TUCSON — Tucson has its first full-motion simulation racing lounge.
Ignition Sim Racing, located at Broadway and Craycroft, features 13 high-tech simulators that tilt, shake, and react to put drivers on racing tracks from around the world.
Co-owner Isaiah Yonas and his brother launched the business after starting with a single simulator they brought to local cars and coffee events.
"We've had a really great response from the community, and I think that there's more people taking a liking to it than we would have thought," Yonas said. "Even if you aren't into the culture, I think that this is a great way to get into it without having to spend a ton of money or risk your life on a track."
The simulators offer what Yonas calls 3 degrees of freedom: they lift up, move front to back, and shift side to side. Haptic feedback in the pedals lets drivers feel the sensation of losing traction or wheels locking up. Non-motion rigs are also available and still include force feedback and pedal haptics, though the rig itself stays stationary.
The lounge runs Assetto Corsa as its primary game under a commercial license, which allows the team to access community-built mods for additional tracks and vehicles. Yonas said they can source nearly any track a customer requests.
"You can live out your wildest dreams and race anywhere in the world, and if we don't have the track, we can get it 99% of the time," Yonas said.
The Nürburgring is among the most popular tracks at the lounge, with laps ranging from 7 to 12 minutes depending on the vehicle. Local racers also use the simulators to prepare for real-world competition.
"We do have a lot of people that come and race on Musselman, for example, because we have that map in the game," Yonas said. "Musselman's, you know, local to Tucson, and they'll come here and they'll get their practice in and then they'll go straight over to Muscleman immediately after."
Racing disciplines available include F1, GT3, GT4, rally, and drifting. The lounge also hosts corporate events, team building sessions, birthday parties, graduation parties, and other group celebrations. Participants are placed in headsets so they can communicate with each other during races.
Ignition Sim Racing holds a monthly challenge throughout the month, with the top 10 fastest participants racing head-to-head at the end of the month on all 10 machines simultaneously. Yonas said the events include food, drinks, and a YouTube broadcast, and are open to friends and family.
The lounge recently unveiled a flight simulator at its grand opening. The hardware is based on the A-10 Warthog aircraft and runs Digital Combat Simulator. Yonas said the simulator uses the same motion kit as the racing rigs. Time on the flight simulator is set to go on sale at the beginning of June.
"You can live out your wildest dreams without having to pay for flight lessons and time and gas," Yonas said.
A youth driver's camp for ages 12 to 18 is also planned for the beginning of July. The 3-day program will feature 3-hour sessions that include classroom instruction, coaching, film review, and time on the simulators. Topics will cover vehicle safety, racing etiquette, and stick-shift driving.
Yonas said the long-term goal is to grow beyond the current location.
"Bring something new and interesting to Tucson and keep them engaged," Yonas said.
