as just a game,” said Vaysburg. “Even professional drivers, knowledgeable drivers, can learn from it.”
Racing Rooms is located at 1707 86th Street.
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