Downtown Atlanta’s newest entertainment venue features Formula 1 racing simulators alongside a restaurant and bar, offering visitors a place to dine, drive and attend events. The arcade location is one of the company’s growing number of international venues.
The company’s global launch operations are overseen by partnerships manager Rachel Stewart, who manages partnerships and new market openings. She said each new location required coordination across marketing, events and local outreach.
“When we enter a new market, we look at what we need to do marketing-wise, events-wise and how we support the local team,” Steward said. “Every location is different, so we adjust based on what the community needs and what will help people understand what the experience is.”
As the venue’s programming, Stewart said the company is developing a series of competitions designed to bring in groups who want structured racing formats. The team is now exploring options that appeal to schools, mascots and corporate groups, with the goal of creating recurring events.
“We are looking at different tournament modes and creating competitions like face offs,” Stewart said. “We’ve talked about a university face off series, mascots racing each other and options for corporate groups. We’re working on timelines and figuring out the best way to introduce those formats.”
Stewart said many visitors arrive without any background in Formula 1 (F1), so staff members focus on making experiences approachable. Guests only need a brief explanation of the pedals and steering before they begin, and the simulators are designed so that first time drivers can participate without difficulty.
“You don’t have to know anything about F1,” Stewart said.”As long as you know where the gas pedal is and where the brake is, you’re fine. A lot of people have never been in a simulator before, so we make sure they feel comfortable before they start.”
Technical operations at the venue are managed by Dan Kramer, who works with the maintenance and calibrations of all 68 simulators. Each rig uses motion actuators, specialized steering equipment and hydraulic braking systems designed to respond to the drivers motions.
“We have 68 simulators at this location,” Kramer said. “Each one has two actuators that move it up and down with the D-Box system inside. We use a Fanatec steering wheel, hydraulic brakes and pedals, and there are two monitors mounted above. Everything is built to respond to what the driver is doing in real time.”
Kramer said the company currently operated eight locations worldwide, with more under construction. The simulators themselves are produced by a UK-based designer that focuses specifically on F1 motion systems, which Kramer said is what separates the experience from the standard arcade racing games.
“Axiom is the sole designer of it,’’ Kramer said. “They design it for the F1 to give you the most motion type base possible. The goal is to simulate an F1 ride, and those D-Box actuators are what make the difference. They’re what separate this from a standard arcade setup.”
Local resident Sarah Snyder visited the venue with friends and decided to try one of the simulators despite having no prior familiarity with F1. She said she entered the experience without knowing what controls would do what or how the motions would feel.
“I came in knowing absolutely nothing about driving a race car,” Snyder said. “ I didn’t know the rules or types of cars, but it’s definitely something different to do and not something you see everyday.”
Snyder said the movement of the seat stood out immediately, essentially during turns and changes in speed. She said this showed her how it differed from different racing games she has tried in the past.
“The seat really throws you around more than I expected,” Snyder said. “When you hit a wall, you feel it. When the car goes faster the seat raises, and it was really fun. It surprised me how much it was moving.”
After completing her first race, Snyder said she wanted another attempt. She said seeing her place on the leaderboard made her want to keep trying to improve it.
“As soon as I got out, I wanted to go again,” Snyder said.“Once you see what place you got, it’s an urge to keep going and do better and luckily I bought the three rounds so I still had two, but there was also an option to buy five. By the end, I wished I had bought the five.”
